View Full Version : Metro Station Violinist
uproot
08-29-2009, 01:17 PM
Perception
http://i31.tinypic.com/30289ys.jpg
Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007.
The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.
During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing.
He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly.
The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time.
This action was repeated by several other children.
Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
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.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest 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 Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
Maverick
08-29-2009, 01:35 PM
thats pretty cool, and 32 bucks an hour aint bad at all.
americanctm
08-29-2009, 02:46 PM
^^ Haha it is when you have an instrument worth $3.5 million
BABY J
08-29-2009, 02:50 PM
I bet he could have sold more than $32 worth of weed in that hour.
uproot
08-29-2009, 02:53 PM
I bet he could have sold more than $32 worth of weed in that hour.
Would you buy weed from a guy playing a violin in the metro station?
BABY J
08-29-2009, 02:55 PM
If I was dumb enough to smoke weed I'd prob be dumb enough to buy if from a guy w/ a violin. LOL
uproot
08-29-2009, 02:55 PM
Good point. LOL
roxie911
08-29-2009, 04:03 PM
Wasn't this on 60 minutes or something??
tdurr
08-29-2009, 04:11 PM
crazy.
J-ROCK
08-29-2009, 04:25 PM
damn thats crazy!
jmmx258
08-29-2009, 09:38 PM
If I was dumb enough to smoke weed I'd prob be dumb enough to buy if from a guy w/ a violin. LOL
Why do you think some musicians are so creative? lol.
NovaScotia
08-29-2009, 09:50 PM
The Gibson Stradivarius he owns has an amazing history all on its own. Its almost 300 years old and has been stolen, lost, found, etc.
What's the point of this story?
MachNU
08-29-2009, 11:07 PM
wow thats pretty dam interesting!
roxie911
08-29-2009, 11:19 PM
What's the point of this story?
That people don't stop to appreciate the things around them.
MachNU
08-29-2009, 11:28 PM
That people don't stop to appreciate the things around them.
hell you can find, if you type his name in youtube, the very first video is another similiar to this article. it fast forward for through 45 minutes, out of that only 1 person stopped to listen and she was there for probably 10-15 minutes, and knew who he was!
Leadfoot_mf
08-29-2009, 11:28 PM
What's the point of this story?
beat me to it.
EM1toEVO
08-29-2009, 11:30 PM
That really does make me think. It's amazing that we get so caught up in our day that we don't even notice something extraordinary.
roxie911
08-29-2009, 11:33 PM
hell you can find, if you type his name in youtube, the very first video is another similiar to this article. it fast forward for through 45 minutes, out of that only 1 person stopped to listen and she was there for probably 10-15 minutes, and knew who he was!
It's kinda sad...of course, I know I appreciate the things around me. Like today, when I stopped and admired the beauty of the Panamera. Not a violinist, but I'm pretty sure it's close enough lol :D
Ok let me ask you all this. How many would be late to work to hear a guy play the violin in a subway?
Atlblkz06
08-29-2009, 11:57 PM
HAHA.. Good one. Sad isn't it?!
Then again this is a bit misleading because we're tuning out such sounds when we're at the subway. Work, dinner, wife, gf - all that comes first.
Still, pretty cool.
Stormhammer
08-30-2009, 04:47 AM
Ok let me ask you all this. How many would be late to work to hear a guy play the violin in a subway?
I would. Sorry, but sometimes listening to something like that can really change your perception of your entire day. Take it from a fellow violinist. Hell in Germany I was over an hour late because I found these 2 cellist and 2 violinist playing in a side alley and I just listened to them for the longest time. It was beautiful.
NovaScotia - haha that thing does have a crazy history - I'll admit, he was a bit brave to be playing it in such a crowded environment. I'll never forget playing on a violin worth $750,000. The sound it made isn't something I could ever describe.
Revmaynard
08-30-2009, 05:16 AM
I remember a few years ago my now ex-gf met him. That was a cool ass article but I recognized his picture.
