perception, taste and people’s priorities
In one morning of 2007, a man started playing his violin, standing in a railway station of Washington DC. Although about 2,000 people passed him by, nobody cared for this person. Some people threw an occasional coin into his hat, probably thinking him to be a beggar. When he stopped after 45 minutes, nobody applauded for his music.
Strangely, none could identify the violinist to be Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world! He played one of the most elaborate pieces of music ever composed, with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before this incident, Joshua had sold out tickets for a rendition at a theatre in another city, where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him playing the same music! However, at the railway station, he could collect only $32! This scenario was part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.
Why nobody could recognize such a gifted maestro and enjoy the music as they should? Because he was in a wrong place.
No comments:
Post a Comment