Rushing Past $3.5 Million Music: Are We Too Busy?

Have you ever rushed past something extraordinary without noticing? That's exactly what happened when Joshua Bell, one of the world's greatest violinists, played his $3.5 million Stradivarius in a Washington DC metro station during rush hour. Out of 1,100 commuters, only six stopped to listen. The children noticed—they tried to stop—but parents hurried them along, focused on schedules and destinations rather than the masterful performance unfolding before them.
This fascinating social experiment raises profound questions about our perception. If we can't pause to appreciate world-class music when it's right in front of us, what else are we missing? Today, I challenge you to make a choice: look for and listen to the beautiful things around you. Take a walk somewhere you can appreciate nature. Visit your favorite place—that spot where you experience those "aha" moments of wonder and gratitude. In slowing down and noticing, we connect not just with the world around us but with its Creator. Join me each weekday morning for five minutes that will help you start your day right, with perspective and purpose. What beauty will you notice today?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Good morning and welcome to Starting Right with
Danny Mac.
I'm going to be here everyMonday to Friday to help you get
a great five-minute start toyour day, so grab your cup of
coffee, sit back, relax and letme help you start your day right
.
It was a cold January morningback in 2007 when a young man

(00:35):
entered the metro station inWashington DC and started to
play his violin.
He played six pieces written byBach for about 45 minutes and
during that time, since it wasrush hour, it was calculated
that approximately 1,100 peoplewent through the station, most
of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by and amiddle-aged man noticed there
was a musician playing.
He slowed down, stopped for afew seconds and then hurried up

(00:57):
to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinistreceived his first dollar tip.
A woman threw the money in hisviolin case and, without
stopping, continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someoneleaned against the wall to
listen to him, but the manlooked at his watch and started
to walk again.
Clearly he was late for work.

(01:19):
The one who paid the mostattention was a three-year-old
boy.
His mother, in a hurry, wasdragging him along, but the kids
stopped to look at theviolinist.
Finally, the mother pushed hardand the child continued to walk
, turning his head all the time.
This action was repeated byseveral other children.
All the parents, withoutexception, forced them to move
on.
In the 45 minutes the musicianplayed, only six people stopped

(01:43):
and stayed for a while.
About 20 gave him money butcontinued to walk at their
normal pace.
In that 45 minutes he collected$32.
When he finished playing andsilence took over, no one even
noticed, no one applauded andthere was no recognition for

(02:04):
what he had just done.
No one knew this, but theviolinist was Joshua Bell, one
of the most talented musiciansin the world.
He had just played one of themost intricate pieces ever
written on a violin that isworth $3.5 million.
Two days before his playing inthe subway, joshua Bell sold out
at a theater in Boston whereseats averaged $250 each.

(02:25):
Now, this was actually a socialexperiment.
Joshua Bell had been contactedby the Washington Post, who had
asked him to play incognito inthis metro station and to see
how people would react.
The outlines for the experimentwere in a commonplace
environment at an inappropriatehour.

(02:46):
Do we perceive beauty?
Do we stop to appreciate it?
Do we recognize talent?
In an unexpected context, theydecided that one of the likely
conclusions from this experimentcould be if we don't have a
moment to stop and listen to oneof the best musicians in the
world playing the best musicever written, how many other
things are we missing?

(03:06):
That's a pretty good question,isn't it?
How many other things are wemissing In Genesis, chapter 1
and verse 31,.
God had just finished creatingthe world and everything in it.
This is the end of the sixthday and it says God saw all that
he had made and it was verygood.

(03:29):
When the master creator makessomething that's very good, you
know it's going to be extremelygood, and God has created this
beautiful world for each one ofus.
It really doesn't matter whereyou live.
There's beauty where you are.
The problem that the peoplecoming through the terminal had

(03:51):
in that story was that they weredistracted by the other things
that were on their minds.
They had other priorities thatwere pressing upon them and they
weren't able to stop and enjoywhat was really beautiful.
We find that around us rightnow, there are so many things
pressing upon us.
There are so many thingsdistracting us.
It's many of those distractionsthat take away from our ability

(04:13):
to relax and enjoy and bethankful for the beauty that we
have.
So I invite you today to make achoice A choice to look at and
to listen to the things that arebeautiful around you.
To take a walk somewhere whereyou can enjoy nature and what
God has created.
To go to your favorite placeAlmost everyone has their

(04:36):
favorite place where they go andjust have the ah moments and
relax and just thank God forbeing God and for creating the
beauty around you and forblessing you with it in your
life.
Have a great day, my friends.
We'll talk again tomorrow.
Thank you for listening todayand I invite you to join me

(05:04):
Monday to Friday, right here onStarting Right, with Danny Mac.