"On a cold January morning during rush hour, a man at a metro station in Washington DC started to play the violin. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes, during which thousands of people went through the station, most on their way to work.
"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. The violinist collected $32. When he finished playing, no one noticed it. No one applauded.
"The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million. Two days before playing in the metro, he sold out at a theater in Boston where tickets average $100 each. His engagement in the metro was organized by The Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities. The outlines were: in a common setting at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
"One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we don't have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?"
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