Stop and Listen!
THE SITUATION
In Washington,
DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold
January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for
about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went
through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes,
a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace
and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his
schedule.
About 4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in
the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his
watch and started to walk again.
At 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 the whole time.
This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent – without
exception – forced their children to move on quickly.
At 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.
After 1 hour: He
finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded.
There was no recognition at all.
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 $200 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C.
Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social
experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.
This experiment raised
several questions:
*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*If so, 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 as we rush through life?
June 26th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
very nice article. thank for sharing entertainment
June 27th, 2010 at 5:08 am
[...] Stop and Listen! [...]
July 1st, 2010 at 5:48 am
Nice post and this enter helped me alot in my college assignement. Thank you seeking your information.
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Thanks for posting this great information
September 5th, 2010 at 12:31 am
Buy:VPXL.Propecia.Zithromax.Maxaman.Cialis Soft Tabs.Tramadol.Viagra Super Force.Super Active ED Pack.Soma.Levitra.Viagra Super Active+.Viagra Soft Tabs.Cialis.Viagra Professional.Cialis Super Active+.Viagra.Cialis Professional….