Below is a poignant, true story I received from my friend Gary by email a few weeks ago. While this event took place a few years ago (2007) and you may have read it already, it was the first time I’d been made aware of it and I wanted to share this story with you. It’s an important reminder about the power of our attention – it’s not about the beauty of the music, it’s about our willingness to hear it and appreciate it.
Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning.
A man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about forty five minutes. During that time approximately two thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After three 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 three-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 six people stopped and listened for a short while. About twenty 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 thirty-five 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 a few years ago as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.
The questions raised:
- In a commonplace environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
- Do we stop to appreciate it?
- Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
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?
If you stop and pay attention right now, where can you find beauty and brilliance that you may not have been noticing? Share your thoughts, action ideas, insights, and more on my blog below.
Ramona says
A wonderful, wonderful article! So right about not paying too much attention to the music that surrounds us. And by music and don`t just mean music 😛
Thank you, Mike! As usual, very inspiring! 🙂
Have a wonderful week!
Ramona says
Sorry, I was trying to type “And by music I don`t mean just music” 🙂
Jamie Rucki says
What a wonderful story and as always so timely for me and my progress in life. People really need to stop and smell the roses or listen to the music and more importantly, what the world and your heart is telling you. I remember once, hurrying to meet my husband for lunch in SF. I was late and literally had no money to phone him, yep it was pre-cell. A homeless man asked for change and when I told him I didn’t even have money to call my husband to tell him I was late, he went into his cup and tried to give me his money. I declined but thanked him for his kindness. Look at people first, not circumstances..
Stephani Matello says
Mike
What an apropriate story for me right now. I lost my husband a couple of weeks ago to a tragic accident. Although I was always big on don’t take things for granted, I never knew how true and how much that would mean to me. I am thankful that morning I took time to “hear the music” and tell my husband for the last time that I loved him. I also took the time the following week to thank and hug a detective for being so nice and bringing me peace. I thanked him for doing what he does and recognized it’s a hard job and I could not have the strength to do it. He said not many people thank him. He also said it help keeps him grounded and human. To Mr Mancini – Thank you again!
Patti Dalzell says
My supervisor passes along your articles to her Team Leads. I absolutely loved the “Stop and Hear the Music” story. That is so true! Not everyone takes time to enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer — a gorgeous sunset, the scent of lilacs, chirping of birds, etc., etc. — I could go on and on. Thanks for your great articles!
Rosa Meyer says
Mike, thank you so much for your articles. They always serve to inspire me or give me that little pick up I need. In this rush, rush world we live in where you talk to a machine instead of people we are forgetting to acknowledge all those wonderful things around us. We don’t just stop and see what is around us. I hope that your article will inspire many to stop and hear the beautiful music that surrounds us- whether it be the laugh of a baby, a song that takes us back to a happy memory, a shape in the clouds, or the beautiful colors of the sky.
Phil Barr says
Thanks Mike! Very good story.
My first full-time job was in a music store back in the early 70s. The owners of the store and I have kept in touch for all those years. In fact, I just received a postcard from them this week. They are now in their 80s. I thought they would like to see this article so I forwarded it to them. They appreciated it.
Also, this week I started working in a recording studio on a song I wrote. It turned out that the way I had envisioned it was not working out as well as I had thought. This morning, after “stopping to hear the music,” I now have some new ideas about the song and I’m excited again about continuing to work on it.
The article has also made me more aware of how the concept of stopping to hear the music can apply to many other aspects of life.
Thanks!
Ian Swan says
Such a simple message. I wonder why its always forgotten, or dismissed?
Thank you, very powerful