[Vision2020] Perception: Something to Think About

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of, with thanks to, once of the Viz's most concerned and caring
subscribers.

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PERCEPTION
     ..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?

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Seeya round town, Moscow,

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown