A plain looking guy in jeans and a T-shirt, wearing a baseball cap, stood next to a wall , beside a trash can, at the L’Enfant Plaza station in Washington D.C. He played a violin for 43 minutes while 1,097 passed by – most paying little or no attention.

His name was Joshua Bell, one of the finest classical violinists in the world. He was playing on a $3.5 million Strativarious.

No crowd gathered or appreciated the elegant music. Bell later said: “It was a strange feeling, that people actually…ignored me."

God has revealed His majesty to us in many ways. Many are too busy rushing about on their tasks to acknowledge and thank Him. Are you???


Here is the full story – (Bell is from Bloomington, Indiana)

In an experiment initiated by Washington Post columnist Gene Weingarten, Bell donned a baseball cap and played as an incognito street busker at the Metro subway station L'Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C. on January 12, 2007. The experiment was videotaped on hidden camera; among 1,097 people who passed by, only seven stopped to listen to him, and only one recognized him.

We never expect to see the unexpected in common places. We are so sure they are in places of grandeur.

Well I have been guilty of ignoring buskers. When I go out I am focused on where I am going, constantly checking the watch, making sure I do not miss the train, bus or be late for work or an appointment. If I am not on a schedule I will stop and listen to the buskers, only if they are worthwhile.
I totally get why commuters did not stop and listen to the musician. I think it was an unfair experiment and the result should have been expected.