45 Minutes

[R. Kane]

I went back to my old haunts today for a stop at AcousticMusic.org, a checkup with my dentist, then to our favorite coffee shop for a few pounds of beans. On the way out, I walked by a young man with a full mohawk who had set up on a sidewalk bench, and he was playing and singing his heart out. I went to the truck and got one of my mandolins, came back, and asked if I could sit down. He was pretty new to guitar, and said he only knew 6 songs, so we proceeded to go through them. Redemption Song, a few newer songs that I didn't know, Summertime, and Shady Grove. The last two attracted an audience, and he got some more folding contributions. I went back to my truck, got out the other mando that I had with me, handed it to him, and eased into teacher mode. We did some scales, chords, down-up, tremolo, and then I taught him a Shady Grove solo, and interchanging solos with chording. Although I couldn't teach him anything on his guitar, I think I showed him a bit about melody, listening, playing with someone else, etc., that will translate.

When I got up, he thanked me and introduced himself, and said he hoped we'd do that again sometime. And I hope we do, as it was the best part of my day. It was so nice to be able to usefully interact with someone 45 years younger. Ain't music great?

[Aiki_Mando]

This story brightened my day considerably. Thanks for sharing.

[JLewis]

...it was the best part of my day.

And you just made my day! There's nothing like making a real connection with another human being. Bless you.

[RobP]

Those moments are so much fun!

Sometimes I walk up and down the street at our local farmer's market with my mandolin in hand and sit in with the buskers. Sometimes I teach a thing or 2, and I aways learn a t hing or 2.

Music is great

[Beanzy]

Making time to take the time to spend the time with others can bring unexpected rewards.
(memo to self : do this more )

[Jim Ferguson]

That's a great story R.
Thanks for sharing.
Peace,

[Jim Bevan]

I was in a community orchestra for quite a while, and for a few years there the oldest member (the concert-master) and the youngest member (my daughter) shared the same birthday.

It was a nice once-a-year reminder of how music-making can transcend age differences.

[R. Kane]

Thanks, all. I think RobP and Beanzy have it. I posted because I felt that it really was good for me to get outside my comfort zone, listen to the music being made, and try to adapt to it, and then try to find a way to improve it. And I was glad that my imposition was so welcomed by Max, another unexpected outcome. Note to self: keep a mandolin in the truck, unless it's going to be really hot.

[mandolirius]

I just finished playing a gig with three women in their twenties (I'm 58). If not for music, there's no way I'd be hanging out with them. I love it....keeps me feeling young!

[Randi Gormley]

Lovely story. Thanks for sharing.

[journeybear]

Very heartwarming. What a kind act on your part. Nothing beats spontaneous interaction like this. Glad you offer was well-received.

Was this in Guilford? Didn't know street musicians plied their trade there. Funny - I just sent off an email to an old friend, recently reacquainted, describing how the local city council conspired to shut down the street musicians here. This had been a longtime tradition, one which enabled me to move here, knowing I could support myself that way until I could get better established. Now this option is virtually gone - unless you have $100 for an annual license, and $300 or more for a liability insurance policy! So that really nice experience you two had couldn't happen here, as Max probably would have been sent packing by the cops before you had come along. This is one of the down sides of living in our society - people with power and personal agendas can really muck up things!

But never mind that. That isn't how we should be - the way you acted is. I hope your story inspires more such acts of sharing. And believe me - if this issue ever comes up with the city council again, I am going to use your story as an example of what everyone is missing out on here.

[Sorry for the hijack ... er, siderail ... er, related if somewhat tangential aspect - yeah, that's it!]

[Steve Ostrander]

Truly the Universal Language.

I had a similar experience recently, when a busker invited me to play some IT with him (which I know absoluely nothing about) only I didn't have my mandolin with me. He invited me back and I made a new friend. It was a good day.

[billhay4]

You gave, you got. Nice story.
Bill

[Willie Poole]

R. Kane...Of course I don`t know you or how long you have been playing but in my years a lot of things like this has happened to me, about two years ago my band was doing a show and a fellow was sitting at the bar with a guitar case at his feet, I asked what he had and he said a dobro, I am not real crazy about a dobro myself, and he asked if he could sit in with us and just play in the back ground, I explained to him that if it didn`t come out right for him not to get angry if I asked him to sit down, he agreed, well after the first song I installed another mic just for him....he was one of the best dobro players I have ever heard and he knew and sang the tenor part to just about every song that we did....I offered to pay him a share of what we were making for that gig and he turned it down, said his reward was just getting to play with an established band....I offered him a job with us but he is a traveling business man and doesn`t have time to join a band....Since then I have lost contact with him and I am sorry about that, he could be playing with any bluegrass band he is that good....

