Posts tagged: Subway Musician
‘Stealth Busking’
Under cover cop was way too obviously patrolling the #7 train that I was busking today so I had to do a whole lotta darting about to keep working. Finally my friendly subway maintenance worker & I came up with a code system that would alert me when one of the 3 under covers on that line was snooping about – code word ‘UNICORN’ #stealthbusking
Busker’s Dream
I wish I had a million dollars so I could, instead of passing the hat for tips while busking at Xmas, I could pass the hat & hand out $100 bills. How amazingly fun would that be? #BuskersDream
What you see isn’t always…
There’s this violin player on the 7 who is always happy & always cheerily fiddlin’ away despite his accompanying sign that pleads for help for his wife who, apparently needs a liver transplant & has for a very long time… He’s there every afternoon as I hop on & off the 7 train while busking. Today he motioned me over as he was counting bills, big bills, $20’s $50’s etc & in English/Italian said; “You know how much I make?”
“Ummm, no” I said
“$300-$500 in 2-3 hours”
“omg!!!” I exclaimed wondering if the sick wife thing was real or merely the ‘lucrative part of the act’ at which point he grabbed my hands and flipped them both over saying; “No ring?”
“Oh no, no, no, no…” I heard myself repeat many times (another story) Then he looked straight at me & pointed to himself & to me & back to himself again & asked: “You? Me? Italia? Marry?”
Well that mystery got solved super fast! And I’ve obviously been workin’ this Subway thing totally wrong #humanpsychology101
Awesome day underground :)
Woman to me on 1st car of the day as she handed me a dollar: “Oh, please stay & sing another would you?” #SubwayLove
Conductor today on leaning out of his window as I hopped off the “N” train: “Hey, when do I get to hear a tune?”
“Yeah” I said, it’s my last time around. And for some reason I see it all” : )#Awesomedayunderground
Blows me away ~
Stuff to ponder …
As a busker, to make my job work – I mean really work, I must consistently move myself to a place where I have love for every single person surrounding me in the NYC subways, no matter the anger, resentment or hatred their faces & body language display. I often wonder what our world would look like right now if everyone had to, without question, be in that place of unconditional love to actually make their job work… <3 #stufftoponder