How Many Grandchildren

At the Music Under New York busking spot at the 14th street subway station Raices Group were performing: Edgar on flute and Geo on guitar. While I was waiting for them to be finished, a group of MTA construction workers wearing yellow/orange vests walked by. One of them said to his friend: “Hey, it’s the…

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Museum Tours for the Blind

It was a rainy and dreary day – I barely dragged myself out to play in the subway today. Mosaics in the subway: 8th Street N/R station, on the north side of the downtown track. A guy told me that he tried to play the musical saw when he was a kid on a farm.…

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Whiling Away the Ride

The ferry boats to Staten Island have names. The one I took this time, on my way to the Music Under New York busking spot in the ferry terminal, was named ‘American Spirit’. The Staten Island ferry landing place is modern, while the one right next to it, which launches the ferry to Governor’s Island,…

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Cops Photographing Buskers

I held the elevator doors at the Times Square subway station for a slow walking oriental gentleman. He said to me: “you play the musical saw”. Saw Lady: “You’ve seen me?” Gentleman: “Yes. I play violin”. The elevator doors opened and we said our goodbyes. I sat up at the Music Under New York busking…

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Building with Many Numbers

As I got to the turnstile at the subway station near me, I could hear the train pulling into the station. I still had to go through the turnstile and climb up two flights of stairs, with my heavy busking gear. As I rushed up the stairs I could hear the announcement “Stand clear of…

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Buskers Overflow

On my way to busking at Times Square, through the open doors of the train at 59th street I could see and hear the older Chinese guy playing a hammer dulcimer. Luke Ryan, the singer-songwriter who plays guitar, was at the Music Under New York spot by the big mosaics. Juan Castillo passed by, carrying…

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A Different Bag Every Day

On my way up the subway station’s stairs two guys offered to help me bring my busking gear up. It turned out that they were the two guys I saw at the 14th street subway station last Friday – Guillermo and Martin, who were the ones sitting on a bench and fixing a string on…

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Everybody is Out, Playing

As I got to the Music Under New York busking spot at Union Square there was a guy sleeping on the right hand side bench. He had a guitar lying next to him. On the left bench there was a lady with very swollen legs, also sleeping. At 12:15 the Chinese erhu player started playing…

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Some People Are Diamond And Some People Are Coal

A guy passed me by as I was lugging my busking gear up the stairs at the subway station. He then retraced his steps and came back to help me, saying: “I thought someone was with you – that’s why I didn’t stop to help”. That someone he thought was with me was a younger…

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