Perception

On a cold January morning in 2007, a man with a violin played several Bach pieces over the course of about an hour. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After a few 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 his way.

A few minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and continued walking, without stopping.

A few minutes later: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to the violinist, but then looked at his watch and hurried off.

A few minutes later: A toddler stopped, but his mother pulled him along by the hand. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pulled him along 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.

After about 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 about an hour: The violinist finished playing, and silence fell throughout the station. Nobody noticed, and no-one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played some of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Bell played to a sold-out audience in a Boston theatre where people paid an average of $100 to listen to him play the same music.



Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the DC Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

*In a common-place environment, do we perceive beauty?
*If we see or hear something beautiful, 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 don't 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... then, how many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

Food for thought.

Til next time,
Tanya
http://www.ProsperedInterests.com/