My intention when I busk is always to see all the tired, sad faces with nothing but love. No matter how angry or bitter or exhausted you appear to be, I see you with & send you love. Some days it’s harder than others to see all of you with the vibration of complete love & on those days, I jump over your angry, tired exteriors & go straight to seeing you all as children, as the pure light souls you came in with. That’s how I reach you under New York – with love <3

Today on trains there was the cutest, most animated toddler who kept me in stitches for my entire tune with his facial expressions & uber expressive hand & body gyrations. Only thing is every time I stopped singing his face got all scrunchy & he burst into tears. I decided to just keep on strumming & humming ’till the very last second when I had to hop off @ 42nd. God help his mom after that

Tonight on one of my last runs on the “R” train there was a young couple sitting next to each other. The guy had his arm on the girl’s lap wearing a worried, helpless look on his face. The girl, she had a cap on her head & her head bowed and so I could only catch a glimpse of her face now & again. When I did it was obviously she had been crying a lot & was still in the throws of being very upset, in that place we’ve all been in where it feels there’s absolutely no way out.

I could tell the young man next to her wanted nothing more than for his girlfriend to be happy & smile again.  He appeared so powerless.Then I started to sing & she looked up for a second, surprised, & suddenly she caught herself not being able to help herself from grinning a huge grin. Just as soon as the grin overtook her face she remembered she was supposed to be sad and bowed her head once again, hiding beneath her cap. Despite the tears, her smile, that grin that appeared to have a mind of it’s own, kept popping out uncontrollably in response to the music. And her increasingly unsuccessful attempts at stifling it were akin to watching a cat dance with a ball of yarn, never quite being able to tame it.

By the end of the 2 minutes that it took for me to finish my tune, her smile had won. She had, in those 120 seconds, at least temporarily, lost track of why she’d been crying, why she’d been hiding. She was trying to remember but both her boyfriend & I watched as she struggled to recall the depth of the pain & rather failed. Right as I headed out the door to the next car I leaned down & whispered: “It’s going to be ok. Trust me.” She smiled.

~ It’s a busking thing ~

When I step onto a train car here in NYC with my guitar, no matter who is sitting in that car, no matter what scrunched up face they are wearing at that moment, no matter how heavily their shoulders hang from their body, or how audible their sigh of disdain or anger at seeing me there is, all I see is love – that’s where I sing from. And the greatest joy is seeing all that energy transform in front of my eyes within the 2 1/2 minutes I visit that car. Seeing the most angry, stressed, pissed off-about to explode souls soften & smile in front of my eyes just through music, energy & intention. You may see me as separate from you, not knowing you, apart from you. I see the opposite. I see you as me, your pain as mine, your joy as my joy. That’s where I sing from. That’s how I reach you. That’s why I busk <3

Photo – Tolga Adonali

The ‘regulars’ who see me frequently underground now often show up with water in hand. Without even asking water just appears!

Here are the gifts from my regulars tonight <3

So, this guy named Hugo was on his way home from work. He was exhausted & was about to go home & crash but instead heard the music, went outside the train station, found an ATM, took out money, came back, plopped a whole lot of it in my case & stayed to listen ’till I wrapped for the night. Honestly…there’s so much love beneath these NYC streets I cannot begin to explain all of it on a blog…but this is a start : )

And finally … that which moved my heart

This kid came up to me last week & said: “I’ve seen you before…”
“Well, hi” I replied
Then he looked down at my case: “Can I have a CD?”
“They’re $5” I said
“But I’d like a CD. May I have one?”
Then it dawned on me – it’s a kid & he’s not asking for drugs or money or candy…he’s asking for music…
“Sure, you can have one. Enjoy it” I said & he ran back to his mom to show it to her figuring he asked to see if he could get something for free
So, tonight he stops by again….
“Hi!”
“Hi!” I said back
“I got a CD from you remember?”
“Oh yeah. I do remember. Yeah. How are you?” I said, kind of figuring he’d turned the CD into a coaster or a frisbee or something by now. Then his mom leaned in & said…”He listens to your CD every day, all day long.”
“Seriously?”
“It’s all he listens to. I’m serious”
And I turned to the kid, whose name I learned tonight is Savian, “I’m really glad you asked for one Savian and thanks so much for listening. Honestly, you just made my day”

