Enjoy Joshua Bell's Performance in Washington in the morning

[lMPOSSIBLEISNOTHING]

I can't believe that this is actual music, yet, if it was Justin Bieber standing like an idiot in the middle of the Station, most teens around would go bananas, and parents would wanna get autographs for their kids, I DONT WANT TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE!!..

[MasterTenku]

If arguably one of the best violin players can only make $32 in an hour, why do people busk?

[ShubaDubah]

its freaking 7am the hottest chick could dance naked infront of me naked, and i wouldn't appreciate it :P

[fetB]

Who would sit down and enjoy this music, when he has to go on time to work to pay their bills.

Besides, he doesnt play that well xD

[voldemortinthetardis]

@fetB what the actual fuck? He is one of the greatest violin players in the universe, trying to prove a point that the world has lost appreciation for beauty and art. And I'd like to see you play as well as he does.

[fetB]

@voldemortinthetardis the actual fuck is, that this wasnt the right time for this of art. This whole experiment doesn't prove anything!

Or does noone come to his concerts anymore? Beauty and art my arse... There is for everything the right time... this was not.

And FTR, the smilie at the end of my sentence indicated that i was kidding about his skill, so chill out.

[HaoWenXiang]

@fetB If you had read the Washington Post article on this, you would know that they considered the concept of context and interviewed many people on why they did what they did.

[fetB]

@HaoWenXiang Right, but I have now. It was a very interesting read and i cancel my statement that it didn't prove anything. It actually proved alot... e.g. "Every single time a child walked past, he or she tried to stop and watch. And every single time, a parent scooted the kid away."

[gavinator14]

@applesauceis22 He only made $32.

[gavinator14]

@wattever333 try reading the article and what the experiment was actually about before you just assume that it's to prove people are stupid. That's not even remotely close to what the experiment was about.

[GreenCakeLazer]

faith in humanity decreased

[funkybassmaster]

It appears my sarcastic comment has been removed. Give me a break. And ravenclaw or whatever your name is I guess my sarcasm font wasnt enough for you.

[koenigLui]

ive never seen such discrepancy between the niveau of the content of the video and its host

[KarenYeoXiuWen]

Thumbs up if 9gag brought you here

[itachiitachi1946]

if ppl were smart not adopting social norms not following the flock but thinking freely not adopting what others say whats right and wrong and what and how they should feel then im sure theyd stop to listen to his music.this experiments proves to me that human r one of the most stupid animals

[wattever333]

so the point of this experiment is to show that people are stupid?

wow. thank you washington post. how many of your employees were in attendance to this free event in the subway, or even at his concerts?

[qu3ter]

@wattever333 U just mad that you're part of the flock ;)

[jandm9002]

You'd think they would have arranged to have an HD camera set up?

[Birken1218]

fucking dumbass probably don't even know who he is..

[hongkongtennis]

sounds awful.........i wouldn't have stopped either

[applesauceis22]

Am I the only one that saw his violin case get FILLED with money? I'm sure people did appreciate the music, but had elsewhere to be.

That's what I'm saying though to prevent myself from losing faith in humanity.

[askhung916]

@applesauceis22 it's a stupid point they are trying to make. people have places to be.

[TheMaxito1]

@CroNuS19785 Wow, you really need to relax mate.

[CroNuS19785]

This is a terrible way to make an excellent point - That we need to set aside more time for ourselves to enjoy what life has to offer.

But this invisible accosting of people rushing to work is nothing but a self righteous, faux scientific 'experiment' belittling the 'common' person.

[wattever333]

@CroNuS19785 totally agree!

and Bach's chaconne is not going to stop 99.999% people in their tracks.

[Beppe161]

Grazie...

@Beppe

[kakalistopo]

shamwow guy is that you?

[aquavit]

also i bet you muggers and shit were kicking themselves over not recognizing that 4 mllion dollar violin he's playing.

[saigonpunkid]

@aquavit 4 million but it's very hard to liquidate.

[aquavit]

i'd have stopped, but only because i don't give a shit about my stupid job.

[leethorbjornlarsen]

Thats more like it. 

[hedman]

Notice how everyone follows the strean as well, when she stops at the end others stop as well. People are to scared to do something they might think is strange.

