Greetings from the District of Columbia! This is a very exciting weekend here, of course, because it is MLK day and the Inauguration! I came down here for festivities, to visit my brother, and also sort of to busk. We've been busy with the first two activities, but Flaca and I took to the streets this afternoon. [Additionally, I needed something to do while the boys were watching football.]
Sunday, January 20, 2013:
I was planning on avoiding the whole Mall area since I didn't think I'd be allowed to play, or there would be competition, or something. Staying local, I set up for the first time in Dupont Circle, since it's not far from where my brother lives. There is a big fountain (not running in January) surrounded by benches and grass. It's a very nice place to soak up the sun, which was ample today, and there were lots of people out.
The busking was pretty slow, since most of the people in the vicinity were unchanging, but the sun felt nice and I was going to stick it out. But then a "flash mob" began. They called themselves a flash mob, but it was really a prayer circle, focusing on Native American rights. I decided to give them their space and try closer to the Mall. It would be worth it if it worked out, since 1,000,000 people were estimated to be coming into the city this weekend.
And so I hopped on the Metro, whacking people in the kneecaps with my box, as I do best, and popped out on the Mall. It was just as zooey as I expected! It was immediately clear that I couldn't set up on the Mall itself because it was dusty and windy and there was dust flying through the air. Bad for eyes, bad for lungs, really bad for accordions. So I followed the crowds, imagining a wide pedestrian road that might or might not exist in front of the White House. My crowd-following took me on the path that circles the Washington Monument (or "momuwent," as my toddler brother famously called it), and I decided to just stop there. It was level enough, away from where the fuzz might nab me, and there was certainly foot traffic.
This was by far the best of the three locations. I got off to a rough start because a crowd formed as I was setting up, but Flaca wasn't working. She was just off-kilter, facing me, and not dancing. Her arm stayed permanently out, and I couldn't figure out how to fix it under pressure. I blamed it on the merciless wind. Once the initial crowd left I noticed that she was strung up wrong, that one string was stuck, so it was easy to fix. The gusts of wind did continue to pick her up, but it was nothing irreversible. Additionally, I had to be adamant about weighing bills down with Flaca's stagelights lest the wind take them away. Folks were surprisingly disciplined about pinning down both their bills and the people's before them. I was happy when a handful of coins joined the pot to add extra weight. Such things as dried grass, leaves, and trash also blew into the box.
The playing was great. I could feel the sun, people were stopping, people were commenting, people were tipping, people were dancing. There were adorable children everywhere. People moved quickly, though, so I could play The Final Countdown as much as I wanted. The Washington Monument was behind me. I ran into a couple Clarkies. Some men in uniform (the nature unclear) came by and didn't ask me to stop. In fact, one took a photo.
The people-watching was stellar on this particular afternoon. I must say, the demographics in DC during the Inauguration are much different than you'll ever find in Northampton or, like, Scotland. People of every age, race, sex, height, etc. etc. etc. (except political party, probably) were parading by me. I've done very little real American busking!
This is as good a time as any for today's numbered list of anecdotes (from all three spots). There are very few, because I didn't write them down as they came in and I've forgotten them:
1. The first little girl who stopped was named Sophie! She was reluctant to leave, but finally went with her parents. A minute later I saw her walking back towards me, then saw her retreat again, kicking, in her father's arms. Nice to have a fan!
2. Someone walked by me and said, very matter-of-factly, "She is playing an instrument."
3. Two ladies and a little girl hung around while I unpacked the second time, and they commented on my skirt. One of the ladies declared that it's an African design. It's probably just a reprint, but the print itself is African. She gave me a name for it. Piano print is African? I'll take it!
4. I talked to some ladies about the temperature, and referred to being from somewhere North. One asked where from, and I said Massachusetts, specifying that I was from a small town in Western MA. She said that her brother lives in Massachusetts too, but in Amherst. Whoa! She said that he's a performer too, and his act didn't work in Tampa, where they're from, so he sought a more creative/liberal pocket. The brother in question's name is Norman B., and his act is called "Deviations from the Norm." Does anyone know him?
5. One little girl took a look at Flaca and asked, "Is she Michelle Obama?" Awesome. I've gotten Whoopie Goldberg and Aunt Jemima before, but never has my dark-skinned puppet been mistaken for the nation's first lady. "Yes," I responded.
I had to stop when I no longer had the airspace to myself. I had inadvertently set up across from one of the areas with big screens and speakers for the Inauguration tomorrow, and they began to test the speakers. I assume they were testing, that is, and not just intentionally drowning me out. I was definitely mad at first, but the sound coming out was indeed skipping, and since I'll be a spectator tomorrow I decided to be at peace with working out the problems. It was a shame, though, since it was going really well in that spot.
Not accepting defeat, I continued to follow the crowds, this time going towards the Lincoln Memorial. It was sufficiently mobbed, and I decided to completely reverse my initial declaration to not play right at the tourist spots. There was, however, a marching band standing on the steps, posing for photos. I didn't want to take the time setting up if they were going to play, but luckily the instrument case guarder informed me that they would be playing tomorrow. Today was just posing. So I set up for a third time.
I didn't play for a long time here, but it was really nice. It was amazing to do my thing while watching the sun set over the reflecting pool, with the majestic monument and capitol building straight ahead. Occasionally I turned around to pay my respects to Lincoln behind me. What a city.
It got dark really fast, and it got coooold. I didn't pack my full artillery of thermals, since I was going South, but I could have used at least my gloves. With the sun went the tourists as well, so it was time to go home.
Two men commented on my box on the Metro home, giving the classic answers I've come to expect:
Man 1: "That's a cool box! What's in it?"
Me: "Do you have a guess?"
Man 2: "A dog! Or a cat!"
Man 1: "Something musical."
Me: "That's right! It's an accordion."
Man 2: "I used to play the accordion!"
Man 1: "He used to play the accordion!"
Man 2: "A hundred years ago."
And now I am back, watching some young men be sad about some sports event? We've got an exciting couple days ahead of us: watching the swearing in from the Mall tomorrow, then attending the Staff Ball Tuesday night. Rumour has it that Lady Gaga will be there...I'd love the opportunity to tell her just how much money she's made me over the years. Reckon she'll call the copyright police on me? Catch you next week, after the normal Saturday Northampton busk!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Liberty Bellows
Hello, 2013! If you ignore the month of September, the past two Saturdays have been my first "normal" busking since last March. Seriously: April and May I was on the road; June, July, and August were summer; [September]; October and November were on the road; and December was seasonal. So it's been a while since my busking surroundings are normal and familiar.
This post is about the last two Saturdays, spent both busking in Northampton and playing at the Farmers' Market in Amherst.
Saturday, January 5, 2013, Part I:
The first stop of the day was at the Winter Farmers' Market at the Amherst Middle School, my alma mater. I had been booked as the first musical act of the day, and I was planning to just play accordion. My repertoire with Flaca is much smaller, my goal was to entertain people at various distances and levels of visibility, and I wanted to save Flaca for busking in the afternoon. I did one run-through of my whole set list, and it was great to do my old songs. I miss them all! One vendor told me that he and his co-vendor recognized a lot and tried to place them, sometimes successfully, sometimes not.