_Christian_
08-30-2009, 05:51 AM
Ok let me ask you all this. How many would be late to work to hear a guy play the violin in a subway?
Almost no one, that's what makes the story. We're so wound up in our little daily routines that we can't stop to appreciate something beautiful.
C-loS109
08-30-2009, 05:58 AM
damn waht a good story.
hondaman050
08-30-2009, 11:53 AM
shows how much advertising and headling can change a persons name or apperance...... one minute your noticed the next your a bum in the subway(i know he's not a bum)
BABY J
08-30-2009, 12:14 PM
True. Like... when I am walking around people don't even realize that I'm a fucking pimp.
VQ35 Star
08-30-2009, 04:41 PM
True. Like... when I am walking around people don't even realize that I'm a fucking pimp.
thats saying something about your pimp game fooo
MachNU
08-30-2009, 04:59 PM
For those that said that would they stop to listen, to inturn be late somewhere? I would say you would. Like the article said that 45 minutes he played was worth $100 dollars to a seat to see him play somewhere. He was playing for tips! So even giving him %10 of that and standing there the whole time. You got to watch, what would normally cost $100 for $10? Worth being 45 minutes late somewhere?
SampaGuy
08-30-2009, 06:26 PM
What's the point of this story?
Its not about appreciating the things around you, it was a social proof experiment. Lets say you're at a bar with a bunch of your friends having a great time. You have an insanely better chance of some random girl finding you attractive in this situation, than if you were at the same exact bar sitting by yourself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_proof
hondaman050
08-31-2009, 12:06 AM
True. Like... when I am walking around people don't even realize that I'm a fucking pimp.
lulz!!
Elbow
08-31-2009, 07:51 AM
What's the point of this story?
To separate those who ask what you did and those who know.
ShooterMcGavin
08-31-2009, 01:09 PM
interesting...
To separate those who ask what you did and those who know.
I didn't ask because I didn't know, I wanted to see what everyone's thoughts were and, so far, only one person has come close to what this article proves...
and that is this.
shows how much advertising and headling can change a persons name or apperance...... one minute your noticed the next your a bum in the subway(i know he's not a bum)
Those that say it's because people don't stop to appreciate it are pretty close to being completely wrong. Put Dr. Dre, Eminem, T.I., T-Pain, etc.. in his place and see how different your results will be.
hondaman050
08-31-2009, 08:48 PM
Those that say it's because people don't stop to appreciate it are pretty close to being completely wrong. Put Dr. Dre, Eminem, T.I., T-Pain, etc.. in his place and see how different your results will be.[/QUOTE]
people would be late to a funeral for that shit.... "god forebid"
The Ninja
08-31-2009, 10:34 PM
If I was dumb enough to smoke weed I'd prob be dumb enough to buy if from a guy w/ a violin. LOL
I know you may have made this comment offhandedly, but what does intelligence have to do with smoking weed?
Do you mean the legality of it?
Or just the decision to ingest marijuana?
BABY J
08-31-2009, 10:39 PM
You'd be right to assume that I made the comment offhandedly and mostly as a joke. I know that it's a VERY recreational drug and more people use it than I could prob imagine (don't start the 'it's not a drug' thing... lol).
I just personally attribute drug use to some1 w/ low(er) intelligence or the inabilty to (or the refusal to) control themselves. I'd assume that there are very smart potheads out there though.
UpSideDownDesi
08-31-2009, 10:55 PM
People only see what they want to see or believe.
Lankhoss
08-31-2009, 11:09 PM
Ok let me ask you all this. How many would be late to work to hear a guy play the violin in a subway?
Exactly. All these people that are on a schedule, aren't going to get away with the excuse of "Oh, I stopped to listen to a guy play a song on his violin today."
In fact, even with this story released, if you were able to name the artist....that excuse still wouldn't fly.
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