On a spring morning during rush hour, in a Metro station in Washington, DC, a young man opened a violin case and took out his instrument. 2 He dropped a couple of bills and a handful of change into the open violin case. 3 Then he began to play. 4 During the next 43 minutes, the man played six classical pieces. 5 In that time, 1,097 people passed by. 6 Of that number, 27 tossed in some money—a total of $32.17. 7 Seven people stopped what they were doing and stood to listen, at least for a minute. 8 All the rest hurried by. 9Most appeared not to notice the musician at all. 10 What they did not know was that the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best classical violinists to ever live. 11 Three nights before his appearance at the Metro station, he had played for a standing-room-only crowd who paid a minimum of $100 a ticket. 12 He has won Emmy and Grammy awards. 13 The Washington Post newspaper had set up the experiment of having Bell play at the Metro station. 14 The results seemed to show that in order for people to appreciate beauty, conditions need to be just right. 15 When people are sitting in a concert hall, they are ready to appreciate a great musician. 16 When they are rushing to work, they are not. what is the main idea?