For my second set, a bunch of kids had arrived and they crowded around. I had brought my collection of percussion instruments and I handed them out, like I used to do at the markets in Edinburgh. It soon got loud though, so I had to collect them back. Flaca was just sitting there, and one little girl asked what she was for. I said, "She just sits there and makes sure things are going smoothly." "What does she do if they're not?" she asked. I was stumped. "Well...we don't usually have any trouble." I let one little girl play with Flaca, like we used to do, but immediately became nervous about her breaking. I said she needed a rest and took her back.
But after a bit, I decided to just give the kids what they want and do the Flaca routine. I turned over the box and set her up while more children came over and sat down to watch. This was good, and I ended up with quite a crowd. The one little girl who talked the most asked me a ton of questions while I was playing that I couldn't quite keep up with. At one point she asked, "Does she know you're doing it?" Another tricky one. Here's a photo someone emailed me:
Flaca also worked really well because, for once, I was on a level surface. Additionally, due to the slipperiness of the linoleum floor, I could easily pivot my left foot to operate Flaca's right hand rather than having to lift it off the ground.
A couple other tidbits from the market:
1. "'Paint it Black' always sounded like a gypsy song to me!" Right on.
2. "I'd take out a student loan for you anytime!" (Said by a Leverett-residing man who also did the disco dance during "Stayin' Alive")
3. "I have the same thing but with a dinosaur," a guy said, with a wink.
I really enjoyed playing here and running into lots of people I know. The captive audience of children was nice too, since I'm getting more and more used to playing for crazy adults. Additionally, vendors tipped me in apples, spinach, and a quiche. Mmm.
I'll be back there on February 16th; see you then!
Part II: Northampton
After the market I headed into Northampton for my first post-holiday busk. I got my favorite spot, but the snow banks were out of control so I had to move way down. I didn't take great notes and I waited quite a while, so I don't have much to report.
1. A recognizable man talked to a group of people as I chose my spot and began to unpack. I heard him ask the people, "Have you seen this act?" Made me happy.
2. There was one funny instance that brought the whole community together: I had a little crowd, and one man asked some other folks if you can park for free with a handicapped sticker on Saturdays. I got the impression that it would be a quick thing, so I piped up and mentioned that I could stall the parking enforcement guy, who I've gotten to know. The homeless guy nearby piped up as well, confirming that he could park for free. Someone commented "Everybody's helping!" :)
There's excitement on the horizon for Flaca. I had plans to fiddle with her to make her system work better, but now it's moving forward. I've made a new friend in town who's really good at little inventions such as this, and we've discussed possible options for Flaca. One seems promising, in which her arms and legs move separately, or together. Looking forward to a big work day soon to get her dancing properly.
Moving on...
Saturday, January 12, 2013
The following Saturday I set out as well, since that's what I do. It was quite balmy for January, but weirdly misty. Here's what we have:
1. A lady walked by and yelled either "Best show on the street!" or "Shut down the street!" She was smiling, so I'll take it as the former.
2. This older lady stopped by, as she often does. She had funny questions when I was an elf, which is how I got to know her. She asked me to play something she could sing, so I suggested "Fly Me to the Moon." She said she didn't know it, and proposed "You Are My Sunshine" instead. I've been getting a lot of requests for it, so I know it pretty well now. We sang, and it was very lovely. A photographer was hanging around getting good photos, which he says he'll send me. There's one very nice one coming with this woman, who I think is named Lucy.
3. I talked to a woman who has a 48-bass and wondered how I play minors. I explained, and she told me her accordion is from a shop in Philadelphia called "Liberty Bellows." Clever! She said they have "great boxes." I'll have to check it out!
4. One woman stopped to talk, and asked me some questions. It turns out she is a local journalist. She took a card and said she might want to come talk to me more. I would love that, of course. On New Year's Eve a photographer from the Gazette took my photo but didn't print it, possibly because I admitted to not being part of the official First Night line-up. I scanned my answers to this woman, hoping to not have repeated something like that. She had asked me if I only play in Northampton and I said no, but hopefully she's still interested. Exciting.
5. A guy stopped by and asked, "What's the name of your band?" Hmm, tricky question. Sophie's Smokin' Squeezebox? KAIHO? I expressed my confusion, and he mentioned a show at the Iron Horse recently. Nope, not me. Apparently there's another female accordion player in town who sorta looks like me.
6. One thing I witness quite often is people trying to get into the bank to use the ATM, finding it locked, haphazardly looking around for the slot to swipe a card, not finding it, and leaving. Sometimes I'll yell after them "It's right there!!!" and sometimes I won't. One young woman was standing outside the bank when there was a strange interaction regarding the card-swiping thing. I caught her eye after and she smiled and said, "Well that was awkward." I must say, I love my role as "public witness."
7. I goofed around with some local youths at First Night regarding calling their friend Jose Reyes. A couple teenage boys walked by and recognized me. One finished the story from that night and said, "We called Jose Reyes that night!" Nice.
8. It's funny, people often refer to Flaca as "him." Even if you can't see her long braids, it's pretty clear that she's wearing a skirt/generally girly outfit. Hmm.
9. Here's one from NYE that I forgot: a man walked by and said, "Where's your monkey?" I had gotten used to people commenting that I was no longer an elf, so I thought this was a similar statement, that this man had thought Flaca wasn't with me that night. So I said, "She's right there, she just changed clothes!" and he politely nodded. I had forgotten that "Where's your monkey?" is a question I've gotten many times, just because I play accordion. This guy was clearly seeing us for the first time and just saw the accordion, so he made that joke. Oh well.
10. When it's slow, I like to play my non-Flaca songs to make sure I remember them. When it's getting dark, I like to play slow songs. So at a slow, dark moment, I whipped out "Laura's Theme" from Twin Peaks; the one I don't play as often. However, two young women stopped to watch. This is in no way a dance song, but I tried to make it as entertaining as possible rather than switching to a song Flaca's used to. It failed, so I melded it into something upbeat, but it was a good challenge.
The end! There's a lot of excitement coming up: I'm heading to DC tomorrow for the Inauguration, and I hope to get some busking in. I'm booked at the Farmer's Market Feb. 16th, and of course I'll be out for Valentine's Day. But most exciting of all is that I was asked to play in the Really Big Show. Northampton has a "Four Sundays in February" show series. I've only ever seen the Silver Chord [A Cappella] Bowl, but I have heard great things about the Vaudeville-esque Really Big Show. Well, an amazing family friend suggested me to Bob Cilman who's in charge, and he asked me to play. I told him that the marionette is hard to see from afar, so he suggested we have a camera and project her on a big screen behind me. Wow! So now I'm extra motivated to get Flaca's movements more interesting by then (February 24th).
Sorry for all the typos in this post; I'm doing it quickly so I can watch Downton Abbey and go to bed early to catch my 7:00 AM train!
Love,
S
This post is about the last two Saturdays, spent both busking in Northampton and playing at the Farmers' Market in Amherst.
Saturday, January 5, 2013, Part I:
The first stop of the day was at the Winter Farmers' Market at the Amherst Middle School, my alma mater. I had been booked as the first musical act of the day, and I was planning to just play accordion. My repertoire with Flaca is much smaller, my goal was to entertain people at various distances and levels of visibility, and I wanted to save Flaca for busking in the afternoon. I did one run-through of my whole set list, and it was great to do my old songs. I miss them all! One vendor told me that he and his co-vendor recognized a lot and tried to place them, sometimes successfully, sometimes not.
For my second set, a bunch of kids had arrived and they crowded around. I had brought my collection of percussion instruments and I handed them out, like I used to do at the markets in Edinburgh. It soon got loud though, so I had to collect them back. Flaca was just sitting there, and one little girl asked what she was for. I said, "She just sits there and makes sure things are going smoothly." "What does she do if they're not?" she asked. I was stumped. "Well...we don't usually have any trouble." I let one little girl play with Flaca, like we used to do, but immediately became nervous about her breaking. I said she needed a rest and took her back.
But after a bit, I decided to just give the kids what they want and do the Flaca routine. I turned over the box and set her up while more children came over and sat down to watch. This was good, and I ended up with quite a crowd. The one little girl who talked the most asked me a ton of questions while I was playing that I couldn't quite keep up with. At one point she asked, "Does she know you're doing it?" Another tricky one. Here's a photo someone emailed me:
Flaca also worked really well because, for once, I was on a level surface. Additionally, due to the slipperiness of the linoleum floor, I could easily pivot my left foot to operate Flaca's right hand rather than having to lift it off the ground.
A couple other tidbits from the market:
1. "'Paint it Black' always sounded like a gypsy song to me!" Right on.
2. "I'd take out a student loan for you anytime!" (Said by a Leverett-residing man who also did the disco dance during "Stayin' Alive")
3. "I have the same thing but with a dinosaur," a guy said, with a wink.
I really enjoyed playing here and running into lots of people I know. The captive audience of children was nice too, since I'm getting more and more used to playing for crazy adults. Additionally, vendors tipped me in apples, spinach, and a quiche. Mmm.
I'll be back there on February 16th; see you then!
Part II: Northampton
After the market I headed into Northampton for my first post-holiday busk. I got my favorite spot, but the snow banks were out of control so I had to move way down. I didn't take great notes and I waited quite a while, so I don't have much to report.
1. A recognizable man talked to a group of people as I chose my spot and began to unpack. I heard him ask the people, "Have you seen this act?" Made me happy.
2. There was one funny instance that brought the whole community together: I had a little crowd, and one man asked some other folks if you can park for free with a handicapped sticker on Saturdays. I got the impression that it would be a quick thing, so I piped up and mentioned that I could stall the parking enforcement guy, who I've gotten to know. The homeless guy nearby piped up as well, confirming that he could park for free. Someone commented "Everybody's helping!" :)
There's excitement on the horizon for Flaca. I had plans to fiddle with her to make her system work better, but now it's moving forward. I've made a new friend in town who's really good at little inventions such as this, and we've discussed possible options for Flaca. One seems promising, in which her arms and legs move separately, or together. Looking forward to a big work day soon to get her dancing properly.
Moving on...
Saturday, January 12, 2013
The following Saturday I set out as well, since that's what I do. It was quite balmy for January, but weirdly misty. Here's what we have:
1. A lady walked by and yelled either "Best show on the street!" or "Shut down the street!" She was smiling, so I'll take it as the former.
2. This older lady stopped by, as she often does. She had funny questions when I was an elf, which is how I got to know her. She asked me to play something she could sing, so I suggested "Fly Me to the Moon." She said she didn't know it, and proposed "You Are My Sunshine" instead. I've been getting a lot of requests for it, so I know it pretty well now. We sang, and it was very lovely. A photographer was hanging around getting good photos, which he says he'll send me. There's one very nice one coming with this woman, who I think is named Lucy.
3. I talked to a woman who has a 48-bass and wondered how I play minors. I explained, and she told me her accordion is from a shop in Philadelphia called "Liberty Bellows." Clever! She said they have "great boxes." I'll have to check it out!
4. One woman stopped to talk, and asked me some questions. It turns out she is a local journalist. She took a card and said she might want to come talk to me more. I would love that, of course. On New Year's Eve a photographer from the Gazette took my photo but didn't print it, possibly because I admitted to not being part of the official First Night line-up. I scanned my answers to this woman, hoping to not have repeated something like that. She had asked me if I only play in Northampton and I said no, but hopefully she's still interested. Exciting.
5. A guy stopped by and asked, "What's the name of your band?" Hmm, tricky question. Sophie's Smokin' Squeezebox? KAIHO? I expressed my confusion, and he mentioned a show at the Iron Horse recently. Nope, not me. Apparently there's another female accordion player in town who sorta looks like me.
6. One thing I witness quite often is people trying to get into the bank to use the ATM, finding it locked, haphazardly looking around for the slot to swipe a card, not finding it, and leaving. Sometimes I'll yell after them "It's right there!!!" and sometimes I won't. One young woman was standing outside the bank when there was a strange interaction regarding the card-swiping thing. I caught her eye after and she smiled and said, "Well that was awkward." I must say, I love my role as "public witness."
7. I goofed around with some local youths at First Night regarding calling their friend Jose Reyes. A couple teenage boys walked by and recognized me. One finished the story from that night and said, "We called Jose Reyes that night!" Nice.
8. It's funny, people often refer to Flaca as "him." Even if you can't see her long braids, it's pretty clear that she's wearing a skirt/generally girly outfit. Hmm.
9. Here's one from NYE that I forgot: a man walked by and said, "Where's your monkey?" I had gotten used to people commenting that I was no longer an elf, so I thought this was a similar statement, that this man had thought Flaca wasn't with me that night. So I said, "She's right there, she just changed clothes!" and he politely nodded. I had forgotten that "Where's your monkey?" is a question I've gotten many times, just because I play accordion. This guy was clearly seeing us for the first time and just saw the accordion, so he made that joke. Oh well.
10. When it's slow, I like to play my non-Flaca songs to make sure I remember them. When it's getting dark, I like to play slow songs. So at a slow, dark moment, I whipped out "Laura's Theme" from Twin Peaks; the one I don't play as often. However, two young women stopped to watch. This is in no way a dance song, but I tried to make it as entertaining as possible rather than switching to a song Flaca's used to. It failed, so I melded it into something upbeat, but it was a good challenge.
