Music Appreciation

One thing I love about Germany is that music seems to be held at a higher value in everyday life, while in America, music (from my observations) is underappreciated. For example, Joshua Bell himself playing in a DC metro station makes all of $30, while four German youths singing on the street in Halberstadt captured the attention of everyone passing by.

For comparison, here is the Joshua Bell article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

and here are the German kids and their audience:
















And I LOVE this:














I have a theory. Because of this seemingly nationwide appreciation or understanding of music, music therapy in Germany is more widely understood and accepted here than it is in America. Maybe this is another thought I can investigate while I am here.