[LversusKira]

came here from washington post video, it's really awful when comment posting is disabled, seems to always happen with major media channels, shame shame.

it would be nice to hear Chaconne in d minor on the way to work, but would suck to be in a hurry and have to leave.

i like it for violin (original) , but i enjoy the piano translation more. Look up grimauds chaconne, or Michaelangeli, ppl argue over who's better but they're both different. technically probably michaelangeli but grimaud!heart

[Blade025]

Honestly, i wouldn't have stopped either...i mean a lot of people can lie and say they would...but they're probably people who don't really have shit to do...it's nice to listen and hear a subway artist play but if you have a job to get to..than fuck who ever is playing...do this study at a food court during lunch and see the reaction..or hell...do this study at a mall during the weekend or even at a subway during the weekend and you'll probably get a better crowd!

[arikat1]

Good Joshua! Now start giving concerts for free to educate the humble masses

[scorpiomooselove]

I'd like to think that I'd recognize beauty like that and stop, but I'm not so sure. :S This scares me.

[arthurmadigan]

The Stupid Morons who sped up the tape - why couldn't they let him play?

[faulefische]

people live too fast, and its a lie the would have stopped if they had time, they didnt because they didnt wanted, period, if i had listened to that in a subway i'd totally stop at least to tell him he was great, encourage him and throw in some bucks they i'd proly ran to catch the subway, i'd probably not know who he was but that kind of music isnt easy to ignore.

[crossXgrave]

I can't really say for sure as I've only used the NYC subway, but if DC is anything like NYC, then there are tons of people playing music there all the time. Hearing silence in a subway is almost a novelty and personally, I thought a lot of those musicians could be playing on a stage. I don't stop to listen because 1) I would get run over by random people who are running to work. 2) being a reasonably cute girl I get hit on every time I stop. 3) I had someplace I needed to be. If they wanted

[crossXgrave]

@crossXgrave to make a "take time to smell the flowers" experiment, they probably should have done it somewhere if people had time to stop and smell the flowers.

[lobelia2]

pigs are fat

[drunkter67]

I am sure most of the people who would have recognized him, wouldn't be using common transportation.

[Spanglefeather]

@drunkter67 Nonsense., Musical appreciation does not correlate to income, even if it does correlate to affording classical concerts. On the contrary, a lot of people who attend concerts may be faking, or trying to learn an appreciation for that music. Lower classes are at least honest about what they feel.

[faulefische]

@drunkter67 that's such an ignorant statement. seriously.

[drunkter67]

@faulefische Its not an ignorant statement at all, seriously. The price of his tickets are ridiculous and competitive.The majority who do attend his concerts probably DO NOT take common transportation. Why? Money is tight, especially for those working low-end government jobs. Now, don't get me wrong, there are plenty of people—of all social class—who enjoy and appreciate classical music. Just because you can't recognize someone, doesn't mean you don't appreciate their music, regardless of money.

[faulefische]

@drunkter67 well, if you have said what you just said now from the begining i would have thought you were absolutely right, but your original statement seemed stupid and ignorant because you said "people who WOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED HIM" you dont need to spend 200 bucks to look at joshua bell over the internet, or to have his music on your mp3 player, people using common transportation CAN recognize him, now, i totally agree with your second statement.

[Blade025]

@faulefische How would you research over the internet if you didn't even know his name when you passed him? I'm going to safely assume that the majority of people taking the subway don't really listen to classical music and the ones who do well there are a lot of classical musicians out there so you can't really expect them to know every one just like how people who listen to rock don't know every artist that plays that genre..they might know the popular ones but i'm not sure how popular Josh is

[zoopaloola43]

Maybe more people had stopped when he played Paganini caprices instead of Bach. Nothing against Bach, but Paganini is simply more impressing on first sight.

[winrx]

It doesn't seem prudent to be playing a million dollar violin in the subway just to make a silly point. Anyhow, truth be told, Bell is really a mediocre violinist when compared to the amount of talent that is really out there but not as "marketable."

[deltaray3]

"This is one of those things that could only happen in D.C." Really lady? People say the same thing about New York, LA, Seattle, Chicago, Austin, Boulder, Bloomington.......

[TactownGirl]

people suck

[TactownGirl]

Did you see people thowing money in his case?

I'd have stoped and sat down infront of him, and enjoyed the free show!

I'm wasn't a huge fan before recently, but I'd have still stoped to listen to him, I love the Violin, I'd be late to work for a show like that!

[TactownGirl]

Did you see people thowing money in his case?

I'd have stoped and sat down infront of him, and enjoyed the free show!

I'm wasn't a huge fan before recently, but I'd have still stoped to listen to him, I love the Violin, I'd be late to work for a show like that!

[cceessss]

Classical music is no longer the popular music -- this is what the experiment tells us. The situation would be totally different is a pop star were standing there. People are too busy pursuing something else rather the real beauty.