The end! There's a lot of excitement coming up: I'm heading to DC tomorrow for the Inauguration, and I hope to get some busking in. I'm booked at the Farmer's Market Feb. 16th, and of course I'll be out for Valentine's Day. But most exciting of all is that I was asked to play in the Really Big Show. Northampton has a "Four Sundays in February" show series. I've only ever seen the Silver Chord [A Cappella] Bowl, but I have heard great things about the Vaudeville-esque Really Big Show. Well, an amazing family friend suggested me to Bob Cilman who's in charge, and he asked me to play. I told him that the marionette is hard to see from afar, so he suggested we have a camera and project her on a big screen behind me. Wow! So now I'm extra motivated to get Flaca's movements more interesting by then (February 24th).
Sorry for all the typos in this post; I'm doing it quickly so I can watch Downton Abbey and go to bed early to catch my 7:00 AM train!
Love,
S
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Flaca's Festive First Night
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Monday morning I bundled up, packed a dinner, grabbed a roll of duct tape for emergencies, and went to Northampton to play my third First Night. New Year's Eve is undoubtedly my biggest day of busking of the year, especially since a city like Northampton offers ample foot traffic due to the awesome celebration they put on. Although it was cold, I was lucky that it was dry.
The day began with a wardrobe conundrum leaving me split as to what to wear. Flaca is back to her usual outfit, so it made sense for me to wear the usual outfit (piano dress, purple sweater) as well. However, my blue sparkly sequined dress from the previous year was calling to me. I ended up sticking to the piano dress, but updated the "2012" crown from last year to make the ensemble a bit more festive.
I set up earlier than I had in past years because I really wanted the pitch outside Faces. That area was indeed open when I arrived, but I couldn't use my exact favorite spot due to the snow banks that materialized since my last outing. I had to set up directly across from the entrance, next to the big trash bin which I kept hitting, but there I stayed for the next eight hours. I planned to concede the pitch after a few hours if someone wanted it, but no one did. I saw several buskers take turns with the Thornes spot, but mine went unrequested.
The eight hours went by surprisingly fast. It made a huge difference to be standing on my preferred shoes, rather than my elf shoes, so the usual injuries didn't come up. New ones did though, mainly foot cramps. My toes got cold early on, but there was nothing I could do about that. Although it was generally cold, the rest of me wasn't really afflicted. I wore my full gloves, with hand warmers, and three hot drinks helped. My accordion was fine too, although I had a scare when one note stuck. It turns out the entire button had stuck, so that was no problem, luckily. I took Old Steve's suggestion and stood on cardboard, which helped both with padding and temperature.
I noticed that every once in a while there would suddenly be a ton more people on the street. Finally I looked at the the First Night schedule, which demonstrated the 15-minute intervals between show slots; the "passing periods." Hopefully I will remember this for next year so I can take it easy during the shows and play hard while folks are switching shows.
The fireworks also provided a nice break during which I used the facilities, ate my dinner, and stretched. I ran into a super friendly family from Amherst that watched my gear while I ran off. After that only 2.5 hours remained. It was almost too easy!
This year's interactions were a little less nuts than in past years, but passersby still kept me entertained all evening, giving me tips that included a red rose, some earrings, mints, a doughnut, hot drinks, a Brian (Family Guy) stuffed keychain, beer, invitations to play music, etc. Here are the specifics:
Monday, December 31, 2012:
(Favorites in Blue)
1. The evening began with a sad interaction. An old man smoking a pipe came by and talked a bit. He must have been feeling down and wanted someone to talk to, because he told me out of the blue that his brother died a few years ago. As he described his brother, he began to cry and tell me how much he misses him. Heavy! Poor guy.
2. During an early playing of "Paint it Black," a middle-aged man noticed it. He said, "You've got the right demographic for that song!" and suggested that I chose to play it because I saw a middle-aged man. I hadn't THAT time. I liked this guy, and we talked more. He lives in Syracuse and had never heard of Northampton. He and his wife happened upon it recently, and when the wife asked him where he wanted to go for his birthday, his answer was Northampton. Wait, birthday? Yes, this fellow is a New Year's Eve baby. He rejected my offer to play Happy Birthday and make a scene, preferring to keep the secondary celebration on the down low. Just a genuinely nice interaction!
3. A man stopped by and asked if that was a button box. I said it was, but then he announced that it was half a button box and half a piano accordion. Does button box just refer to button-accordions? He said he used to play, and asked if I know any Prince songs. Damn, another hole in my repertoire.
4. As I was starting to notice the cold, a man handed me a hot cider that he had gotten for free in Thornes. Score! As we know, I'm off caffeine and the hot beverage most often given to me is coffee, so this was extra special. He jested about my instrument, mentioning the classic, "Welcome to Heaven, here's your harp. Welcome to Hell, here's your accordion" joke. All in good fun.
5. Within earshot was the Parking Enforcement man with whom I often share friendly banter. After the joke-telling man went away, this man piped up saying that he doesn't like jokes that make fun of musicians, citing a few drummer ones. Furthermore, he kindly admitted that he has enjoyed watching me play over the past month. I thanked him and told him that he has really changed my opinion of parking enforcement people. He replied, "Well you've changed my opinion of accordion players." Awww! Sorry, super cheesy. We're like Frog and Toad up in here.
This reminded me once again that my favorite parts of busking/my future memoirs are the regular interactions with people holding standard jobs in whatever location I'm in, like the "These are the People in my Neighborhood" jobs. The construction workers in Edinburgh, the Naked Boys Singing in Provincetown, the Mariachi musicians in San Francisco (okay, those are bad examples of regular jobs, but you get the idea): these are the people that make my job feel like a job, and like a job I like. Yeah.
6. He, as well as many other "regulars," commented on our "new clothes." I had forgotten that, with the exception of one day in 2011, Northampton had never seen my piano dress, and certainly never Flaca's. They know me as an elf! I explained that those are our regular uniforms, but people asked what other costumes we have anyway. I definitely need to get cracking on more costumes!
7. My next guest was none other than Jerry Roberts, photographer for the Daily Hampshire Gazette! Always swarmed by paparazzi, am I right? He asked if he could take photos, so I used the reflective window of Faces to fix my hair before smiling incredibly naturally and playing. It seemed to be my 2013 crown that drew him in, since Flaca didn't make the photos. I practiced my humility, expecting to see my image on the front of the paper the next day, but alas some dumb fireworks photo took my spot. Yeah, as if people need to know what fireworks look like. It was nice anyway, though, since my first year during First Night I made it onto Channel 22 News (butchering Auld Lang Syne) so now I crave media attention of any sort on this holiday.
8. One woman commented that the puppet setup must be the only one in the world, which got me thinking. Surely there are other foot-activated puppets in the world, but none exactly like Flaca. That's why I have to rewire her to do weird stuff so she can be super unique.
9. A woman stopped and asked, "Excuse me, did you see someone over here making a big deal about having lost their wallet?" Haha, no, I hadn't. But that's exactly the kind of thing I would witness, and I loved that the woman realized the resource that I am.
10. I accidentally set up right in the trajectory of the neon green dot lights from Faces, which rewarded me some undeserved credit. At one point a man and his dog came by, and the dog started pawing at the lights. The man said, "I chase the stars too when I've drunk too much!" Ha.
