Perception, something to think about... (15)
I read about this some time ago actually.
It really pinpoints the fact that we are often too busy in our day to day working lives to smell the roses. I´m guilty of it too, I rush about every day to classes, but I do try to stop for a moment to listen to the street musicians if I think they are talented, and so many are.
It really pinpoints the fact that we are often too busy in our day to day working lives to smell the roses. I´m guilty of it too, I rush about every day to classes, but I do try to stop for a moment to listen to the street musicians if I think they are talented, and so many are.
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I remember reading this story. Sadly modern society keeps most peeps on a time treadmill that doesnt allow for moments of pleasure. The sad part is, the children will learn this behaviour. 
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most people are followers who are easy to convince
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I'm afraid I wouldn't know a Stradavarus from a Stratocaster or a virtuoso from a vagabond!
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Although i can see the purpose of the experiment,to me it lacks reality.
The majority of people there at that time would be on a schedule,getting to work,which is sadly,a need.Therfore,i wouldnt expect them to have the time to stop and listen,but i would suspect many who passed enjoyed the bit they heard.
Had it been done on a sunday,perhaps many would have stopped.
People have tubes to catch,buses to catch,appointments to make.Thats reality.
The majority of people there at that time would be on a schedule,getting to work,which is sadly,a need.Therfore,i wouldnt expect them to have the time to stop and listen,but i would suspect many who passed enjoyed the bit they heard.
Had it been done on a sunday,perhaps many would have stopped.
People have tubes to catch,buses to catch,appointments to make.Thats reality.
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JAN_is: I read about this some time ago actually.
It really pinpoints the fact that we are often too busy in our day to day working lives to smell the roses. I´m guilty of it too, I rush about every day to classes, but I do try to stop for a moment to listen to the street musicians if I think they are talented, and so many are.
It really pinpoints the fact that we are often too busy in our day to day working lives to smell the roses. I´m guilty of it too, I rush about every day to classes, but I do try to stop for a moment to listen to the street musicians if I think they are talented, and so many are.
Yep, great point. I can understand if somebody is really in a rush and needs to be somewhere at an exact time while racing against the clock. There is simply no time.
On the other hand, I found it discouraging how all the parents forced their kids to move on, despite the kids showing incredible interest. Everybody has a gift to give to the world, but if these gifts don't fit into our little and limited boxes of beliefs as far as how one shouldrecognize beauty and art, then I think it stunts our culture. These kids are being taught, according to their parents, where not to look for something profound and beautiful.
Where ever I go, I always appreciate the nature or the scents or whatever there is too appreciate, with no limits and judging beliefs. Beauty is beauty, and stopping to appreciate it is living.
Of course, if we have the time
Think about all the people who do not get a fair shake due to "appearing" different.
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StressFree: Taken from a friend who posted this on FB (Snopes confirms this btw):
...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 this: 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 ever made.... How many other things are we missing?
What does this say or mean to you? Comments?
...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 this: 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 ever made.... How many other things are we missing?
What does this say or mean to you? Comments?
Oh boy...it speaks volumes about how 'busy' we all are doesn't it?
I guess in fairness, a lot of these people probably had to get to work, they couldn't have stopped to listen even if they wanted to. Still...it just goes to show what we miss out on as we rush through life.
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You can't test a hypothesis unless you isolate your parameters.
When people book theatre tickets, not only have they set aside time to indulge, but it has its own etiquette. The performers are seperated from the audience by an accepted barrier; the audience know where to sit and how to behave, as do the artists.
You can't seperate out an isolated reason for the behaviour in your scenario. People have not chosen this time to listen and have other schedules. Those schedules may, or may not include appreciating beauty.
People may not recognise the beauty - how many people who walked past were musically inclined, liked the sound of a violin, liked the genre of music, or could even hear for that matter?
There is also this issue of etiquette. There is no barrier, or buffer zone between a sreet artist and an audience, there is no specified charge, there is limited room for 2,000 people to stop and listen for a prolonged period of time on a station, there is no prearranged beginning and end to the performance. Sometimes people are unsure of an appropriate way to behave in an unsual social situation.
It also goes on the assumption that people did not appreciate the beauty of the situation as they passed by, however briefly.
When people book theatre tickets, not only have they set aside time to indulge, but it has its own etiquette. The performers are seperated from the audience by an accepted barrier; the audience know where to sit and how to behave, as do the artists.
You can't seperate out an isolated reason for the behaviour in your scenario. People have not chosen this time to listen and have other schedules. Those schedules may, or may not include appreciating beauty.
People may not recognise the beauty - how many people who walked past were musically inclined, liked the sound of a violin, liked the genre of music, or could even hear for that matter?
There is also this issue of etiquette. There is no barrier, or buffer zone between a sreet artist and an audience, there is no specified charge, there is limited room for 2,000 people to stop and listen for a prolonged period of time on a station, there is no prearranged beginning and end to the performance. Sometimes people are unsure of an appropriate way to behave in an unsual social situation.
It also goes on the assumption that people did not appreciate the beauty of the situation as they passed by, however briefly.
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Well,maybe he ought to have played Paganini,or Brahms,instead of Bach!
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StressFree: Yep, great point. I can understand if somebody is really in a rush and needs to be somewhere at an exact time while racing against the clock. There is simply no time.
