I stumbled upon this article while reading the Brazen Careerist. I almost didn't read it but I'm glad I did. It is a tad long, but the time it takes to read it is worth it. It talks about this social experiment in D.C. involving world-renowed violinist, Joshua Bell. For those of you who don't know who he is, he's like the Justin Timberlake of classical music - the ladies love him. But more importantly, he's like the Pavarotti of violinists. He's been called a musical genius. Cheap seats at his concerts go for $100.
So you get the picture. A hidden camera was placed in a busy Metro stop - L'Enfant Plaza to be exact - and it documented people's reactions to a guy (Bell) playing music at a subway stop...or in this case, non-reactions. This man who plays on a kajillion dollar, one-of-a-kind violin made $32 playing for a day. It explores how we view beauty, our priorities as human beings, and all the irony that an experiment like this can reveal.
The article contains more references to people I have never heard of, or read, than an episode of Fraiser. But it's brillant. It really is. The simplicity and mundane(ness) of rush hour put into the context of human nature. It forces to ask ourselves:
- When do we ever stop and hear "the music"?
- What is beauty?
- What is humility?
- What are our priorities?
- Why are children smarter than adults?
- What, exactly, is the rush? What are we working for?
Read the article, then meet me for coffee to discuss.
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