11. My loans sign got a lot of attention. I received one compliment for the pun ("Playing back student loans,") and several inquisitions about my field of study. Only two asked if I was analyzing them after I told them!
12. Later on in the evening there was a group of drunk adults wearing decorative hats. They stopped to listen and dance along. They did the wave, and tried to get passersby to join them. Somehow we got on the subject of the Mexican Hat Dance which I attempted to play as they danced accordingly. This group was quite festive, of course, but also tough to convince that busking is a good thing. They bombarded me with suggestions about getting a job and going back to school and being a professional, and didn't believe me that I can do okay busking. They weren't convinced. Well, can't win 'em all.
13. I also had a higher number than usual of people who think I'm homeless. A handful of people came up and told me that they used to be in my shoes, and that I've gotta hang in there, etc. etc. Hey, kind words. I really am quite lucky that I get to choose to do this.
14. One lady saw my loan sign and suggested I check out "Strike Debt." Will do.
15. Brace yourself, this one seriously rearranged my list of favorite busking moments:
The stars of this anecdote are four preteen boys. The first nice thing is that one of them recognized the Rolling Stones. Awesome. Another one asked if I know any pop songs. I sort of said no, since I haven't really made an effort to learn pop songs since 2010, and my Lady Gaga medley is a little outdated. They agreed that they wanted to hear "Bad Romance" anyway, so I played and they halfheartedly sang and bopped around. But then I remembered that I do have more current songs, and I launched into the beginning of "Call Me Maybe."
They sang the melody so beautifully and sweetly, surprisingly in tune, in their pure voices, like a choir of angels. I cut out the melody and just played the chords and "stabs," letting them take over, and they rose to the occasion. The same followed with "Dynamite," "We Are Young," "Friday," and "Poker Face." This made me just so joyful, and the people on the streets got a kick out of it as well. Normally I don't like quitting my normal stuff and sacrificing tips to let others participate, but these kids were just so wonderful. This is why I love the Valley, that parents raise kids with social skills who are willing to talk to buskers, who aren't embarrassed to sing, who know the Rolling Stones, who have good manners, and just aren't little shits, in general. I honestly hope we can repeat this next year, and I'll make sure to keep up with pop music. <3
16. A lady tossed a handful of coins into my box, and accidentally flung her mitten in there too and had to go retrieve it. Amused me.
16.5. Songs: I naturally played "Auld Lang Syne," and did a better job on it than in past years where I completely butchered it. It's such a pretty tune. I also went heavy on "The Final Countdown" due to the holiday, and I got specific tips for it. One man sang along to the Godfather theme. One man ran in slow motion to "Chariots of Fire." During "Ça Gaze," one person asked if it was a "Hamba" or something, a type of dance. Maybe it is!
17. A man told me a looooong, incredibly boring story. He began it with, "Accordion....not as tough as saxophone!" He has an old friend who plays saxophone and who helped him out one night during a storm. This man proceeded to tell a very detailed version of the story of that time he hitchhiked through Vermont during a blizzard in the sixties. I suppose the story was okay, but he spoke verrrrry slowly and there were so many people going by for whom I could have been playing. He had told this story before, so he knew how to drag it out: "So I knocked on the door of the motel. Knock knock knock! There was no answer, so I knocked again. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!" I'm not kidding. He also described how incredibly cold it was in that story's setting which wasn't what I wanted to hear when I, too, was incredibly cold already. I felt bad asking him to stop telling it, so I tried to at least take advantage of it to drink water and stretch and organize things while saying "uh-huh" and "Oh my God!" ........."And that was Ed, who played the saxophone!" Damn. Too bad I couldn't give him a bill for the amount of money I would have made in tips during his story.
17.5. A lady stopped to talk, and asked if I had made Flaca. I gave her the spiel, explaining that I hadn't, but that I've helped her evolve, such as attaching new movable legs. This woman works with "opposable figures" or something, and suggested we be in touch. This is great, because I might be building a new puppet that can move just how I need her to, and an expert would help considerably. We will be in touch.
18. I saw the Coyote Choir! They are a [former?] Northampton band who busks, consisting of two guys who I've always been quite fond of. Tim plays accordion and Paul plays guitar and sings. I hadn't seen them in a year, and they haven't been out playing so it was nice to see them. Tim came by first, then eventually set up to busk on his own across the street. He has a really awesome old accordion that sounded beautiful from across the street.
Paul came by as I was putting the lights on. Unfortunately, I saw that the fairy lights were broken. Somehow the cable had been pulled out of the thing, and you could see the copper wires hanging out. I showed Paul, and he said he could fix it. I gave him my roll of emergency duct tape I had packed just in case, and he came back a few minutes later with functional lights and a chai for me! What a guy!
19. A guy walked by and put a beer in my box. A really nice one, like a big BBC something. Awesome! I said, "That's the best tip I've received all night!" He said, "That's what you said last year too!" Right, someone did give me a beer last year! But that's not all...he commented that he liked the Twin Peaks theme. Finally!!! In stark contrast to all Europeans recognizing it, Americans haven't. I was happy to hear that, and we exchanged a few Twin Peaks quotes to seal the deal while his two friends looked on. Finally, he exclaimed, "Fuck this shit! Come get wasted with us!" Yeahhh! Fucking that shit and getting wasted with them wasn't really in the cards, but it was great to have an enthusiastic invitation. And next special occasion I'll break into the fancy beer.
20. I love teenagers. I loved being a camp counselor to teenagers (some of whom I ran into!), and I love talking to them in the streets. They are just so funny. I mentioned the singing ones, but there were two other groups of teenagers worth noting. The first lingered near me and one member announced, "We should call José Reyes!" Since I was totally giddy and sleepy and silly, I had no choice but to holler back, "Yeah, you should totally call José Reyes!" Since these are awesome Valley youth, they got it, and engaged me in the discussion about why the young Sr. Reyes wasn't present and what we could do to get him out to enjoy the festivities. They went along their way, but came back later, updating me that José still wasn't out. WTF, José? Doesn't he know it's New Year's Eve?
Secondly, a group came by split into smaller groups by sex. There was some commotion from a young Zach towards a young Sophie, and the boys took off. I took my liberties in informing the three remaining girls that Zach totally likes Sophie. Again, they humored me, filling me in that Zach acts like he likes her, but then ignores her and teases her and stuff. I identified which one is Sophie, told her my name, and advised her to go make it happen. It's New Year's Eve! Her friends encouraged her accordingly, and they took off. A little later they walked by again, and informed me that Sophie was going to go make it happen. Yeah! I wish them everlasting happiness.
I liked the idea of being the sage accordion player, there on the streets to guide the youth of today through the perturbations of adolescence. Like a modern-day Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle or something. Had those three been up for talking a little longer, I would have just lain it all out there, lecturing them on the fact that high school boys are clueless, and that you can't wait for them to make a move. I'd cite my own life experiences, stating how I learned, in college, that you have to just make it happen if you want something to go anywhere. Hell, I'd even give her a list of my successful pick-up lines. But they're on top of it.
