The Subway Diaries

Apr 12 2017

Busker 2 Busker

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Busk, Heidi Kole, Jia Dougman, Qi, Subways, The Subway Diaries, Underground NYC NY

Fellow busker & friend, Jia Doughman you moved me to tears today with this gift of original music. I’m sharing it with my The Subway Diaries friends so you, too, may benefit from her amazing healing music

Qi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRAUNNosZWA

Feb 07 2017

Danny’s take on POTUS

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Busk, Danny Smalls .Underground, Geechee Dan, Heidi Kole, NYC NY, Subways, The Singing Dragon, The Subway Diaries

My underground friend Danny’s take on President Trump – “I like Mr Trump. I think he’s a good man. My daughter worked for him at Trump Towers as a concierge & he always treated her really good. So good that she bought a condo on Park Avenue that’s now worth over a million dollars. I like Mr Trump. He’s a very generous man” Danny – The Subway Diaries #GeecheeDan #TheSingingDragon #Danny #Busk

Nov 15 2016

La Humanidad

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Busk, Faith, Heidi Kole, Humanity, NYCNY, Subways, The Subway Diaries

Last night on my way home from speaking on all things Subway at The New York Public Library, there was an elderly woman our lobby, struggling to walk to the elevator. I helped her in with a friend & then I walked her to her door & made sure she was settled. Despite her real struggle to walk, I was struck by how upbeat & chatty she was, talking & giggling about life, how she ended up out in the hallway alone etc. Along the 1/2 hour journey to get her back home safely I asked her; “Tienes familia aqui in Neuva York?” (do you have any family here in New York?) Her response along with her consistent bubbly demenour floored me especially in it’s contrast to her struggle just to take a step on her own ; “No, pero, la humanidad es mi familia” (No, however, humanity is my family). I smiled & respnded; “Para mí mismo, yo cantaba en el metro y la humanidad es también mi familia ” (Same for me. I sing in the Subways & humanity is my family as well) I hugged her & thanked her for allowing me to walk with her as I left admiring her seemingly unbreakable faith in all things good.

#NYCNY #Humanity

Jul 16 2016

Grace

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Busk, Grace, Heidi Kole, NYC NY, Subways, The Subway Diaries

It felt like 100 degrees underground this evening & still, this guy….one of my two favourite maintenance workers displayed in front of me, a little miracle that ’caused me to stop playing. And I never stop playing save the NYPD threatening wrongful arrest. Thought the heat had left most everyone on the platform close to comatose, only able to nod or grin their approval as opening a bag or purse risked being even more miserable than they already were.Through the heat, this guy continued his diligent sweeping & picking up trash. He’d finished the platform & had gotten to the stairs with one foot up on the lowest step, broom in hand, handled dustpan in the other, ready to sweep them clear of debris when a homeless guy, toothless, hunched over & skinnier than most, came up behind him. I kept on singing, playing & watching, ’till I saw the maintenance guy, sensing someone behind him, turned around, look at the emaciated homeless man in the eye, nodded, tucked his broom & dustpan under his arm, reach into his pants pocket & pulled out his wallet. He then proceeded to pull out a dollar bill & give it to the skinny, toothless guy standing in front of him. I stopped playing, chills were running up & down my arms when my eye’s met those of the maintenance worker’s. I touched my heart, smiled a very small, private smile & nodded. He awkwardly & sheepishly took in the confirmation as if he were far more comfortable with anonymity than acknowledgment and quickly resumed his sweeping.

This guys’ job is not fun, not glamorous, it smells, it’s hot, it’s cold, it’s loud & I can pretty much guarantee he’s not living high on the hog. It was a 100 friggin’ degrees underground today & still he took the time & effort to do this.

This is why I go underneath the streets of NYC, to witness love like this in action This, my ‘family’, on a daily basis, displays such random, selfless acts of love & generosity, things that never make the news or the headlines, but one by one change lives & move energy.

I hold vast love & appreciation for what I am allowed to witness on a regular basis under the streets of NYC. And I hope everyone gets a chance to be the audience to such selfless love on an ongoing basis in their lives as well. It is Grace, in action.

‪#‎Busk‬ ‪#‎TheSubwayDiaries‬

Jul 01 2016

Stuff Buskers text about

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Busk, Heidi Kole, Jia Dougman, NYC, NYPD, Subways, The Subway Diaries

Stuff NYC Buskers Text About #TheSubwayDiaries #NYPD #Busk

Mar 28 2016

Bi-Polar much NYPD?

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Busk, Busking Love, Heidi Kole, NYC NY, NYPD, Subways, The Subway Diaries

Ok so tonight underground I was playing La Bamba with 4 cops behind me when all of a sudden all 4 NYPD officers started dancing. All male, shaking & wiggling their hips & waving their arms in the air. If I’d only had that on tape. It looked like the NYPD version of ‘Sister Act’

Then….not 15 minutes later I’m approached by 2 more cops (not dancing) and they demand I leave. I told them I’lm legal singing on the platform unampllified & showed them the rules, (1st Amendment violation NYPD) which they were 100% uninterested in. Then 7 more cops showed up & immediately grabbed my guitar case (4th Amendment violation guys) & started to toss things around, coins, dollars, my case, all my stuff….manually packing it up to force me out of the train. They grabbed my arm & commanded me to leave the Times Square station & said I could not enter again even to take a train or I would be immediately arrested. & sent down to Central Booking….Seriously guys? I’m singing…no amp, no nothing, just singing.

I have no idea who is training these rookie officers but, they’re gettin’ some seriously ‘bad learnin’ imo

And here’s a little 4th Amendment Violation – hanky-panky going on, courtesy of the NYPD #Busk

And this woman, whoever you are, you are my hero. You actually squeezed yourself in between the crazed officers busy pouncing on me & my gear, to drop a dollar in my case before they swept it up. I hope I see you again on the platform to tell you thank you heart emoticon ‪#‎buskinglove‬