"Let the Lassie Play"

Finally, a normal marathon Saturday!  This week has been incredibly frustrating weather-wise.  I learned, once again, that the weather forecast here is completely arbitrary.  Take Thursday, for example: there was an 100% chance of rain all day.  It rained for about four minutes midday, and that was it.  But I didn't go out because I was so sure the rain was going to start!  And thunderstorms, too!  That was an important lesson; make these decisions through the window, not the internet.  It's bad for morale; I didn't go out Friday either for the same reason, but rather than celebrating when it was dry in order to busk I celebrated when it actually did rain to justify NOT going out.  This could not go on.  I decided to get up and go on Saturday, regardless of weather.  I would bring an umbrella and a book.

Luckily it was nice when I got up, so I sped through my morning routine and headed to the Farmers' Market.  It had been a while!  Lovely as always, got my usual spot next to Seriously Good Venison, and George was back in town!  As I promised I would in the last post, I went back to just accordion today.  For the most part I was quite happy with it, sounding better, more relaxed and able to focus on performance and stuff.  But after three months of using percussion I was more in tune with my rhythms, and gave my left hand more rhythm duties.

Anyway...

Saturday 30 June, 2012, Part I

1. Little boy walked by.  I smiled at him, and he gave me this wonderful smile that looked SO fake.  I don't think it was, but it was comically forced-looking.  Like Sascha Baron Cohen in "Hugo," you know?

2.  The big even was a run-in with an angry homeless guy.  He came up, yelling, about how I was taking all his money.  Accused me of raking it in.  I made the mistake of telling him I need to make my money as well.  That's true, since it's time to pay rent, but my "student loans" sign is hardly subtle.  That set him off, proclaiming to everyone within a mile radius that I'm making money for a student loan.  The assumption here is that the sign means I'm currently a student, but I didn't feel like it would help to stop him and tell him that the student bit is done, now it's just the debt bit.  I offered to move to the other end if it was free, but he couldn't hear this suggestion because he was right in my face, repeating at a high volume about my student loan, and yelling something else that would have been quite dramatic had I been able to understand it.  Heads were turning.  One nice guy intervened, telling him to "Let the lassie play."  I was going to just ignore him and keep playing, but I wanted him to hear my offer to move so we could live in peace.  Kat talked to him briefly (I assume, due to her occupation, that she used to be homeless), and then Tommy who is in charge of the market came over and subdued him before he stormed off.  Informed me that this guy is here all the time (he claims he hasn't missed a week in six years, then why haven't I pissed him off before?), and instructed me to holler for him if he gives me trouble again.  The truth is that I do feel bad; I simply hadn't seen him!  If I had, I would have just gone to the other side to start.  Kat gave me her thoughts on him as well, of which I naturally understood 20%, but the gist was that that is what alcohol does to a person.  Apparently the commotion messed up Kat's business as well.


3.  An older woman was on a bench, and she came up to say, "You're doing beautiful, I'm enjoying it."  Perfect timing, because I was wondering how I sounded with just accordion after so long!  It sounded so naked.

5. A family was sitting nearby.  It didn't seem like they were listening, but an older kid, a boy (11 or 12) came by to tip and said, "Very well done, it's brilliant!"  Love getting unprompted compliments from kids!

6. I had arranged "The Final Countdown" for accordion and kazoo, so today I was working on doing in on just accordion.  One thing I tried that I like is doing the instrument bit in the high register, then doing one of those piano key slide things all the way down to the lower D to do the vocal melody.  Fun!  Unless I miss, which I did often.

7.  There was a great few minutes with a ton of kids.  First was Clara, my favorite who you've heard about, and her dad.  She dances along, and was eating her burger.  Then a friend of hers showed up, who I've seen before, a little blonde girl.  She is just such a tiny human being!  She really looks like she could be an older kid, or an adult for that matter, but her body is just so little!  I want to squeeze her.  And I love how she dresses; today was yellow shoes, colorful striped leggings, a dress, other striped top,  and a knit vest.  She was just running around my setup.  There was also a tiny tiny Asian girl who was the most creative with Flaca.  And two other blonde girls.  And a little boy who looked on from afar, from the safety of his folks.  These kids danced around, passed around Flaca, and were just so cute!  It was a moment of clarity, that this is a situation that I love to be in.  Playing music for dancing children!  I wished I had my percussion instruments just to pass them around.  We were just missing Brianna, the girl who always dances in her red rainjacket and bike helmet (I actually saw her coming as I was leaving).  I was aware, though, that Clara was too busy dancing to eat her burger, which was just sitting on the sidewalk on a napkin.  I was sure it was going to get stomped on, so I kept suggesting she take a break to eat but she wanted to dance.  I played a slower song, just because I was out of fast dance songs, and sure enough she sat and ate.  I felt like a DJ, choosing songs to manipulate the audience (that is, dancing vs. eating).  Another family came and sat in a line, five of them, five burgers, to listen.  Wow!  But then...the rain came.  As we knew it would.  And it got cold!  I had applied sunscreen, but I had to put my jumpers back on.  And it was pushing July!

