Extra-ordinary

What’s your take on buskers? Do you stop and listen to them for a while, and then give them some money and say a few kind words before hurrying on with your business? Or do you rush by guiltily, eyes on the ground and muttering something about beggars in the underground?

I usually stop, toss the musician a few coins and always try to make eye contact and smile. But do I really listen and appreciate the music? No – probably not.

My friend Karriärmamman brought this story to my attention. A quick visit to Snopes confirms that it is true.

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. Since it was rush hour, thousands of people passed him 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 was in a hurry so she 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 six people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk at 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 had just played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 a pop.

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. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

The Washington Post drew this conclusion:
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?

It is clear then that all too often beauty does not transcend everything. That the demands of our lives have left us so busy and de-sensitized that we do not have time to just stop and listen.

As William Henry Davies wrote:

A poor life this, if full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

So, stop what you are doing and look around! And take a minute to appreciate the unexpected beauty of your life.