21. I pulled out the Indiana Jones theme again. I fiddled around with it in San Francisco but never added it to the rotation. I was digging deep for songs because I was so sick of every song I was playing, and decided to give this John Williams classic a go. Sure enough, one dad recognized it and liked it. I told him of the serendipity of the timing, since I never play it. Williams medley is top of the to-learn list.
21.5. Speaking of which, some kids came by with glowing light saber things, so I improvised the Star Wars theme too which they liked. Maybe this medley will be my first project of the new year!
22. I played "La Donna é Mobile" and a man took out his wallet and said, "You need a tenner!" Awesome, a ten-dollar bill was coming!! Nope, he had said, "tenor," and sang the first line of the aria to illustrate his statement. Ha.
23. A kid gave me a doughnut! But I was sugared out so I regifted it.
24. I got a nice hug from a 10-year-old. She is someone I knew as a three- and four-year-old at the first camp I worked at. I've seen her over the years, but I'm never entirely sure she knows who I am. Last time I saw her and her mom, I was surprised by how tall she was, and extended my arm to indicate her height. She thought the arm extension was meant to be a hug, so she politely hugged me. But this time right when we saw each other she came over for a hug! Yay!
25. Two people were out vending glow sticks and the like. One asked if she could buy my one-dollar bills, an exchange I was happy to complete. It's always nice meeting other people who are working NYE/taking advantage of celebrators.
26. I like to use baseball terminology for busking, and I thought of a new one: the seventh-hour stretch! I was sore everywhere around 8:00, but I was determined to play until 9:00. So I took everything off for a stretch session, and the wordplay came to me. Although this one won't come up much, since the marathon days are usually just for this time of year.
I packed up around 9:15, when shows were starting so fewer people would be out. Then it was time to put the accordion away and enjoy the rest of the night!
This year was great, in stark contrast with last year. On New Year's Eve 2012, I packed up and then had nothing to do. I just wandered around aimlessly, contemplating the lonely life of a busker. I could have spent the holiday in Boston celebrating with my college friends, but I didn't want to give up the night of work, so there I was, on my own, until I found people to hang out with.
New Year's Eve 2013, however, was different. I had multiple options of what to do! A few weeks ago I met a member of The Primate Fiasco, a local band, and he gave me a ticket to their New Year's Eve show. It turns out the aforementioned Paul's new band, And the Kids, were one of the opening acts, so I had to rush to get to the Hotel Northampton. No time to wander aimlessly! There was no chance of my seeing the first band, the Dire Honeys, which I later learned consists of people I know as well. Too bad.
And so I rang in the new year at the show, ignoring the fact that every muscle in my legs were seizing up as I danced the night away with new friends, missing the rising of the ball outside, but feeling great. This New Year's Eve's celebrations opened up opportunities for me, both musically and socially, and since I'll be here for several months, I really ought to make friends. I also felt like a celebrity since I kept my piano dress and crown on, and was recognized as the busker a few times.
I was also happy to observe that people were so friendly and happy! Being Northampton helps, and being New Year's Eve helps, but normally when I'm out late I don't love the vibe I get from other women (like slutty drunk ones). However, it was a party in the ladies' room, with everyone smiling and chatting and complimenting each other's outfits. I told everyone who would listen about the fun statistical number thing I noticed in which 2013 is the first year I've lived in with no repeating digits, and people were excited about that! I suppose everyone's happy because their either wrapping up an awesome year or putting away a shitty year, so there's cause for celebration no matter what. I really love this holiday.
Now, I am recovering and beginning my 2013 projects. Who knows what this year will bring! I hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday, and that the new year starts off nicely. And thanks to all who came to first night!
Love,
Sophie and Flaca
Monday morning I bundled up, packed a dinner, grabbed a roll of duct tape for emergencies, and went to Northampton to play my third First Night. New Year's Eve is undoubtedly my biggest day of busking of the year, especially since a city like Northampton offers ample foot traffic due to the awesome celebration they put on. Although it was cold, I was lucky that it was dry.
The day began with a wardrobe conundrum leaving me split as to what to wear. Flaca is back to her usual outfit, so it made sense for me to wear the usual outfit (piano dress, purple sweater) as well. However, my blue sparkly sequined dress from the previous year was calling to me. I ended up sticking to the piano dress, but updated the "2012" crown from last year to make the ensemble a bit more festive.
I set up earlier than I had in past years because I really wanted the pitch outside Faces. That area was indeed open when I arrived, but I couldn't use my exact favorite spot due to the snow banks that materialized since my last outing. I had to set up directly across from the entrance, next to the big trash bin which I kept hitting, but there I stayed for the next eight hours. I planned to concede the pitch after a few hours if someone wanted it, but no one did. I saw several buskers take turns with the Thornes spot, but mine went unrequested.
The eight hours went by surprisingly fast. It made a huge difference to be standing on my preferred shoes, rather than my elf shoes, so the usual injuries didn't come up. New ones did though, mainly foot cramps. My toes got cold early on, but there was nothing I could do about that. Although it was generally cold, the rest of me wasn't really afflicted. I wore my full gloves, with hand warmers, and three hot drinks helped. My accordion was fine too, although I had a scare when one note stuck. It turns out the entire button had stuck, so that was no problem, luckily. I took Old Steve's suggestion and stood on cardboard, which helped both with padding and temperature.
I noticed that every once in a while there would suddenly be a ton more people on the street. Finally I looked at the the First Night schedule, which demonstrated the 15-minute intervals between show slots; the "passing periods." Hopefully I will remember this for next year so I can take it easy during the shows and play hard while folks are switching shows.
The fireworks also provided a nice break during which I used the facilities, ate my dinner, and stretched. I ran into a super friendly family from Amherst that watched my gear while I ran off. After that only 2.5 hours remained. It was almost too easy!
This year's interactions were a little less nuts than in past years, but passersby still kept me entertained all evening, giving me tips that included a red rose, some earrings, mints, a doughnut, hot drinks, a Brian (Family Guy) stuffed keychain, beer, invitations to play music, etc. Here are the specifics:
Monday, December 31, 2012:
(Favorites in Blue)
1. The evening began with a sad interaction. An old man smoking a pipe came by and talked a bit. He must have been feeling down and wanted someone to talk to, because he told me out of the blue that his brother died a few years ago. As he described his brother, he began to cry and tell me how much he misses him. Heavy! Poor guy.
2. During an early playing of "Paint it Black," a middle-aged man noticed it. He said, "You've got the right demographic for that song!" and suggested that I chose to play it because I saw a middle-aged man. I hadn't THAT time. I liked this guy, and we talked more. He lives in Syracuse and had never heard of Northampton. He and his wife happened upon it recently, and when the wife asked him where he wanted to go for his birthday, his answer was Northampton. Wait, birthday? Yes, this fellow is a New Year's Eve baby. He rejected my offer to play Happy Birthday and make a scene, preferring to keep the secondary celebration on the down low. Just a genuinely nice interaction!
