A Violinist in the Metro

Roland · January 19, 2009

Talking about apathy, do people really understand, recognise.... or is it really that unless it involves them, they just don't care? ..........!

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 thousand of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and 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 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried 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 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $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 average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: 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 have 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?

greenlands · January 19, 2009

I was i Darlington a few months ago at my daughters,we went into the town to do some shopping,in the market square there was some Inca type Indians playing pipes etc.They were just about as good as i had heared anywhere but had a good audiance,i never checked the collection bowl,then again it was Saturday.The violinist didn't do too bad, irrispective of who he was still on $40/hour.Lindsay C.

white logan · January 19, 2009

a man came to this earth about two thousand years ago and what he offerd was also free , people complain of how things have changed and mostly for the worse , and yet on a very similar note , they will sit at home and watch things like coronation street , emerdale farm , each with its own trendy sodomite (biblical name for a so called gay person) and yet be appauled by someones bad language !, strange but true , the violinist is just another theme of mans indifference to one another .

nogin · January 19, 2009

I was i Darlington a few months ago at my daughters,we went into the town to do some shopping,in the market square there was some Inca type Indians playing pipes etc.They were just about as good as i had heared anywhere but had a good audiance,i never checked the collection bowl,then again it was Saturday.The violinist didn't do too bad, irrispective of who he was still on $40/hour.Lindsay C.

I'VE HEARD THEM LIVE THEY WERE MAGIC....I BOUGHT THERE CD IT WAS CRAP :-/

sammy · January 19, 2009

I'VE HEARD THEM LIVE THEY WERE MAGIC....I BOUGHT THERE CD IT WAS CRAP :-/

they seen yi coming lad ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

January 19, 2009

could it be that many of those who paid $100/ticket did so merely to be there and be thought cultured by others and so those on the subway were actually more honest as they admitted they had no time or appreciation for the music. such is people's perception ,if it isn't expensive....its of little value. if the strains people bought at blackpool 5 years ago were so good....why do new strains have to be offered this year.

joe61 · January 19, 2009

and the new strains of today in 5 years time will be crap and so the search goes on

oh happy days donald duck

January 19, 2009

It only really shows that travellers don't have time to stop and listen. I think most people would stop to take it in had they more time. I often stop and listen to one busker in Rose street, Edinburgh when coming off the day shift purely because I think he is good and relaxed and laid back playing bluesy type songs. His vocals are amazingly hypnotic. He looks down and out so think he may have a few problems or else he surely would have a record deal and yes I do pay for the priveledge. Don't think a railway station is the best venue(happy)