I and the multitude of his fans and friends, value & treasure John’s unique music & quips flowing from his compelling identity in Christ as His troubadour & Kingdom Warrior Ambassador. Enjoy.
SEIZE THE MOMENT (Pay Attention)
“At the risk of repeating myself (I may have told this story before), I want to retell a story that I thought had to be false, but I’ve checked it out. It’s true. Here’s the story:”
A man stood at the L’Enfant Plaza Metro (subway) entrance in Washington, DC playing his violin. It was a cold January day. He played six classical pieces for about 45 minutes – two Bach pieces, one Massenet and one each from Schurbert and Ponce. It was rush hour, so over a thousand people went through the building on their way to work. After about three minutes after he started playing a middle- aged man heard the music, slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried on to his work. A minute later the violinist received his first dollar tip. A woman tossed the money into his open violin case as she walked by. A few minutes later a man leaned against the wall to listen to him for a minute or two, looked at his watch and walked away.
The one who paid the most attention was a three-year-old boy who stopped to listen while his mother held his hand. Finally, the mother started walking, tugging the boy along. He went with her as he kept turning his head and watching the violinist while being escorted away. This action was repeated several times by other children.
In the 45 minutes that the musician played, six people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money as they continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32.17 plus a $20 bill from someone who seemed to recognize him. $52,17 total! When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed. No one applauded. There was no recognition or thanks.
Who was this metro subway musician? His name is Joshua Bell,one of the most acclaimed classical violinists in the world. He was playing a Stradivarius violin, made in 1713, worth several million dollars. Two nights earlier he played the same repertoire to a sold-out theater in Boston to folks who paid more than $100 per seat and he received thunderous applause and appreciation.
Columnist Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post initiated this experiment. Bell wore a baseball cap and played incognito as his performance was videotaped on a hidden camera. They wanted to see how beautiful music would affect people in their daily routine.
Their conclusion: the world is too busy, too preoccupied, too uncurious, or simply disinterested to stop and joy the best that classical music has to offer. One of the finest violinists in the world playing the finest classical music in the world on possibly the finest violin in the world! As the world walked by.
Weingarten won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for his article on this experiment. The Washinton Post posted the video on YouTube and it was entitled: Find Your Way: A Busker’s Documentary. It went viral.
So many take aways! What was learned? Several observations:
- If we don’t have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written on one of the best musical instruments ever made, how many other things are we missing?!
- If you don’t have a “name,” people don’t expect much. At a Johnny Cash concert in Dover in 1995, I listened politely, though impatiently to the warm up” band. They stopped, Johnny Cash’s band came on stage and at the sound of the first three notes of Bob Wooten’s guitar, the crowd was their feet. The performer had a name. Anticipation was high. I guess we get what we want and expect?
- How an artist is introduced is very important. I was once asked by an MC how I would like to introduced. “Do you want my humble intro, or my boastful introduction?” I asked jokingly. “The boastful one!” he demanded. So, I told who all I had been on stage with and where I had performed, etc. and he got up and gave me a flowery (albeit truthfully) introduction. I could feel the anticipation when I got up on stage.
- Atmosphere matters. Presentation counts. There is a reason Joshua Bell does not wear a baseball cap and a T shirt when he performs at Carnegie Hall. Maybe it wasn’t totally the commuter’s fault that they missed greatness.
- “Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?” The man was speechless. Matt. 22:11
- The thief on the cross was just several feet from the Savior and yet he missed him.
Don’t miss the beauty around you. Don’t miss the Savior!
Contact Info: Common Ground Ministries Box 178 Berlin, OH 44610 office 330-674-9862 home 330-674-2274 www.johnschmid.com