The Washington Post conducted a social experiment in January 2007. They had the one of the world’s greatest musician playing one of the most intricate pieces every written on a 3.5 million violin at the DC Metro station for 45 minutes.
Hardly anyone stopped to listen during those 45 minutes. In the end, Joshua Bell collected $32 when just a few days ago, people paid an average of $100 just to sit and listen to him play in a concert.
It was a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities. One conclusion from this experiment was quoted nicely :
If we can’t take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that — then what else are we missing?
The article won a Pulitzer Prize. The article, aptly named ‘Pearls Before Breakfast’, can be found here.
