Friday, December 19, 2008

Smell the Roses

In January 2007, the Washington Post conducted a very interesting experiment: If a world-class violinist were to play his Stradivarius at the Metro station unannounced during rush hour, how much of a crowd would he draw?

I recommend you take the time to read the fabulous article about this.

Ask yourself, would you have stopped to listen? Even crunched for time? Would you recognize the strength of this man's art in such a context? Out of the 1,000 or so commuters who passed Joshua Bell that day, only a handful paused any length of time (mere minutes) to listen. A musician whose concerts garner $100 per seat--the cheap seats--gathered a grand total $32.17 in his violin case within that one hour. Think about that total, and realize pennies were thrown; many grudgingly, with embarrassed, furtive scurrying.

Have you ever paid a street musician?

Thanks to my friend Carol, for alerting me to this article.