Union Square Subway Station
It’s Special Because It’s Live
On my way to the subway station a guy in a white shirt said: “Saw Lady!” He said he’s been seeing my flyers advertising the Musical Saw Festival or my CD for years, on the billboard at the park. He has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years. It never ceases to amaze me that…
Read MoreWassailing
I am a Wassailer! Wassailing (pronounced to rhyme with fossil-ing) is an old English word for ‘busking during the Christmas season’. It is found in old Christmas carols such as: “Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green. Here we come a-wand’ring so fair to be seen. Love and joy come to you, and…
Read MoreA Bracelet and a Dollar Shirt
While I was busking at the 14th street subway station, a lady gave me a yellow bracelet made of very soft rubber. The bracelet was shaped like a saw! She said she found it at the bottom of a pool, together with two other similar bracelets in different shapes (one was shaped like a high…
Read MoreA Dancer, a Musician and a Film Maker
While busking at the 14th street subway station, a lady named Mary told me that inspired by my musical saw playing, she found a saw. It’s an old saw, maybe from the 1930’s, with a nice carved handle. Her mother has it. She told her mother that she wants this saw, but she will probably…
Read MoreMusical Clothes
While busking at the 14th street subway station, a man from the Ukraine asked me about the musical saw. After I explained how the musical saw works, he asked me: “Do the clothes you wear affect the sound? If you wear different clothes, does a different quality of sound come out of the saw?” At…
Read MoreYes, It Shows
As I was waiting for Ron Gibbs to finish his music set at the 14th street subway station’s Music Under New York busking spot, a guy sat next to me on the bench. It was Arnold – the homeless guy whom I haven’t seen for a whole year! Turns out he has been back home…
Read MoreHomeless, Haikoo & the New York Times
When I was busking at the 14th street subway station, Joe, the homeless man who has an artificial hook hand, sat on the bench for more than an hour. He told me that he could hear the sound of my musical saw from upstairs, so he knew that I was here. He remembered that he…
Read MoreAn Elevator Has Two Sets of Doors
When I was busking at the 14th street subway station, a teenager named Art rubbed my musical saw with his hand three times and said: “can I have three wishes?” He then went on to say: “I wish you’d play that song I like”. As I’ve seen him before many times I knew he meant…
Read MoreI Think of You When You’re Not Here
As I was playing ‘Over the Rainbow’ while busking at the 14th street subway station, Joe Lucas, the homeless guy with the hook arm, showed up. I haven’t seen him in months. He went to Montana to visit a friend and then to Rhode Island to visit his sister. It was wild that he showed…
Read MoreR.I.P Rue McClanahan
As I was dragging my busking gear up the stairs to the subway station, a guy left his shopping cart by the bottom of the stairs and offered to help me carry my stuff up the stairs. He wasn’t even heading to the subway – he volunteered to go out of his way just to…
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