Joshua Bell

The Right People Hear You Differently.

n 2007, violinist Joshua Bell went busking in an experiment to see if the public would recognise one of the finest talents in the classical world. He stuck a baseball cap on his head and rocked up at a Metro station in Washington and began to busk. You’d expect at least some of the passers-by to stop, say “Crikey,”, and pop some money in Mr Bell’s violin case.

Hardly anyone stopped. In fact, out of 1,097 people that passed Bell by, only 27 gave any money, and only 7 actually stopped and listened for any length of time.

And how much did he make? The violinist who can command thousands for each concert performance on the greatest concert stages in the world?

$52.17

And $20 of that was from the one person who did recognise him. 

Bell’s YouTube clip “Pearls Before Breakfast” now has almost 7 million views, and the message appears to be a clear one: that the average person can’t be expected to recognize quality and genius when it is right in front of them without being prompted. It’s hard for people to believe there is something amazing going on when there is no crowd, and nothing but the greatness itself right in front of you. 

This is why Edu Inc sets out to see in students what many often miss. We know that your uniqueness is your money-maker; it’s what makes you interesting and it’s what determines the path you’ll walk. We see you.