This all happened because he didn`t want to leave his dobro in his car while he was inside because it was hot out doors and he was afraid it would get damaged.....

Thanks for sharing your story, I imagine most of us have had something like this happen to us at times....I could fill up a whole page with stories....

Willie

[R. Kane]

I certainly wasn't trying to be kind. For me, this encounter was more about being uncomfortable approaching a 16 year old while he was doing his thing, but figuring that I knew enough about music to be ok, and it actually turning out better than I expected. The dual mando teaching moment was only after we had done some songs together and he was curious about the mandolin. I've probably infected him with mas, consigning him to a life of want. We will see.

Richard

[R. Kane]

Journeybear, this was in Madison. I lived in Guilford and New Haven for 30+ years, and Brian, George and Trip have been my primary musical purveyors for that long. On Tuesday there were probably 20 mandolins in the shop: Collings, Webers, Eastmans, and then, a bunch of old Gibsons, a Lyon and Healy A (the one with the asymmetric points), a Sobel, a Gilchrist 1 (mine, on consignment), a Givens, and some others I don't recall. Well worth the visit.

[Charlieshafer]

We had a kid in Madison with a mohawk? Man, tell me where he was so we can kick him out.

[R. Kane]

We had a kid in Madison with a mohawk? Man, tell me where he was so we can kick him out.

Charlie,

You're going to be booking him for your Fire in the Kitchen concert series in two, three years, Max!

Richard

[Charlieshafer]

Charlie,

You're going to be booking him for your Fire in the Kitchen concert series in two, three years, Max!

Richard

That would be a good story!

[Dave Gumbart]

"We had a kid in Madison with a mohawk? Man, tell me where he was so we can kick him out."

Funny! Busking in Madison, outside of Willoughby's, I'm guessing. Who knew. Sorry I wasn't passing through for an iced coffee at the time.

Charlie - looking forward to some more great music this fall.

[journeybear]

I certainly wasn't trying to be kind.

But it does seem to have taken that turn. But then, as you pointed out, you may have made things a bit more troublesome for him in the long run. He was probably just fine with what he was doing until you came along and got him intrigued with the notion of other instruments. MAS can be a harsh and demanding mistress!

I go way back with George too, back to when his shop was in Westville (before he got flooded and moved to Guilford) and still building instruments. He is a living, breathing, walking, talking natural resource. A visit to his shop is a must, if only to see what is on the walls - and I mean his enormous collection of antique tools (which is what he uses most of the time) as well as the instruments. But leave a little cushion in your time schedule. If you get him going he will talk your ear off on his way to filling your mind with great anecdotes as well as useful information.

And it was due to my many visits to his shop that I became acquainted with and subjected to the mysteries of MAS. That was where I picked up my mandola, steel tenor guitar, and banjolin. Plus the work he did on my first A model (what brought me to him in the first place), repairing a ten-year-old double cracked back - extraordinary. Oh, and he is self-taught. Extraordinary.

[Turnip Mountain Picker]

Same here, I get to play pretty often with a group of young people and I always leave with a good feeling about the next generation.

[Mandolin Yogi]

I get to jam occasionally with a famous rock guitar player. He is 10 to 15 years younger than me. We became friends through love of playing music.

Great Story RK. Thanks for posting this.

[Patrick Bouldin]

About 5 years ago I was in DFW airport waiting for a flight out. As usual I was in the farthest corner dinking around with the weber quietly. Some young man, maybe 19/20 walked by with a guitar strapped to his back. Our music had NOTHING in common, but just the opportunity lended itself to making the attempt - and it was a good one. We both went away with appreciation for something different. And I, the established consultant lugging around a mando for fun suddenly had a cool interaction with a young man just starting out in life - normally with no chance of connecting - but music does it again.

[pjlama]

Great story, thanks for sharing. Music is the eggs in my life's recipe.

PS eggs are a binding agent.