Posts Tagged ‘guitar’
Mostly New Yorkers
I was suffering from lower back pain for the first time ever. Somehow a bone moved out of place in my pelvis and I had to skip two busking permits on account of being in too much pain. Normally I drag my busking gear up and down staircases in the subway, but today, due to…
Read MoreAching Soul
At the Music Under New York busking spot at the 34th street subway station an Andean flute player was playing. He has been there since 10am. He only plays in the subway on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The rest of the days he sells Ecuadorian stuff, like bracelets, sweaters, etc., at street fairs. He has…
Read MoreSnakes Don’t Like Vibrations
There were a lot of people waiting for the Staten Island ferry on the Manhattan side. A policeman with a dog checked out my busking gear. “Are you playing at this side today?” the cop asked me. “No”, I answered, “on the other side”. I was happy that he recognized me. I boarded the boat…
Read MoreWhere Do You Place Your Voice?
Remi, the Haitian singer/guitar player, was at the Music Under New York busking spot at the 14th street subway station when I got there. He has been there for an hour, he said. He likes to play at St. Marks Place, near where he lives. He has been there for 10 years now and has…
Read MoreWe Have to Check Our Stocks
On the train on my way to my busking spot, the guy with freckles who sings on the trains with the a-capella group of the guy who walks with a cane said ‘hi’ to me. He is on his way to meet the other singers at their usual get-together place at the 57th street subway…
Read MoreSaw Me Gently
As I was climbing the stairs up to the subway platform I heard the train arriving. I doubled my climbing pace in an attempt not to miss the train. I heard the announcement “Stand clear of the closing doors”, and I thought “Oh, no – I’m not going to make it”. Then I heard the…
Read MoreOccupational Hazards
The train rolled slowly into the subway station, on account of the track workers repairing the tracks. As the first car went by me the train driver smiled and nodded at me. Two track workers passed by me as I was waiting to get into the train. One of them asked me how I was…
Read MorePeace in Your Heart
Two guys helped me bring my busking gear up all the stairs to the subway station. When I got to the turnstile, I found 3 pennies. So – it felt like a lucky day. As I was passing through the turnstile a lady said “SawLady!” and smiled hello at me. Two MTA construction workers were…
Read MoreGreen Streak of Color
As I started to play in the subway today, two Nortenos playing guitar and accordion waved ‘hi’ to me on their way to playing on the #6 train. A guitar player carrying his gear nodded ‘hello’ as he passed by me. A teenager leaned against the column in front of me and listened to four…
Read MoreOff the Streets
When I got to the Times Square subway station, a sanitation worker rode the elevator up from the platform with me. He greeted me with a cheerful ‘Hello’. He asked where I’ll be playing today and said he’ll come by to hear me because he always enjoys listening to me play. Buskers were asked by…
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