Perception, Taste & Priorities
10-29-2009, 10:54 AM
#1
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Perception, Taste & Priorities
perception, taste & priorities experiment.....
..something to think about..
..something to think about..
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 approx. 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?
10-29-2009, 12:22 PM
#4
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I remember that story. Wasn't there one person who did recognize him at one point? It's only a vague recollection though....
Not knowing him, I wouldn't recognize him but I would likely stop and listen for a few minutes; I recently started playing the violin (at 46) and it's a freakin' difficult instrument to play well. So I think that I would recognize someone doing so, but who knows?
Yves
Not knowing him, I wouldn't recognize him but I would likely stop and listen for a few minutes; I recently started playing the violin (at 46) and it's a freakin' difficult instrument to play well. So I think that I would recognize someone doing so, but who knows?
Yves
10-29-2009, 02:10 PM
#5
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I remember when that first came out. Good story, but to do something like this in a busy subway terminal is not going to get the results they wanted, or maybe that was the results they wanted. It would be like standing in the middle of an intersection, you only get an audience till the light changes.
10-29-2009, 02:25 PM
#6
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It was a socialolgy experiment. Yes, I think they got the results they were looking for. Personally I think they should have done it in a NYC subway. I'd bet that not only would more people recognize him, but more would stop to watch. Yes, even non-tourists. Its one of things that make taking the NYC subways fun.
10-29-2009, 05:59 PM
#7
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I watched and listened to a sax player in Kitka Alaska for 15 minutes last year. It was great! People need to slow down and listen every once in a while.
I posted a pretty good video of a collection of street musicians in the video thread.
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop..swf?clip_id=2539741
I posted a pretty good video of a collection of street musicians in the video thread.
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop..swf?clip_id=2539741
Last edited by ChevyMgr; 10-29-2009 at 07:55 PM.
10-29-2009, 07:34 PM
#8
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Surely it would depend on whether or not you would be late for an appointment or work, also whether you would feel obliged to pay if you stopped and not have extra $$. Biggest factor in my mind would be the acoustics and background noise making it impossible to discern just how good he was. I just don't really think it proved much at all, other than maybe we recognize talentless "reality" stars but have no clue as to the identity of a musical genius.
10-30-2009, 06:53 AM
#9
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One of the dreams of many celebrities is to go out in public and not be recognized.
I don't think the study shows much about human character at all.
After a lengthy promotion people plan to go to the symphony. They dress up and plan a night around it. Then they watch from a distance and only a very few get close enough to see the features of a musician's face. And he is wearing a tux! And the auditorium is designed with acoustics in mind.
Contrast this situation. The people passing by are not out walking along with no where to go. They have plans and appointments.
Did they expect everyone to just plop down on the pavement agast of the talent?
I don't think the study shows much about human character at all.
After a lengthy promotion people plan to go to the symphony. They dress up and plan a night around it. Then they watch from a distance and only a very few get close enough to see the features of a musician's face. And he is wearing a tux! And the auditorium is designed with acoustics in mind.
Contrast this situation. The people passing by are not out walking along with no where to go. They have plans and appointments.
Did they expect everyone to just plop down on the pavement agast of the talent?
10-30-2009, 09:10 AM
#10
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Join Date: 02-29-2008
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Yes we do tend to put ourselves in a context of our own situation. I could not have picked him out of a lineup if I was told he was in it. I do appreciate beautiful music.
Many times here on the 16th Street Mall there are talented musicians that are worth listening to. There are also street people begging for money, Green Peacers and other enviros begging for attention and money that just plain annoy me. But as the article mentions part of the experiment involves priorities.
People have their own priorities and plan for their time. There is nothing wrong with that. Most people do not plan on listening to "street musicians" as part of their day, it is not a priority. But going to the symphony, they have planned for and make a priority.
Apparently the setup for this experiment was planned in advance and the people doing it had their own set of priorities in proving their hypothesis - that if you put great musician playing beautiful music on an overpriced fiddle in a place where people put their own self interest first, he will be mostly ignored. Well DUH!
I do however agree with the question "How many other things are we missing?". Most people are way to self absorbed. Just look at the number of people on cell phones or with earbuds hooked to Ipods. People should take time to live in the present and be more observant of their current surroundings. My god you might even be courteous to people around you and view them as people and not obstacles to getting where you are going.
Whether you are walking on the street or driving your HHR.
Stepping down from the soapbox.
Many times here on the 16th Street Mall there are talented musicians that are worth listening to. There are also street people begging for money, Green Peacers and other enviros begging for attention and money that just plain annoy me. But as the article mentions part of the experiment involves priorities.
People have their own priorities and plan for their time. There is nothing wrong with that. Most people do not plan on listening to "street musicians" as part of their day, it is not a priority. But going to the symphony, they have planned for and make a priority.
Apparently the setup for this experiment was planned in advance and the people doing it had their own set of priorities in proving their hypothesis - that if you put great musician playing beautiful music on an overpriced fiddle in a place where people put their own self interest first, he will be mostly ignored. Well DUH!
I do however agree with the question "How many other things are we missing?". Most people are way to self absorbed. Just look at the number of people on cell phones or with earbuds hooked to Ipods. People should take time to live in the present and be more observant of their current surroundings. My god you might even be courteous to people around you and view them as people and not obstacles to getting where you are going.
Whether you are walking on the street or driving your HHR.
Stepping down from the soapbox.