Hello Readers,
Someone once told me to avoid wearing headphones while walking the streets of New York because it is in these moments when we stay mindful and aware of our surroundings, we can discover subtle symphonies and gather inspiration. Since hearing that, I no longer curse myself whenever I forget my ancient iPod while rushing out of my apartment.
Music and other forms of art are everywhere in this city, from the subways to the parks, you just have to listen. People walk through the same footsteps and routines everyday and often drift by buskers and performers thinking that their only motivation is to earn a quick dollar. I can assure you from my own personal experience of being a musician who has transformed the subway platform into my stage that there is much more to this. In fact, there’s no better compliment than having a genuine “New Yorker” who is always on the move, to pause and take a moment out of their day to listen to your art. Sure, a dollar here and there is nice, but grasping someone’s attention in today’s day and age is priceless.
From the busker’s viewpoint, its surprising just how tuned out people are to their surroundings. I watch hundreds of people walk by while I strain my vocal chords and its like I’m a howling ghost. Half the people who stop to listen to me consist of children dragging their parents by the hands (because their admiration of entertainment isn’t hindered by the stresses of today’s society yet) and tourists who are more interested in my accent than the music. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate an audience of all shapes and sizes, but then there are those few lovely souls that come along and hear my finger’s plucking the strings of my guitar and stop. They stand, listen for a few songs, and in that moment I can see that I am their escape. I’m their escape from their troubles. From the screaming toddler with the neglectful parent they had to sit next to on the train that day, the audition they just blew or maybe the claustrophobia they are beginning to feel being trapped within their own routine. Those people dig deep into their pockets to drop a couple of coins into my guitar case as a silent way of saying “Thank You” and I nod my head back at them. Not only for their generosity, but because it is their attention that gives my artistic expression purpose.
So what I’m trying to advocate to you is to take out your headphones and listen to the street. The performers will feel fulfilled, and you will be moved. Don’t feel like the only way to go to a concert is to spend $150 at Madison Square Garden. You’ll need a magnifying glass to see the stage anyway. Instead, spend a day underground, explore this concrete labyrinth we all inhabit and I promise your senses will ignite. I’ve performed in well-known venues throughout this city, from Sidewalk Cafe to Webster Hall, and I can say that if Washington Square Park and the 1st Avenue subway station are the generic brand version of music venues, I’ll take the discount. There is no better stage than the one you make yourself. There is no better audience than the ones that didn’t plan on seeing a show that day. There is an intimacy in street performances and it is driven by the passion of these artists to be heard. Use our passion as the soundtrack of your commute.
Take Out Your Headphones (A Villanelle)
Take out your headphones and listen to the street
Siren, beep, suits, speak, hipsters, shout. Human species.
Shake hands with every graffiti artist you meet
Thank them for their risks, shuffle soles on concrete
Let strangers passing words offer you relief
Take out your headphones and listen to the street
Spend a day underground to bless your senses with a treat
Subway strums overflow and magic murals grow like trees
Shake hands with every graffiti artist you meet
It’s their masterpiece that will drag you by the feet
Through urban alleys, winter slush and autumn’s crispy leaves
Take out your headphones and listen to the street
Hear the bucket drummer strike. Take a step to his beat.
Drop a dollar in his hat for the concert with no fees
Shake hands with every graffiti artist you meet
They could be Picasso but they hide in a fleet
They own the chords and the lyrics but may never own the keys
So take out your headphones and listen to the street
and shake hands with every graffiti artist you meet
Live, Love, Learn,