got this in email some time back
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Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in
2007.
The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.
During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the
station, most of them on their way to work.
After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician
playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then
hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in
the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked
at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly.
The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother
pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all
the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every
parent, without exception, forced their children to move on
quickly.
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and
listened for a short while. About 20 gave money, but continued to
walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of
$32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one
applauded, nor was there any recognition.
Findings:
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the
greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most
intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million
dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston
where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro
Station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social
experiment about perception, taste, and people's
priorities . The questions raised: "In a common
place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an
unexpected context?"
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the
best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever
written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made....
How many other things are we missing?
http://youtu.be/hnOPu0_YWhw
