Thousands of commuters passed him by, only six stopping for a moment to listen. Twenty people dropped thirty two dollars into his open instrument case. A small child was the one who stopped, listened and wouldn't move until his mother made him go with her.
When he finished his recital, silence resumed. Nobody applauded, nobody noticed his absence.
Nobody noticed the violinist was the world acclaimed Joshua Bell playing one of the most intricate pieces ever written or that he was playing a violin valued at 3.5 million dollars.
The occasion was organised by The Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
The conclusion was that if we don't take a moment to listen to one of the world's best musicians playing the best music ever written, then what other things are we missing out on...
