Photos

'Ello.

Something lovely about music on the streets...you can ignore it or sit and stare until the music stops. There are no artificial trappings in place to make one, bored with the goings on, stay and listen...as well as that bit, there tend to be fewer people to interupt the intimate exposure to someone elses musings. You can hear beauty or pain...noise, whispers, shouts, insanity...all presented in the anonymous setting of the city streets. Listening because you understand separates your ears from those posing as a master of appreciation in all things musical (only because someone told the master who to appreciate). Come and go...music exists whether you like it or not...
This day I was seated in a corner...an old asian woman circled...a young man in ball cap and Capitals jersey stood just behind...and hundreds passed inches away. One old man tried to coax his granddaghter into giving the sax player a little money. When the grandaughter shyly refused he approached and threw a coin into the gaping case...As the man intently stared into the eyes of the musician, he slowly spoke..."that sounds good." After a few seconds of staring and waiting for a response, the player looked up unmoved and said..."thanks."

As the old man walked away, the sax player turned to me and said..."yeah, good enough for a quarter."

Chris


Printed on Ilford warmtone paper.