From The Effective Club
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousand of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but 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. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 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. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. 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 his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
How many indeed, seems it might be time to stop and not only smell the roses, but listen to the music that is all around us every day in so many ways, in the laughter of children, in the voices of friends. Take a moment today, stop for a moment and listen to the music.
16 comments:
Wow. This really hits home! I just decided to get a grip on my meditation practice.
We are all so busy, always on the run – we don’t even recognize the beautiful things anymore, the things that are worthwhile living for. Thank you.
Wonderful post! Thanks so much! I needed this - not because I'm in such a hurry because I'm not but because of priorities.
I have a couple of Joshua Bell's CDs. He is definitely a gifted violinist. I've heard about this experiment and think it's amazing. It's a good lesson for us to stop and notice the beauty that is around us.
Hi Sylvia,
What an intriguing post - I would hope that I would have stopped and listened, I'm afraid in the past I probably would have, like most folk have had to do - hurry on. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to put old brains into younger heads and get them to 'really listen' (hear the music and smell the flowers as it were). Mind you , it just shows you that the children, had more perception of beauty and appreciation of it (the experiment) than all these 'rushing' people.
I'm glad these days to be able to take time to see, hear and feel the beauty of this world though still at times feel that kick in the pants from my parents and teachers in the past who made us move on quickly !
Cheers Kate x.
I realize most of those people were under pressure - having a need to get to work. But I think I would have risked it. Today of course, I would have time to stop anyway. Isn't it interesting that all the children wanted to listen? So sad that their parents ignored this. I'll bet at least some of those children had never heard classical music before.
yes, what would i have done? i used to stop every time, but who knows nowadays. right, that's it, i will stop and listen every time from now on, after all, what is more important than music?
wordveri=sponge -what a good word, absorbing music like a sponge!
WOW. I hadn't heard this but I loooove this story and will keep it: thank you Sylvia!
Further proof of the very great wisdom of our children, and that we need to listen.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I'm with that Sylvia. We should form a new movement to do just that!
Twelve days to go! Can't wait.
June in Oz
What a wonderful post ! And what a great dedicated violinist, who told so much in such a wonderful way. We all are in a terribly hurry, to actually go, nowhere. If only we stopped and listened.....
We are so tied up in ourselves that we don't take the time to enjoy life. And, too soon it is gone. I was amazed at the music being played at various public venues in Europe. Subway, on a hillside, the entrance of a castle, on the street in Paris. I loved every minute of it and wonder why we Americans are so callous and uncaring.
I love you Sylvia!
You post so many things that just change the direction my day will take.
Thank You!
good comment, we all need to slow down and consider our path and where it's leading us too.
Those email stories are often ones to make a person think and this one happens to be true. I am not sure it's as valid an experiment as the newspaper intended or maybe they got the result they wanted. When we are on our way to catch public transportation, we often have a job or family waiting and delaying is not an option. More accurate might have been on a downtown street corner. In Portland i have seen lots of people clustered around street musicians and I think they do pretty well. Actually the beggars do also. It is a good reminder to stop and smell the roses-- unless you'll lose your job :)
What a wonderful story. many go through life with blinders on and never see or hear the beauty that surrounds them. I think everyone should become more aware of their surroundings.
This is brilliant...thanks so much for coming by, Sylvia...I'll be coming back often, count on it....
Great post and another "stop and smell the flowers" reminder that we are here for a good time, not a long time! This is why I checked out of the corporate world many years ago and have tried simply to live my life for me, so that I have the time to stop and enjoy.
Thanks for sharing.
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