JOY PANDEMIC CENTER
Do we perceive Beauty ?
“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 1,100 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, and 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 most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where 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.
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?”
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Comment
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Comment by IamAnotherYou on March 1, 2013 at 2:50pm
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...GREAT STORY - THANKS, NICOLE, FOR DRAWING ATTENTION TO THIS SUBJECT :)
...DARIO JUST SENT ME THIS VIDEO ONLY FEW DAYS AGO - TIMING OF THIS SYNCHRO IS UNBELIEVABLE ! :)
...JUST TO BALANCE IT WELL - LET ME SHARE WITH YOU ALL A TRUE STORY HERE THAT RELATES BEAUTIFULLY TO THIS TOPIC :
...ONE DAY, BCK IN 1998, IN NEW YORK CITY - THERE WAS THIS UNKNOWN MUSICIAN WHO PLAYED KEYBOARD VERY SKILLFULLY IN SUBWAY STATION...
...SOMEONE STOPPED IN FRONT OF HIM TO LISTEN TO THE BEAUTY, BEING VERY IMPRESSED AND INSPIRED BY HIS VIRTUOSITY AND TALENT...THIS SOMEONE WAS JON ANDERSON - THE VOICE OF "YES"...
...JON INSTANTLY OFFERED THIS KEYBOARDIST TO JOIN "YES", AND ONE YEAR LATER A NEW "YES" ALBUM WAS RECORDED AND RELEASED - "THE LADDER" - ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL "YES" ALBUMS EVER CREATED...THIS MUSCIAN FROM THE SUBWAY STATION PLAYED KEYBOARDS ON THIS ALBUM, AND HE PLAYED AMAZINGLY ! :) - HIS NAME IS IGOR KOROSHEV - THE IMMIGRANT FROM RUSSIA, WHO AT ONE TIME STRUGGLED TO SURVIVE IN NEW YORK CITY BY PLAYING HIS ELECTRIC PIANO IN SUBWAY STATION... :) ...
...JUST HAVE A LISTEN AND EXPERIENCE IT YOURSELF - IGOR KOROSHEV AND "YES" :
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Comment by Nicole on February 25, 2013 at 2:50pm
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Immense gratitude for your comment Netty... for sharing openly what we all feel :)
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This experience showed that the majority of people are putting the rules of the society first in their concern. Rules that are illusion and making the whole humankind as slaves... As you read, only children and only few adults STOPPED and listened to their heart by appreciating the wonderful heavenly music, that was playing in their heart too and not in their mind...
No judgment here. This experience just showed how we, humans, are conditionned by rules that don't even serve us, except of course to buy more and more material things.
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Comment by Netfino on February 24, 2013 at 1:15pm
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I hope we DO!
I'm in two minds about the interpretation of that social experiment.
I think it isn't quite right.
In my opinion it isn't a good example of describing the perception of the beauty, taste, and priorities of people.
I think, the result would be better if it wasn't done during the rush hour.
In the morning, when I am on my way to work, I have usually only 30 min.(and every minute is necessary) to get to work. If I stopped and started to listen to the violin music I wouldn't be punctual at my work
and it would be a big problem for me.:)
So... frankly speaking, I don't have a choice, I have to be in hurry - this is an "external requirement".
I would like to stay and listen to the wonderful music, but can't.
The priority at this moment is not to be late at my work.
When I have some time, for instance, when I have my holiday or I have a day off, I have my ears and my eyes wide opened and I very often spend time watching the street artists, who I meet, delighting of their performances and trying to catch the beauty coming from world which surrounds me.By the way: it would be fantastic to be in the money without working...:):):)
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