I remember first hearing about flash mobs several years ago when they seemed to be somewhat of a trend around the world. At the time I just kind of shrugged and thought, Well that’s kind of weird. But in the years since, I’ve come across a few videos of musical flash mobs that I thought were pretty cool.
And this musical flash mob orchestra playing “Ode to Joy” might be my favorite one. Not only is it one of my favorite pieces from Beethoven, but the act of performing it in a flash-mob format in a town square illustrates just how powerful and important music is. Watch the crowd swell around the orchestra and choir, which gradually increases in size as the song progresses. Check out the smiles and facial expressions. It’s even cool that the whole thing seems to get started by a little girl dropping a coin in a hat, like it’s a human jukebox. How could anyone not like this?