On the other hand, I found it discouraging how all the parents forced their kids to move on, despite the kids showing incredible interest. Everybody has a gift to give to the world, but if these gifts don't fit into our little and limited boxes of beliefs as far as how one shouldrecognize beauty and art, then I think it stunts our culture. These kids are being taught, according to their parents, where not to look for something profound and beautiful.
Where ever I go, I always appreciate the nature or the scents or whatever there is too appreciate, with no limits and judging beliefs. Beauty is beauty, and stopping to appreciate it is living.
Of course, if we have the time
Think about all the people who do not get a fair shake due to "appearing" different.
On the other hand, I found it discouraging how all the parents forced their kids to move on, despite the kids showing incredible interest. Everybody has a gift to give to the world, but if these gifts don't fit into our little and limited boxes of beliefs as far as how one shouldrecognize beauty and art, then I think it stunts our culture. These kids are being taught, according to their parents, where not to look for something profound and beautiful.
Where ever I go, I always appreciate the nature or the scents or whatever there is too appreciate, with no limits and judging beliefs. Beauty is beauty, and stopping to appreciate it is living.
Of course, if we have the time
Think about all the people who do not get a fair shake due to "appearing" different.
I don't think it is about the fact that the people didn't notice the beauty of music, but their lack of musical education and appreciation of classical music.
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StressFree: Yep, great point. I can understand if somebody is really in a rush and needs to be somewhere at an exact time while racing against the clock. There is simply no time.
On the other hand, I found it discouraging how all the parents forced their kids to move on, despite the kids showing incredible interest. Everybody has a gift to give to the world, but if these gifts don't fit into our little and limited boxes of beliefs as far as how one shouldrecognize beauty and art, then I think it stunts our culture. These kids are being taught, according to their parents, where not to look for something profound and beautiful.
Where ever I go, I always appreciate the nature or the scents or whatever there is too appreciate, with no limits and judging beliefs. Beauty is beauty, and stopping to appreciate it is living.
Of course, if we have the time
Think about all the people who do not get a fair shake due to "appearing" different.
On the other hand, I found it discouraging how all the parents forced their kids to move on, despite the kids showing incredible interest. Everybody has a gift to give to the world, but if these gifts don't fit into our little and limited boxes of beliefs as far as how one shouldrecognize beauty and art, then I think it stunts our culture. These kids are being taught, according to their parents, where not to look for something profound and beautiful.
Where ever I go, I always appreciate the nature or the scents or whatever there is too appreciate, with no limits and judging beliefs. Beauty is beauty, and stopping to appreciate it is living.
Of course, if we have the time
Think about all the people who do not get a fair shake due to "appearing" different.
Yes I agre, but to be fair parents may have been trying to "drag" their children to school, or trying to fit the daily shop amongst the mountain of other things thy have to during the day with a child in tow,
The other thing is that street musicians are often viewed in the same way as beggars, and people usually turn a blind eye to them as they do for the person sitting in a shop doorway with a dog and a hat or cardboard box awaiting proffered coins. I think that along with rushing to and from work, school, or the supermarket, are the reasons those people couldn´t take a minute out to stop and listen to the incredible music he was offering.....for free as it turned out!
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"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?"
The idea here, is that the article I published, speaks volumes about our society and culture.
Yes, it would be interesting to see how this experiment would have worked out on a lazy Sunday afternoon, but I am inclined to believe that there would not be any significant changes due to perception of the "norm". In other words, the false dream on our planet.
I've seen the same things happen in San Francisco, on the weekend. Somebody is playing some brilliant music, and rarely anybody stops to appreciate it. But hey, if there a car crash or fist fight going on the street, everybody makes time to see that!
The idea here, is that the article I published, speaks volumes about our society and culture.
Yes, it would be interesting to see how this experiment would have worked out on a lazy Sunday afternoon, but I am inclined to believe that there would not be any significant changes due to perception of the "norm". In other words, the false dream on our planet.
I've seen the same things happen in San Francisco, on the weekend. Somebody is playing some brilliant music, and rarely anybody stops to appreciate it. But hey, if there a car crash or fist fight going on the street, everybody makes time to see that!
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Without reading any other posts my first thoughts are:
"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 ever made...."
Nobody knew he was the best musician
I think it was perceived that he was a vagrant, playing for any money he could get whether for food or a drink so people didn't think he was worthy of recognition especially if he needed a drink
Whether he is the best musician or the best homeless musician, why should one receive recognition and not the other.
People tend to be afraid of people hanging around on the street, they have no way of seeing the underneath beauty and worthiness of someone. You don't have to be hanging on the street not to be understood and appreciated.
"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 ever made...."
Nobody knew he was the best musician
I think it was perceived that he was a vagrant, playing for any money he could get whether for food or a drink so people didn't think he was worthy of recognition especially if he needed a drink
Whether he is the best musician or the best homeless musician, why should one receive recognition and not the other.
People tend to be afraid of people hanging around on the street, they have no way of seeing the underneath beauty and worthiness of someone. You don't have to be hanging on the street not to be understood and appreciated.
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I'm from the washington D C area and I have been on metro many times. If I saw anyone playing something I would stop and listen for a few minuts ( The trains run frequenly ) . Someone playing anything would be a rarity in the stations . The security there is verry good so someone playing would be a dead givaway that it was a fixed situation . I would not be surprised if he wasn't recived totaly ( this is Washington ) however I would be surprised if he didn't at least get some audience . . . . .
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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 approximately 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.
This is a true 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 this: 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 ever made.... How many other things are we missing?
What does this say or mean to you? Comments?