Youth talk

Continuing on the theme of music from last week, I would like to recant the tale of Joshua Bell to you. A tale that you have most possibly heard before, as it dates back to 2007. Regardless of whether or not you have heard it, it still remains a surprising tale that we can all learn from.

Joshua Bell is a Grammy award-winning American violinist and conductor who is thought to be one of the greatest classical musicians of his generation.

On January 12, 2007, three days after his sold-out concert at Boston’s Symphony Hall where decent seats would have set you back $100, he went undercover as a busker in a Washington subway station wearing a modest T-shirt and jeans complete with a baseball cap.

It was a world away from the three-piece suits that he usually performs in. His 45-minute performance took place during rush hour where he played his exact same set as he did to thousands the day before with his 300-year-old Stradivarius violin, estimated to be worth between $2-4 million.

Out of the 1,097 people that passed him that day only seven people stopped to listen to him, none stayed for more than a minute, and out of all of those, only one recognised Bell. Over the course of that afternoon the near multi-millionaire musician made a total of $32.17.

I believe this tale teaches us an insightful lesson on human perception. It shows us that without the grandeur of an occasion telling us what we should appreciate, we fall flat when it comes to recognising talent and often judge on appearance alone.