[jabes2007]

do the experiment again this time with lady gaga or snoop dog. Let's see if people will not stop.

[gar95150]

At best it proves that people don't go to the metro to find music; they go there to get somewhere.

[doctornasty1]

@gar95150 And at best what you are saying is that people is people go back and forth on the subway quietly and unhappily to and from their jobs and don't remember how to enjoy themselves.

[gar95150]

@doctornasty1 It seems you have decided what I am saying without attention to what I actually said. I said nothing about being unhappy or quiet, what there purpose of travel was or whether they enjoy themselves. Pick someone else if you wish to pervert what people say.

[soo313]

i can only imagine the pain he felt. as a musician, it is out job to play our hearts out. he hopefully didnt as much b.c im sure he wouldve been heartbroken after this. i appreciate musicians in the street, too.

[pedxing90]

this confirms my suspicion that art is above all else, subjective. Also, the performance is only worth what someone is willing to pay, and when you you can't reach out to rich elitists to finance the music, well it really isn't worth much now is it. Smug coksucks who think they have more refined tasted than the rest of us are weeping for humanity, but we are all laughing at them.

[TheCrazyDodsworth]

My Drum teacher who also use to be in the band Groove Armada did the same thing once in NYC on a evening, he told me the reponse he got from people was huge and he made over $200 that night

[eZoren11]

i frankly wouldnt give two shits who is playing if i had to get to work (of course to exacerbate the idea people dont care about "art", this was filmed in the morning rush hour) to support my family - at some point the daily grind leaves most people unable or apathetic to keep up with all of the arts, culture, media, and politics - lets just say in another equally arbitrary artistic art, (albeit not auditory) if Kasparov was playing chess nobody would give two shits either.

[eZoren11]

@eZoren11

also i have no idea why "beauty transcending" is measured by how much money he receives, frankly if i was there i would have enjoyed the few moments of it without paying him a dime.

[khk92]

@lornamhayes I think he played a few pieces from Bach's Sonatas and Partitas, the one near the beginning was the chaconne

[Lukeplastow]

I do not rush anywhere. If I had walked by as he was playing I would have stopped. Though only for a few minutes.

If he was warmingup or was finishing id have walked on by.

[samisyosam]

Woah there, I don't think this clip needs a loud douchebag to introduce the video like that. I think I'll just go watch the actual clip by itself somewhere else.

[lunaatnyu]

are those people blind or something??!!! even if they are blind how can possibly ignore such a great sound??? oh my Joshua....

[turbogrammy]

Sadly, i don't think i would have stopped as i did not care for the piece chosen for him to play.

[comaradella]

BE HERE NOW... God bless you lady with the plastic bag, you´re one of the few left

[nospamreceived]

They picked the wrong Metro station. I bet if this was done at the Medical Center station (Red line, near NIH, Strathmore, a zillion Asian & Jewish lab techs, MD's PhD's who prolly played when they were kids, as well as many more international folks on research visas) there would have been a greater response..... L'Enfant Plaza station = bureaucrats & lobbyists.

[thenanook05]

Sad, really sad. 

[fonsy117]

Ooooooo! He played Thais' Meditation by Jules Massenet at minute 21!!! My favorite violin composition. Here's the audio for the entire 45 minutes is in the Washington post website under content, video, 2007, April 9th. Can't put the link.

[liowik]

The title of this video misses the whole entire point. You should rename it.

[yuvaw]

I wish I was there. The violin is my favorite instrument, the only one I pay attention to. Rush or not, I definitely would have stopped. Not just saying that to seem intelligent or whatever. Hate living in the middle of nowhere, nothing like that ever happens here...

In fact, I wonder what would happen if they tried the same thing in a smaller area like this?

[hippls1013]

I wish I could go back in time go to DC and watch O.O that was absoultely amazing music he played and if I heard someone playing on the street there is no way I would be able to walk away. :O stupid America...

[Thoughtfulguy68]

This is a very sad testament to the ever increasing cultural decline of America.

[caracandao666]

street violinists miss notes all the time and anyone that plays a string instrument should know that violins dont have frets. This guy did not mess a single note, everything was on tune, and the street kind of violin guy never does that. Plus that violin must sound huge up close. Those 2 should have been warning signs, but no wonder the ipod generation cant hear that, those earplugs are terrible

[JaCkiExHubErMAn]

amazing violinist

[seriouslyWeird]

many people don't see is that the targeted audience were regular passing by people who can't appreciate good music. and wouldn't appreciate it on a performance for hundreds of bucks neither.

i believe that if people who appreciate the kind of good music walked around they would stop by for sure

[JaCkiExHubErMAn]

@seriouslyWeird I agree

[Frum5]

$32 and some change, sounds pretty good for a quarter hours work.

