This story is only poignant once you're told it was Joshua Bell who was
playing (which the people passing by did not know). If it were just some
regular-but-talented street musician, getting $32 bucks in just one hour
would be an exceptional take. That's tax free. If he'd put in an 5-hour
day with breaks in between, he might have got $150 or more -- that's
considerably better daily take-home pay than most people make at their jobs.
After deductions, $32 bucks is roughly what a minimum-wage worker makes
for a whole day of work which is far less enjoyable than playing music.
Seems like playing the DC Metro is a pretty good gig to me.
As someone who played acoustic guitar on the streets of Europe in 1975
and 1976, I can say that for the genuine street musician -- one who is
not looking to be a hustler -- that while making a bit of cash is always
great, the real point is that you are *not* providing formal sit-down
entertainment in a concert hall, a club or a bar. You are tossing
flowers in the river, providing a brief flash of beauty to people who
are passing by, often in a place where flashes of beauty are scarce. A
street musician does not expect most people to stop, only to listen and
hopefully enjoy as long as they are passing within range of his instrument.
-- JR
Bruce Hershenson wrote:
I was forwarded this by a good friend (I hope you can spare a minute
to read it):
*What are we missing?*
Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. A
violinist 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 not...iced
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 till 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, as 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.
Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.
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.
1hour:He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No
one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Comment: 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, Joshua Bell had sold out 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 people's priorities. The questions raised: in a
common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive
beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an
unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be:If we do
not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in
the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of
the most beautiful instruments ..... then how many other things are we
missing?
P.S. I verified this story as true on Snopes
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