The Festival Musicians

A festival hired musicians based on crowd applause.

Loud, fast music got applause. Soft, complex music did not.

Each year, the musicians who returned played louder and faster. The crowds, now expecting loudness, applauded only the loudest.

A master musician came one year and played a subtle, beautiful piece. The crowd, unsure what to do, sat in silence.

He was not invited back.

The festival organizers concluded that the crowds knew what they wanted. They had only taught the crowds what to want.