[TheWitchOvAgnesi]

"This is only one of those things that could happen in DC?"

Huh? If this were DC at night, the mutherfucker would have gotten jacked for the Strat.

And yes, most people are concerned with keeping their jobs than farting around. They're not politicians.

[303met]

@TheWitchOvAgnesi hahaha. True, but they'd have to know it's a Strad first.

[macmakeup4ever]

This kid is very good. That sounds like a complex peice of music. I don't know who he is but the masses are asses that's all I gotta say. When ever I hear a really good busker I always listen and give money to show support.

[muffinscousin]

@macmakeup4ever u don't know who he is???...

[poncethehippie]

1:55 is great

[b3ncLado]

that just prove that people don't have time to notice little things in life, what more if its something big?

[plavnarock]

violin 3.5 million $ :) o yeee

There are many SNOBS they can recognize real music

[u2ber87]

Don't pretend you would recognize.

Even as a guitarist I am not sure that I am so aware of his talent to recognize it.

So don't be fake.

[damaband41]

@u2ber87 true. I think that most people don't truly have an ear for music. They simply know that if they pay good money for a concert, they will be expecting a great performance, and so then recognize the beauty of the music at the concert. If you played a random piece of music for someone, it is much harder to realize the beauty in it.

[ScottxSkins]

@u2ber87

It's not about people recognizing him.

It's recognizing the talent and beauty of the music and stopping to listen to something which has more depth and meaning than your rush to work.

So don't be so judgemental over the intentions of this.

[u2ber87]

@ScottxSkins

I mean't recognizing talent, not him.

[u2ber87]

@ScottxSkins

I mean't recognizing talent, not him.

[Chuckles543]

@u2ber87 and to be fair, most normal people wouldnt recognize bachs chaconne and how beautiful it is

[kattyc]

@u2ber87 I'm sure a lot of people would realize at least that he is a fairly talented musician. I mean, listen to that. That's no Pachebel's Canon.

[backlyt]

@u2ber87 I think any one who calls themselves a musician can appreciate excellence.

[ShadowDreadblade]

@u2ber87 CONGRATULATIONS on your honesty. Seriously.

[stickom]

what, hold untill I come to play my 350$ horn- they will go crazy!!!!!

[Quaker4Peace]

Try doing at 7 pm .

.

[anotherelvis]

My city, Copenhagen (Denmark north of Germany), has many Russian street musicians. Some of these are very skilled, and they must have an education in music.

But they don't make much money, because they don't tell jokes, and they don't make eye contact. Different genres have different requirements, and as a street performer technical skill is not enough.

[Yudaumguitarpro]

Stradivarius Gibson ex-Huberman of 1713, yes , the golden year

[BATENKILL]

Playing the Gibson ex-Huberman Stradivarius of 1713 sold to bell for an estmiated $4million! Crazy good

[abandeli]

Enigma5hrs

He is playing the Chacone, which is part of the partita no 2, by J.S. Bach

[collinlloyd]

Everyone can hear music, but not veeryone can Feel it.

[PureAlienation]

people LISTEN music. Some persons really Feel music. These persons are Musicians.

[raycurtfiddla]

The people of Washington are of an unique level of sophistication. It was not real or of something worthy of attention grabbing. Classical music is pumped into the network of government buildings all day long. It look to much of a set-up of some nice music being performed. No struggle. These people are in a mode to do something rough, WORK. You need the element of friction. example: BLACKMAN!

[heiwa2007]

sometimes we can be blind (or deaf) in the face of a blessing.

[qbslug]

to be fair everyone was probably in a rush to get to work - now if it was rush hour after work Im sure many more would stop and listen

[hellrush]

@qbslug

that was what the point of the experiment was though... to see if beauty would transcend through their rush for work. People are focusing too much on the number of people who stopped to listen. This was not about the specific number but to see if a broader scale, many or few, would stop their routine to witness something truly great. Even if they don''t know about Bach, they can recognize talent.

This experiment was to see if people would even stop at all.

[Enigma5hrs]

Anyone tell me the name of the music hes playing or title ? ? ?

