FEATURE STORY- A Study In
Perception
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
thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to
work. Three minutes went by when a middle aged man noticed there was a musician
playing. He slowed his pace, 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 three year old boy. His mother
hurried him along, 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 six people stopped and stayed
for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk, their normal pace.
He collected a grand total of $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 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 priorities of people. 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 take 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?
Do you stop to appreciate the beauty of your work or family?
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