Some of the greatest performers, with stories we'll never know, sing and play their hearts out on the streets of cities all over the world. I've heard them in San Francisco, Boston, Miami, Paris and many others. Some are self-taught, others have had formal training. Either way, their talents and exacting performances are often inspiring and amazing.
I am given to pause and ask myself, "Why is this gifted person out on the street?" Always, I wonder, "Why aren't people like this performing in respectable local clubs where they can make some decent money, get off the heartless streets and be safe? As a person who was a musician years ago, I cannot pass one of them without putting something in their open guitar case or tip jar.
Street musicians don't expect every passerby to leave them a dollar or two, though they really could use it. They love it if you just stand by and listen, watch their performance and show your appreciation with a smile and brief applause. All of us need approval from time to time, to feel like we're a genuine member of the amorphous family of man.
The next time you come upon a street musician, even if you don't have a quarter to spare, stop just the same to listen a while, to say a kind word, look them in the eye and smile. If you have a couple of dollars, especially if you've been a musician, and you leave nothing, you lose a wonderful way to reconnect with your musical past. And, as you walk away, maybe you have just filched someone else's music.
Right now you can see and hear street musicians from around the world perform together as they play and sing "Stand By Me." It's an exceptional video, the brainchild of producer Mark Johnson. The story behind it started one day as Johnson was walking around the streets of Santa Monica, California. He could hear a voice singing "Stand By Me." A block or so away, Johnson was drawn to the music and followed it to its source, street musician Roger Ridley (shown above right). the first person who appears in the video. The meeting of the two sparked an idea that led to Johnson's traveling the world to record and film the various street musicians who appear in the video.
Each was filmed in their native country and their collaboration on the music and video is the fruit of judicious editing which creates the effect of a single, wondrous and magical performance. It is an emotional and inspiring vision you will want to share. To see the video free go to www.collegehumor.com/video:1909711 . If you'd like to get it, the video is easily found on the internet where, depending on your luck, it can be downloaded free or for about $1.50. Type the words "Stand By Me/Playing For Change" into Google. To find out more about the Playing For Change Foundation, visit www.playingforchange.org and you'll learn how Mark Johnson's inspiration has led to a worldwide movement dedicated to building schools in some of the neediest corners of the globe.
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