3. A man stopped by and asked if that was a button box. I said it was, but then he announced that it was half a button box and half a piano accordion. Does button box just refer to button-accordions? He said he used to play, and asked if I know any Prince songs. Damn, another hole in my repertoire.
4. As I was starting to notice the cold, a man handed me a hot cider that he had gotten for free in Thornes. Score! As we know, I'm off caffeine and the hot beverage most often given to me is coffee, so this was extra special. He jested about my instrument, mentioning the classic, "Welcome to Heaven, here's your harp. Welcome to Hell, here's your accordion" joke. All in good fun.
5. Within earshot was the Parking Enforcement man with whom I often share friendly banter. After the joke-telling man went away, this man piped up saying that he doesn't like jokes that make fun of musicians, citing a few drummer ones. Furthermore, he kindly admitted that he has enjoyed watching me play over the past month. I thanked him and told him that he has really changed my opinion of parking enforcement people. He replied, "Well you've changed my opinion of accordion players." Awww! Sorry, super cheesy. We're like Frog and Toad up in here.
This reminded me once again that my favorite parts of busking/my future memoirs are the regular interactions with people holding standard jobs in whatever location I'm in, like the "These are the People in my Neighborhood" jobs. The construction workers in Edinburgh, the Naked Boys Singing in Provincetown, the Mariachi musicians in San Francisco (okay, those are bad examples of regular jobs, but you get the idea): these are the people that make my job feel like a job, and like a job I like. Yeah.
6. He, as well as many other "regulars," commented on our "new clothes." I had forgotten that, with the exception of one day in 2011, Northampton had never seen my piano dress, and certainly never Flaca's. They know me as an elf! I explained that those are our regular uniforms, but people asked what other costumes we have anyway. I definitely need to get cracking on more costumes!
7. My next guest was none other than Jerry Roberts, photographer for the Daily Hampshire Gazette! Always swarmed by paparazzi, am I right? He asked if he could take photos, so I used the reflective window of Faces to fix my hair before smiling incredibly naturally and playing. It seemed to be my 2013 crown that drew him in, since Flaca didn't make the photos. I practiced my humility, expecting to see my image on the front of the paper the next day, but alas some dumb fireworks photo took my spot. Yeah, as if people need to know what fireworks look like. It was nice anyway, though, since my first year during First Night I made it onto Channel 22 News (butchering Auld Lang Syne) so now I crave media attention of any sort on this holiday.
8. One woman commented that the puppet setup must be the only one in the world, which got me thinking. Surely there are other foot-activated puppets in the world, but none exactly like Flaca. That's why I have to rewire her to do weird stuff so she can be super unique.
9. A woman stopped and asked, "Excuse me, did you see someone over here making a big deal about having lost their wallet?" Haha, no, I hadn't. But that's exactly the kind of thing I would witness, and I loved that the woman realized the resource that I am.
10. I accidentally set up right in the trajectory of the neon green dot lights from Faces, which rewarded me some undeserved credit. At one point a man and his dog came by, and the dog started pawing at the lights. The man said, "I chase the stars too when I've drunk too much!" Ha.
11. My loans sign got a lot of attention. I received one compliment for the pun ("Playing back student loans,") and several inquisitions about my field of study. Only two asked if I was analyzing them after I told them!
12. Later on in the evening there was a group of drunk adults wearing decorative hats. They stopped to listen and dance along. They did the wave, and tried to get passersby to join them. Somehow we got on the subject of the Mexican Hat Dance which I attempted to play as they danced accordingly. This group was quite festive, of course, but also tough to convince that busking is a good thing. They bombarded me with suggestions about getting a job and going back to school and being a professional, and didn't believe me that I can do okay busking. They weren't convinced. Well, can't win 'em all.
13. I also had a higher number than usual of people who think I'm homeless. A handful of people came up and told me that they used to be in my shoes, and that I've gotta hang in there, etc. etc. Hey, kind words. I really am quite lucky that I get to choose to do this.
14. One lady saw my loan sign and suggested I check out "Strike Debt." Will do.
15. Brace yourself, this one seriously rearranged my list of favorite busking moments:
The stars of this anecdote are four preteen boys. The first nice thing is that one of them recognized the Rolling Stones. Awesome. Another one asked if I know any pop songs. I sort of said no, since I haven't really made an effort to learn pop songs since 2010, and my Lady Gaga medley is a little outdated. They agreed that they wanted to hear "Bad Romance" anyway, so I played and they halfheartedly sang and bopped around. But then I remembered that I do have more current songs, and I launched into the beginning of "Call Me Maybe."
They sang the melody so beautifully and sweetly, surprisingly in tune, in their pure voices, like a choir of angels. I cut out the melody and just played the chords and "stabs," letting them take over, and they rose to the occasion. The same followed with "Dynamite," "We Are Young," "Friday," and "Poker Face." This made me just so joyful, and the people on the streets got a kick out of it as well. Normally I don't like quitting my normal stuff and sacrificing tips to let others participate, but these kids were just so wonderful. This is why I love the Valley, that parents raise kids with social skills who are willing to talk to buskers, who aren't embarrassed to sing, who know the Rolling Stones, who have good manners, and just aren't little shits, in general. I honestly hope we can repeat this next year, and I'll make sure to keep up with pop music. <3
16. A lady tossed a handful of coins into my box, and accidentally flung her mitten in there too and had to go retrieve it. Amused me.
16.5. Songs: I naturally played "Auld Lang Syne," and did a better job on it than in past years where I completely butchered it. It's such a pretty tune. I also went heavy on "The Final Countdown" due to the holiday, and I got specific tips for it. One man sang along to the Godfather theme. One man ran in slow motion to "Chariots of Fire." During "Ça Gaze," one person asked if it was a "Hamba" or something, a type of dance. Maybe it is!
17. A man told me a looooong, incredibly boring story. He began it with, "Accordion....not as tough as saxophone!" He has an old friend who plays saxophone and who helped him out one night during a storm. This man proceeded to tell a very detailed version of the story of that time he hitchhiked through Vermont during a blizzard in the sixties. I suppose the story was okay, but he spoke verrrrry slowly and there were so many people going by for whom I could have been playing. He had told this story before, so he knew how to drag it out: "So I knocked on the door of the motel. Knock knock knock! There was no answer, so I knocked again. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!" I'm not kidding. He also described how incredibly cold it was in that story's setting which wasn't what I wanted to hear when I, too, was incredibly cold already. I felt bad asking him to stop telling it, so I tried to at least take advantage of it to drink water and stretch and organize things while saying "uh-huh" and "Oh my God!" ........."And that was Ed, who played the saxophone!" Damn. Too bad I couldn't give him a bill for the amount of money I would have made in tips during his story.
