Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Make a sidewalk musician map

Now that the weather's warmer, I'm back singing and playing guitar on the sidewalks again. Something about playing on the street steels up the nerves. You have to play louder and get over yourself. Your street banter and improv with perfect strangers improves. You play more for the moment and let the street sounds, and the people walking by dictate the set list.

Any sidewalk players in your city? Ask your families if they know where any sidewalk players play. Then take a map and circle all the locations they mention. Add little interesting facts. For instance, one sidewalk sax player in downtown Raleigh, NC, named Freddy carried a jar full of dirt from John Coltrane's old home place. Make copies and give the maps to families.

No sidewalk players in your city? Be one.

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