How Strong is Plastic?

There were no trains going to Manhattan today… they were working on the tracks. So, I took a train going the opposite way and switched to a Manhattan bound one a few stops away. It took me about an hour and a half to get to the Music Under New York busking spot at the…

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Worst Busking Day

When I arrived at the Music Under New York busking spot at the Times Square subway station, Agua Clara, the Andean band, were playing at the spot, with Graywolf selling CDs for them. “I’m inside now”, Graywolf told me. Graywolf has been homeless for some time now. He’s staying at 115th street and soon will…

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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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Introducing the Musical Saw to Kids

Last year I was filmed for ‘Meet Me at the Corner’ – a website for kids. The taping took place immediately after my lecture/demonstration about the musical saw at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts. In this video I was interviewed by a nice kid named Peter: (Please turn off the player on…

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Old Man in a Village in Jamaica

It was raining. On the platform of the 59th street subway station a trumpet player was playing “New York, New York”. There were some small puddles near the Music Under New York busking spot, but not too bad. This spot is known for having rain come down on it whenever it rains outside. Photographer: ©…

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Buskers Look Out for One Another

When I got to the Music Under New York busking spot at 14th street there was a homeless guy looking inside the garbage can. On the bench a man and a woman were displaying posters – probably religious. An older guy carrying a heavy load took the stairs and not the elevator. I often see…

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A Puppy, a Turtle & a Snake

There were no trains going to Manhattan when I arrived at the subway station. I had to take a train in the opposite direction and transfer to a Manhattan bound train at a different station. When I got to the Music Under New York busking spot at Union Square, Cathy Grier was playing electric guitar…

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Hypnotizing Victims

While waiting for the train on my way to my busking spot of the day, a lady told me she saw me at Times Square. “I heard this strange sound and I said to myself – this sounds like a musical saw”, she said. I told her Times Square is where I am heading to…

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You’re Gonna Cut Somebody With That?

At the Music Under New York busking spot at 59th street, Tantz from Brazil was sitting on the bench, playing acoustic classical guitar. When I showed up with the MUNY permit he said he would go play on the platform downstairs. As I was setting up to play a guy looked in the garbage can…

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