[Christien]

I read that story a while back when they first did the "experiment". Being a violinist, I'm biased, but I can without a doubt that if I'd heard a performance of that calibre in a subway, on the street, etc. I would absolutely have noticed, and would have taken time out of my day to stay, unless I was missing a limb and on the way to the hospital. Even then...

6 out of "thousands" is probably a similar proportion to society at large that would pay to see a violinist perform live. Factor in that of those thousands, maybe only half were within proper earshot to be able to hear the difference between a pro and an amateur and it's not a surprising result. Remember, most people don't care about the arts, beauty, etc. At least not more than their boss yelling at them for being late.