17.5. A lady stopped to talk, and asked if I had made Flaca. I gave her the spiel, explaining that I hadn't, but that I've helped her evolve, such as attaching new movable legs. This woman works with "opposable figures" or something, and suggested we be in touch. This is great, because I might be building a new puppet that can move just how I need her to, and an expert would help considerably. We will be in touch.
18. I saw the Coyote Choir! They are a [former?] Northampton band who busks, consisting of two guys who I've always been quite fond of. Tim plays accordion and Paul plays guitar and sings. I hadn't seen them in a year, and they haven't been out playing so it was nice to see them. Tim came by first, then eventually set up to busk on his own across the street. He has a really awesome old accordion that sounded beautiful from across the street.
Paul came by as I was putting the lights on. Unfortunately, I saw that the fairy lights were broken. Somehow the cable had been pulled out of the thing, and you could see the copper wires hanging out. I showed Paul, and he said he could fix it. I gave him my roll of emergency duct tape I had packed just in case, and he came back a few minutes later with functional lights and a chai for me! What a guy!
19. A guy walked by and put a beer in my box. A really nice one, like a big BBC something. Awesome! I said, "That's the best tip I've received all night!" He said, "That's what you said last year too!" Right, someone did give me a beer last year! But that's not all...he commented that he liked the Twin Peaks theme. Finally!!! In stark contrast to all Europeans recognizing it, Americans haven't. I was happy to hear that, and we exchanged a few Twin Peaks quotes to seal the deal while his two friends looked on. Finally, he exclaimed, "Fuck this shit! Come get wasted with us!" Yeahhh! Fucking that shit and getting wasted with them wasn't really in the cards, but it was great to have an enthusiastic invitation. And next special occasion I'll break into the fancy beer.
20. I love teenagers. I loved being a camp counselor to teenagers (some of whom I ran into!), and I love talking to them in the streets. They are just so funny. I mentioned the singing ones, but there were two other groups of teenagers worth noting. The first lingered near me and one member announced, "We should call José Reyes!" Since I was totally giddy and sleepy and silly, I had no choice but to holler back, "Yeah, you should totally call José Reyes!" Since these are awesome Valley youth, they got it, and engaged me in the discussion about why the young Sr. Reyes wasn't present and what we could do to get him out to enjoy the festivities. They went along their way, but came back later, updating me that José still wasn't out. WTF, José? Doesn't he know it's New Year's Eve?
Secondly, a group came by split into smaller groups by sex. There was some commotion from a young Zach towards a young Sophie, and the boys took off. I took my liberties in informing the three remaining girls that Zach totally likes Sophie. Again, they humored me, filling me in that Zach acts like he likes her, but then ignores her and teases her and stuff. I identified which one is Sophie, told her my name, and advised her to go make it happen. It's New Year's Eve! Her friends encouraged her accordingly, and they took off. A little later they walked by again, and informed me that Sophie was going to go make it happen. Yeah! I wish them everlasting happiness.
I liked the idea of being the sage accordion player, there on the streets to guide the youth of today through the perturbations of adolescence. Like a modern-day Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle or something. Had those three been up for talking a little longer, I would have just lain it all out there, lecturing them on the fact that high school boys are clueless, and that you can't wait for them to make a move. I'd cite my own life experiences, stating how I learned, in college, that you have to just make it happen if you want something to go anywhere. Hell, I'd even give her a list of my successful pick-up lines. But they're on top of it.
21. I pulled out the Indiana Jones theme again. I fiddled around with it in San Francisco but never added it to the rotation. I was digging deep for songs because I was so sick of every song I was playing, and decided to give this John Williams classic a go. Sure enough, one dad recognized it and liked it. I told him of the serendipity of the timing, since I never play it. Williams medley is top of the to-learn list.
21.5. Speaking of which, some kids came by with glowing light saber things, so I improvised the Star Wars theme too which they liked. Maybe this medley will be my first project of the new year!
22. I played "La Donna é Mobile" and a man took out his wallet and said, "You need a tenner!" Awesome, a ten-dollar bill was coming!! Nope, he had said, "tenor," and sang the first line of the aria to illustrate his statement. Ha.
23. A kid gave me a doughnut! But I was sugared out so I regifted it.
24. I got a nice hug from a 10-year-old. She is someone I knew as a three- and four-year-old at the first camp I worked at. I've seen her over the years, but I'm never entirely sure she knows who I am. Last time I saw her and her mom, I was surprised by how tall she was, and extended my arm to indicate her height. She thought the arm extension was meant to be a hug, so she politely hugged me. But this time right when we saw each other she came over for a hug! Yay!
25. Two people were out vending glow sticks and the like. One asked if she could buy my one-dollar bills, an exchange I was happy to complete. It's always nice meeting other people who are working NYE/taking advantage of celebrators.
26. I like to use baseball terminology for busking, and I thought of a new one: the seventh-hour stretch! I was sore everywhere around 8:00, but I was determined to play until 9:00. So I took everything off for a stretch session, and the wordplay came to me. Although this one won't come up much, since the marathon days are usually just for this time of year.
I packed up around 9:15, when shows were starting so fewer people would be out. Then it was time to put the accordion away and enjoy the rest of the night!
This year was great, in stark contrast with last year. On New Year's Eve 2012, I packed up and then had nothing to do. I just wandered around aimlessly, contemplating the lonely life of a busker. I could have spent the holiday in Boston celebrating with my college friends, but I didn't want to give up the night of work, so there I was, on my own, until I found people to hang out with.
New Year's Eve 2013, however, was different. I had multiple options of what to do! A few weeks ago I met a member of The Primate Fiasco, a local band, and he gave me a ticket to their New Year's Eve show. It turns out the aforementioned Paul's new band, And the Kids, were one of the opening acts, so I had to rush to get to the Hotel Northampton. No time to wander aimlessly! There was no chance of my seeing the first band, the Dire Honeys, which I later learned consists of people I know as well. Too bad.
And so I rang in the new year at the show, ignoring the fact that every muscle in my legs were seizing up as I danced the night away with new friends, missing the rising of the ball outside, but feeling great. This New Year's Eve's celebrations opened up opportunities for me, both musically and socially, and since I'll be here for several months, I really ought to make friends. I also felt like a celebrity since I kept my piano dress and crown on, and was recognized as the busker a few times.
I was also happy to observe that people were so friendly and happy! Being Northampton helps, and being New Year's Eve helps, but normally when I'm out late I don't love the vibe I get from other women (like slutty drunk ones). However, it was a party in the ladies' room, with everyone smiling and chatting and complimenting each other's outfits. I told everyone who would listen about the fun statistical number thing I noticed in which 2013 is the first year I've lived in with no repeating digits, and people were excited about that! I suppose everyone's happy because their either wrapping up an awesome year or putting away a shitty year, so there's cause for celebration no matter what. I really love this holiday.
Now, I am recovering and beginning my 2013 projects. Who knows what this year will bring! I hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday, and that the new year starts off nicely. And thanks to all who came to first night!
Love,
Sophie and Flaca
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