…something to think about…
Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. He 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 mins 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 mins later:
the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till 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, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally 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 them to move on.
45 minutes:
The musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best 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 real 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:
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 ….
How many other things are we missing?
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Well, in Australia it would be the same. Worse, the masses would mob a sexually depraved child molester provided he/she was wealthy, but stone soldiers and policemen who risk lives protecting them, and teachers, doctors, and nurses, if the bureau-fascistocracy with their Culture of Greed and Violence (GW Bush’s mates of course) told them to.
Our last Prime Minister, Bonsai (as in Stunted Bush) Coward, actaully told Australians they should not be alarmed (I first became alarmed by US supremacist attitudes in Malaysia in 1983, then again, later, in 1989, when a CIA goon threatened me at gun point when I was on duty in Australia’s Head of State’s Official Residence), but become LERTs (Losers Encouraged in Regressive Thinking).
Now as a target of State Terrorism (look up George Schultz’s definition quoted in Wikipedia), I thank Universe for every ray of sunshine I experience, for every bird that sings to me, for every creature I can cuddle, for every beautiful peace of music I hear. Mind you, I can’t pay for any of these: I already have, in millions.
Live and Help LIVE!
Maarten de Vries
That is an amazing story. You never know who you might be walking next to or listening to speak, could be someone truly amazing.
Sorry, but this sounds like a setup. Putting a world-class musician in a train station where there are connections to be made and appointments to keep, then crying about how the world is so coarse and can’t see true beauty.
I’ll bet many of those people would have loved to listen, but they were on the train for another purpose. Next time, try playing with a fair hand, perhaps an unadvertised concert in a park on a pleasant Sunday afternoon. Watch how many gather around when they are not pressed for time.
Thanks for your perception. The point of the video is, if we were to focus on the present moment, instead of a future time, or the past for that matter, there is beauty in and around us.