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 Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. A man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2000 people walked 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 baby 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 continues to walk, turning his head during the entire time he continued to walk.
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 people gave money to the musician while they continued to walk through the station 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 $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a socialexperiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
The questions raised:
1. In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, how do we perceive beauty?
2. Do we stop to appreciate it?
3. 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?
Action Plan:
Raise awareness around things you could be missing with our friends, spouse or significant other, children, employees and co-workers. What are we missing that we should be seeing?
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I have long been a fan of the music of passionate and sincere Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins. Her music is a welcome relief in a music landscape littered with disposable pop. Missy has adopted a timeless approach, relying on her undeniable songs and unforgettable live performances to forge a genuine connection with her audience.
