Thanks cous, Love ya xox
Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning. A man with a violin plays six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people passed 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.
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 valued at $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the price of 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 commonplace 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... what else are we missing?
8 comments:
Wow, absolutely amazing... Sad, but amazing.
OMG Nolly, what an amazing post!
And I am so guilty of rushing past musicians in the subway, many of who are excellent, because I have appointments to keep.
Although, I often wish (as I rush on past) that I had time to stay.
Maybe now, I will at least pause to listen for a while. Their music is often the most beautiful part of my morning.
What else are we missing? Children know brilliance when they are confronted with it. The funny thing is, if it had been Eric Clapton it would have been a different story. The recognition factor would have been there. I love this post Nollyposh. And I just want to say to Barry, the guys in the subway yesterday were not even close to half the talent of Joshua Bell! On the other hand, if an impromptu concert had been announced, more people would have gathered to listen. Extraordinary! Thanks for sharing.
hi nollyposh, i've read of similarly gifted musicians performing without the usual attachments accruing to their celebrity. there's something really important about retaining the freedom to be as fully present as you wish or need in order to completely experience this world that is compromised by how we organize our lives. thanks so much for sharing this with us. i hope that lots of people come by and are reminded of what they value as i was. steven
Hi sweetie, I have seen this before over at 'psyche connections', but nevertheless, it gobsmacks me just the same.xx♥
P.s DAUGHTERS = ARGH! xx♥
Nolly , this is a incredible post .
a warning for us to open the eyes while walk on this world .
what you wrote is as a matter of fact very very sad . and it is about all of us .
thank you for this !!!
Amazing post ...
i agree ~Thankyou~ for dropping by my bloggy friendz X:-)
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