Subway Music Telepathy

Going up the subway station’s stairs, a guy refused to help me bring my busking gear up…
While setting up to play at the Music Under New York busking spot at the 14th street subway station, a guy dressed flamboyantly asked me if I was sponsored by Duracell. He said a long time ago Duracell sponsored musicians in the NYC subway and gave each musician a big battery…

Photographer: © Michael Tapp

The Russian trumpet player who plays on the trains showed me his small Behringer amp, which he got on line. He also said that ‘Saw Lady’ in Russian is a type of fish…

Albert, the messenger, asked: “Are you starting?” and said he will be back after a delivery to “get a fix” of my music.

Photo by Kitty

A gentleman named Angel, originally from Puerto Rico, bought my CD. He worked as a merchant mariner and in 1986 traveled to Israel where he had a week off the boat to explore.

Mike Alaska, the drummer who juggles his drum sticks while playing, was playing guitar and harmonica today, going from bar to bar in the East Village. A good thing to do on a rainy day. “I don’t feel like being inside today”, he said (meaning the subway).

A gentleman told me this is the 2nd time that he sees me and that he knows all my songs. He played guitar and keyboard but now he is disabled. He apologized that he has nothing to give me. He said he has four weeks to live.
SawLady: “Why do you say that?”
Guy: “The Doctor said that”.
SawLady: “Doctors are often wrong”.
guy: “I hope so”.
SawLady: “You look so good!”
Guy: “On the outside, but inside it’s no good. But – Doctors are wrong.”
SawLady: “Yes, they are often wrong”.
Guy: “See you”.
SawLady: “See you soon, and also in more than four weeks!
Guy: “Yes!”

Man told me that he remembers the musical saw from when he was five years old. An old man in Barbados used to go to the schools, performing on the musical saw.

A guy asked if he can tell me something strange.
He was at the 42nd street subway station and the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” came into his mind. The song kept playing in his mind over and over. Now, this is a song he NEVER sings or thinks of. By the time he reached the 14th street subway station he was singing the song out loud. Then he heard it being played. He followed the sound of the music and came to me. It was really wierd – it’s like his mind tagged into my playing in advance…
“Let’s see if it happens to you next time you run into me, too”, I said.

Albert, the messenger, came back and asked tht I play his favorite song – ‘New York, New York’.

Jason, the kid from Ecuador who plays piano in the subway, wanted my busking spot. I told him he could have it at 4pm.

The police hand-cuffed a guy and took him into the police station located opposit the Music Under New York busking spot.

At 3:30 the ‘Roosevelt Dime’ band showed up for their permitted busking spot. They used to play at parks before they joined Music Under New York. Their drummer, Tony, builds bagpipes. He told me that there’s a big bagpipe scene in Cuba ever since bagpipe players from Canada went there.