[BillyDaKid014]

i believe he begins with "Chaconne" from Bach's Partita No. 2 in D Minor.

after "Chaconne" is Franz Schubert's "Ave Maria"

then Manuel Ponce's "Estrellita," then something by Jules Massenet (not sure what piece specifically, though), and then i i think he finishes with a reprise of "Chaconne"

hope that helps ya out lol. there were a few other pieces in there too but i couldnt tell ya what those ones were

[Matalic1]

@Enigma5hrs type in youtube search "chaconne bach violin"

[tuxedomoon]

People dont apreciate music as in the past.Because in the past there was no media yo support such perfomances no you hear all the time music so it more easy to no take music seriously,that is decline of the art,in old time people based their hopes on music and it was for them a major event,not it is a usual thing unfortunately

[1994wblake]

As much as Joshua Bell is a fabulous musician- he was totally used by the Washington Post and I hope that they paid him well. I for one would not have stopped. I have mouths to feed and work to get done. Just because he is famous doesn't mean that my time isn't precious to me. He will have to wait until I have paid $200 and am relaxed and enjoying his concert, not when I am rushed and feel like I have to chose between work or him.

[Enthos18]

he knows he was being used, he met with the writer of the article and agreed to do it for fun.

[jbalt90]

I guess it is fun to make fun of others and to tease them like this. I am so glad I wasn't there because I would have been really mad that he was playing right there in front of me and I couldn't stop.

[damaband41]

@1994wblake wow. I would have leapt at an opportunity to see him there if I had known it were him. So I'd be late for work- so what? phone in sick. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Being late for work one day won't mean the end of the world.

[blazingmaple]

Joshua Bell is a superb musician.

I especially applaud the time and energy he has given to his concerts at Interlochen; to helping the students there.

This singular event in the subway was not a publicity stunt; he does not need to do that. It was a fascinating experiment.

Some rare and sensitive people will stop; will recognize excellence no matter the circumstances.

That the rest do not, and, yes, rush off; that they go doggedly about their days is no surprise.

[BlueThunder201]

excuse me, it doesn't matter who you are and whom you've perormed with, the facts are that this experiment was nothing more than a puliicity stunt, and proves that time and place means everything.  People have more important things to do than stop and listen when they're rushing to work and trying to make their connection.

[Dandaniels1978]

"Koyaanisqatsi" Hopi word. Means "life out of balance."

Not because people didn't have the capacity to understand beauty, but because it was irrelevant to them.

This is about having the wrong priorities.

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?

[musiccritic10]

but if you think about it, 32 dollars for forty five minutes is pretty good, maybe not for joshua bell himself, but if I got that type of salary, i would be happy.

The only thing weird is how people didn't recognize him though. I think only one recognized him...

[klgraver]

That shows how uncouth most people are now days. What a SHAME.

[blazingmaple]

You've missed the point. The context was a social experiment; assignation of "blame" is not the point. If you are a violinist you should have gotten the point; that your emphasis is on a place being "wrong for good music" is telling and too typical.

[blazingmaple]

Whoa. You wrote that you were a violinist. Clearly not one that has ever made a living from performing as some of us are doing. Fine. You are rushing off to a day job at just before eight in the morning. Keep that job. You don't have the heart of a musician, nor evidence the inclusive human spirit we need in the humanities. You evidence a compartmentalization (see yr words "YOU YOUTUBE users below) that is common. Part of the point of the experiment. YOU PROVE the norm.

[machadopeter]

Who's cruel?

All I said is that people have a right to go about their business and NOT listen to music if they choose to; would you stop and listen if you were late for a performance date with Barenboim? Don't performers also have schedules, don't they take the subway?

This is the last salvo from me, I'm thru arguing with idiocy.

I'm going to listen to some music!

And then play some!

And then write some!

Take your last shot because you're talking in the wind now!

[nivsha]

Thank you for your points, I'm a busker and I agree its all up to the audience, if they wanna stay and listen they can totally enjoy all they want for free, its a free concert for donations in kind. The listener is the true judge of what is music and what is worth stopping for during their commute. The artist is just to give and love what they do. Vi An.

[BlueThunder201]

You mean yyou are a musician? Musicians don't work? They don't have appointments or use the subway? Are they from space? - - - (pretty lame, try again!)

[astryd008]

that is so bad, joshua bell is one of the greatest violin players of the world, It doesn't matter if I missed my plane or whatever... I would have definetly stopped and hear the music. Another lesson we have to learn: "Don't let stress eat out your life, or beautiful things nearby, might just pass by"

[boing3887]

this is pathetic...shame on washington dc-ers...the fact that it was rush hour is no excuse!