STORY : STOP AND HEAR THE MUSIC

This is a true Story, before reading further Guess the person.

STORY : STOP AND HEAR THE MUSIC

PERCEPTION : What do we miss as we rush through life?
...
Location: Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007.

A man with a violin played 6 Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2000 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 yr 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 six people stopped and listened for a short while. About twenty 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.

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 Thirty Five million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post in 2007 as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

The questions raised:

In a commonplace environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
Do we stop to appreciate it?
Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

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?

It’s an important reminder about the power of our attention - it’s not about the beauty of the music, it’s about our willingness to hear it and appreciate it.

NOTE : This is a true story and this picture is of Joshua Bell with his violin.The Washington Post won a Pulitzer in the feature writing category for Gene Weingarten's April 2007 Story about this experiment.