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On April 8th, 2007, the Washington Post conducted an experiment during a Washington D.C. rush hour. A man with a violin started to play at the L’Enfant Plaza Station. Little did anyone realize, as they rushed past in judgment, the musician was world-famous Joshua Bell, competing for their attention. But most kept on about their day. To some, this is depressing; to others, this is understanding gratefulness.

“‘At a music hall, I’ll get upset if someone coughs or if someone’s cellphone goes off. But here, my expectations quickly diminished. I started to appreciate any acknowledgment, even a slight glance up. I was oddly grateful when someone threw in a dollar instead of change,’ (said Bell to staff writer Gene Weingarten.) This is from a man whose talents can command $1,000 a minute.”

You can read the full article online and watch video of the passers-by at WashingtonPost.com, who uses Brightcove to embed and serve up their video.

(via Andrea)