People Showed Me Their Hands

As I was setting up to play on the platform at 59th street, a guy asked me how much it costs to get a permit to play in the subway. He said he busks in Boston, playing guitar and singing, and that its very different the way busking works over there. Buskers don’t have to…

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A Dog With a Health Care Plan

As I was climbing up the stairs at the subway station, an MTA construction worker was climbing down, carrying a ladder. “You still play?” he asked me. It always warms my heart when people recognize me. As the train passed the 59th street subway station I could see Frankie playing his guitar on the platform.…

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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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Walked Away Singing

While I was busking at the Whitehall ferry terminal, I had a few nice conversations with people waiting to take the ferry boat to Staten Island: A guy told me that his Dad taught him to make sounds with a saw by hitting it with the thumb. Another guy told me that he plays the…

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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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The Smell of Baked Goods

As I was transferring trains at Union Square I saw Dan Stevens playing guitar and singing at the Music Under New York busking spot. A woman was dancing with a little kid to the sound of the music. My busking spot for the day was at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in lower Manhattan. An older…

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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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Moving Garbage

A nice young man helped me bring my busking gear up the last two flights of stairs just in time for the train’s arrival. That allowed me not to spend any time waiting on the open subway platform in the cold. At the Music Under New York busking spot at 59th street there were two…

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She Has Three Cell Phones

Getting up the four flights of stairs to the subway platform was hard for me today because I am recovering from having strained a muscle in my back. I was hoping somebody would offer to help me bring my busking gear up the stairs, but everybody just walked on past me 🙁 While on the…

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Venus and Florida

I got to the Manhattan side of the ferry to Staten Island in the nick of time to catch the ferry. The doors were already closing, but the guard held them open for me. I sat up my busking gear at the Music Under New York spot at the St. George ferry terminal. A guy…

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