#subwaylove

Ok found a spot, set up, started to sing & some.guy comes by, smiling & tyrns around & gently places this that he was carrying beside my guitar case….& no I haven’t opened it or called cops…hmmmm…

Awe..and so much luv tonight  Two rockin girls, Jayleena & Siobhoan gave me the BEST smiles ever from the side of the platform. Javleena hopped on the “A” & Siobhoan walked over, picked up a CD & said “I’m getting this for my friend as a surprise. You’re her favourite subway singer  Anyway, we got chatting & ended up giving Siobhoan an impromptu guitar lesson on the Uptown A,C,E after which we decided to be brave & dive into … ‘the briefcase’ & inside….tick tick tick….was a REALLY old camera which Siobhoan decided to take home to a friend who she said would like it. Yes, we’re hoping nothing explodes on the way, but I believe all will be well tonight in Gotham City. The end ~ well, actually there’s more but that’ll have to wait for Pt 2 : )

Pt 2 🙂

Ok so after the whole guitar lesson/mystery briefcase adventure…two more girls, an awesome dancer and her sister, came up & were quite the fans & and asked if they could dance to one of my tunes (their pick) – what crazy-intense talent lands in your lap while standing there on the Uptown A,C,E ♥ (video by Siobhon: )

[youtube]http://youtu.be/dT-kkmWYNgM[/youtube]

Dear NYC Performers,

On MAY 8TH 2013, centered in Washington Sq Park, the PEP (Parks Dept
police) will be giving out a promised FAQ sheet describing in detail
the rights (or lack of rights) of performers in all NYC Parks. (see news
article below this announcement describing this.)

The Parks Dept has assured performers there will not be any enforcement
actions taken against them. Depending on what it says on this FAQ
sheet about the revised park rules for performers and musicians,
performers will have either officially won their rights in parks or will have
to begin a new struggle to regain them.

Performers should make it their business to show up in Washington Sq
Park in particular on May 8 in order to participate and
to get a copy of this historic FAQ. Please do not use amplification on
this day. Bring a camera, tape recorder or video camera and use it. to
record anything that the PEP officers say to you or do.

If it is raining still show up to get the FAQ and then perform for a while
when the rain stops.

Please sign this Petition and send it to ten people. Each signature
is being individually emailed to the Parks Commissioner.
Make the public, the media and other performers aware of May 8th.

The Petition now has over 800 signatures and is filled with terrific
comments by musicians, performers and their supporters. Sign Here:

https://www.change.org/petitions/mayor-bloomberg-and-parks-commissioner-white-repeal-the-park-restrictions-on-performers-musicians-and-artists

Mayor Bloomberg and Parks Commissioner White: Repeal the park
restrictions on performers, musicians and artists.

Artists, musicians and performers are exercising their basic First
Amendment rights in parks. The expressive matter rules violate these
rights. The US Supreme court has ruled that: “Wherever the title of
streets and parks may rest, they have immemorially been held in trust
for the use of the public and, time out of mind, have been used for
purposes of assembly, communicating thoughts between citizens, and
discussing public questions. Such use of the streets and public places
has, from ancient times, been a part of the privileges, immunities,
rights and liberties of citizens.”

4/16/13 – Parks Dept Lying About Performer Ban

http://www.scribd.com/doc/136741106/Park-Performers-Banned-–Again

5/1/13 Parks Department Can’t Get Its Story Straight

http://www.scribd.com/doc/139113930/Parks-Department-Can’t-Get-Its-Story-Straight-for-web

Comments, questions?

Mayor Bloomberg and Parks Commissioner White: Repeal the park restrictions on performers, musicians.
www.change.org
Artists, musicians and performers are exercising their basic First Amendment rights in parks. The expressive matter rules violate these rights.

Love when people who don’t have cash on them but want to show their love, read my mind & give me exactly what I need….a full bottle of water & a metro card! ♥

Underground Love