

Brooks: "What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?" Brooks asks, "What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?" Brooks says to the principal, "Let me ask him some questions." Brooks and tells her, "I think Harry can go to the 3rd grade" Harry was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test.Īnd so it went with every question the principal thought a 3rd grader should know. If he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the 1st grade and behave. While Harry waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was. She took Harry to the principal's office. My sister is in the 3rd grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the 3rd grade too!" Harry answered, "I'm too smart for the 1st grade.

The teacher asked, "Harry, what's your problem?" Brooks, was having trouble with one of her students. If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?"Ī first-grade teacher, Ms. One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context? Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100. He had just played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on. This action was repeated by several other children. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.Ī minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, and continued to walk.Ī few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again.

Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. uring that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.
