India Broadband Forum

nandini · 07-10-09, 06:05 PM

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, tickets for Joshua Bell's performance at a theater in Boston were sold out 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. 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?

just4kix · 07-10-09, 06:37 PM

Very nice story - had heard it before.

It is true that we do not appreciate the freebies in nature. The other day I had gone to my friend's farm house to enjoy the monsoon. It was a pleasure to hear the chirp of birds early morning.

panchabhut · 07-10-09, 06:41 PM

How many people who go to the concert understand music anyway.
they go there just to tell others that they have been there

07-10-09, 06:44 PM

Beautiful. I liked it

07-10-09, 06:44 PM

wow nice story

nandini · 07-10-09, 06:45 PM

Moreover we tend to take so many things for granted.
We take it for granted that a musician who plays by the roadside, must not be talented or not worth listening, no matter how great he/she plays.

Had people recognized Joshua Bell, the metro station would have turned into an auditorium.

07-10-09, 06:50 PM

Marvelous. Thanks for sharing.

nandini · 07-10-09, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manish

Marvelous. Thanks for sharing.

welcome!!!!

07-10-09, 08:21 PM

Good one nandini..
Rep+

Quote:

Originally Posted by panchabhut

How many people who go to the concert understand music anyway.
they go there just to tell others that they have been there

Well i'm exception

07-10-09, 08:32 PM

Why can't our news papers and media wallahs come up with some thing like this?

07-10-09, 08:33 PM

^^ coz they r not free ???

07-10-09, 08:37 PM

Rep +

smoothvibes · 07-10-09, 10:55 PM

wonderful story and thanks for sharing

here comes the video for all Joshua Bell Metro

nandini · 07-10-09, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smoothvibes

wonderful story and thanks for sharing

here comes the video for all Joshua Bell Metro

wonderful!!
Thanks smoothvibes.

smoothvibes · 07-10-09, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nandini

wonderful!!
Thanks smoothvibes.

pleasure, here people call me smoothie or aadi

nandini · 07-10-09, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smoothvibes

pleasure, here people call me smoothie or aadi

Are you Aditya?

smoothvibes · 07-10-09, 11:37 PM

yes i am

Punch Farce · 07-10-09, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nandini

Had people recognized Joshua Bell, the metro station would have turned into an auditorium.

No, he would have been mugged and his 3.5 million dollar violin stolen ;-)

just kidding.

anyway I had a vague recollection of him, so I googled him.

He actually did the violin pieces in the movie "The Red Violin"
this is one of my favourite movies and is in my collection. If you
get a chance check the movie out, very interesting.

Joshua Bell Biography | The Official Joshua Bell Site

read the story of his Strad violin, that itself reads like
the red violin story.

-F

p.s If I win the lottery. I'll buy a Stradivarius Violin ;-)
(after buying KK his Jaguar XJ220)

Quote:

Originally Posted by 18lama

Why can't our news papers and media wallahs come up with some thing like this?

No leading musician in India is going to do this, they all have
too much ego to go play in a railway station for free ;-)

-F

nandini · 07-11-09, 12:02 AM

Farce has must to say about almost every topic.
I've two questions for Farce.
1)what do you do and
2)how do you do?

I'd never heard about Joshua Bell before I got that mal.
The name Joshua reminds me of only one character... Joshua from "Life is Beautiful".

07-11-09, 12:04 AM

Nice story

07-10-09, 06:05 PM	#1
nandini Gold Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 487 Rep Power: 3	Are you really FREE? 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, tickets for Joshua Bell's performance at a theater in Boston were sold out 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. 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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07-10-09, 06:37 PM	#2
just4kix Platinum Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 8,899 Blog Entries: 6 Rep Power: 19	Very nice story - had heard it before. It is true that we do not appreciate the freebies in nature. The other day I had gone to my friend's farm house to enjoy the monsoon. It was a pleasure to hear the chirp of birds early morning.

07-10-09, 06:41 PM	#3
panchabhut Platinum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 2,215 Rep Power: 9	How many people who go to the concert understand music anyway. they go there just to tell others that they have been there

07-10-09, 06:44 PM	#4
newprouser Guest Posts: n/a	Beautiful. I liked it

07-10-09, 06:44 PM	#5
kirankumargb Guest Posts: n/a	wow nice story

07-10-09, 06:45 PM	#6
nandini Gold Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 487 Rep Power: 3	Moreover we tend to take so many things for granted. We take it for granted that a musician who plays by the roadside, must not be talented or not worth listening, no matter how great he/she plays. Had people recognized Joshua Bell, the metro station would have turned into an auditorium.

07-10-09, 06:50 PM	#7
Dragon Guest Posts: n/a	Marvelous. Thanks for sharing.

07-10-09, 08:32 PM	#10
18lama Guest Posts: n/a	Why can't our news papers and media wallahs come up with some thing like this?

07-10-09, 08:33 PM	#11
newprouser Guest Posts: n/a	^^ coz they r not free ???

07-10-09, 10:55 PM	#13
smoothvibes Aditya Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Delhi/ London Posts: 4,914 Rep Power: 11	wonderful story and thanks for sharing here comes the video for all Joshua Bell Metro

07-10-09, 11:37 PM	#17
smoothvibes Aditya Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Delhi/ London Posts: 4,914 Rep Power: 11	yes i am

07-11-09, 12:02 AM	#19
nandini Gold Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 487 Rep Power: 3	Farce has must to say about almost every topic. I've two questions for Farce. 1)what do you do and 2)how do you do? I'd never heard about Joshua Bell before I got that mal. The name Joshua reminds me of only one character... Joshua from "Life is Beautiful".

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