Oh yes, it was raining, a sudden downpour, but I wasn't going to give up and go home.  Oh no, I had made it this far!  I headed to the museum for lunch, but of course by the time I arrived the rain had stopped.  I was hungry anyway so I went in for a quick break.  Aaaand it was rainy again when I emerged.  Went to the library to read and wait for it.  Trying to be responsible and not spend my earnings right away!  But I forgot that the library closes at 1:00 on Saturdays.  I should have found an alleyway or something to wait in, but I went into the Elephant House (JK Rowling cafe) to have a cuppa tea and read.  But of course....once I sat down it was dry again.  So annoying!  But it's good that I went in, you'll see why later!

The good thing about the rain is that if there were other buskers out, it cleared them so I got first pick of spots.  I wanted the arches, because of my discovery that they're semi-waterproof.  I powerwalked over there, running people over with my accordion, passing Dieter who blew me a kiss, waving to Elaine, and saw that my ideal spot was open.  Hurrah!  Set up and went to work.  I LOVE being slightly elevated.  I really notice the difference in people looking at me, and I do better because I feel like I'm on stage and thus perform.  I decided to stay at that spot for as long as I could, regardless of what came at me.  And I did.  The rain did come a few times, but it just drizzles a little then stops.  The best description I can come up with is that the clouds are incontinent.  Whenever they have some water ready, they let it go, rather than waiting for an opportune time to dump it all at once.  For the light rain, I soldiered on.  I removed the bottom padding from my box so my accordion wouldn't be put back on a wet piece of foam, and replaced it with  my extra jumper.  Let everything else stay out!  I would just take a step back to where the accordion wasn't getting wet, if need be.  One time the rain was stronger, so I pulled everything up and took a little break to eat raw broccoli (all pictures taken today have green teeth).  And guarded my spot, forthwith!  Worked quite well.  And so...

30 June, Part II
 1.  People were really looking at my signs!  I could see mouths moving, saying "Sophie's Smokin' Squeezebox," brains making sense of the photo sign, and two people came up to ask what degree I have.  Nice that they understood that the degree's done!  People always laugh when I say, "Psychology."

2. We'll go right for the gold: a woman and her teenage son appeared to hear me while across the street, and they crossed over to listen.  This was during "Dynamite," which surprised me.  After a while they came over, and the woman confessed that they had noticed my dress at the Elephant House (aha!) and now it made sense.  She heard my accent:
Woman: Are you from where we're from?
Me: I believe so.
Woman: Whereabouts?
Me: Massachusetts.
Woman: Us too!  Where?
Me: Amherst.
Woman:  Us too!

Wow, what foreshadowing when she asked, "Are you from where we're from?"  She must have known, deep inside!  She added later that when I said "Massachusetts" she just knew.  The woman, Becky, is a music professor at Hampshire College, and plays accordion as well.  The son, Sam, is a student at my alma mater, Amherst Regional High School.  We rattled off various names (mainly my parents) and didn't find common bonds, but we have, through facebook, since.  This was so nice, it totally made my day!  Valley folks right here!  Oh, and the best part is that Becky busked in that same spot, in 1981, on the fiddle.  Wow!  I hope to run into them at home.  They confirmed that if they saw my parents they'd pass along that I'm doing well. 

3. I was aware of hen parties so I was ready to play "Here Comes the Bride," but none had walked by yet.  But then...I looked up and saw an actual bride and groom!  Looking lovely in a gorgeous white gown and kilt, respectively.  They were presumably about to wed nearby, and a photographer and videographer followed them around the Royal Mile taking photos.  I think I saw them at the perfect time; they were paused for a picture right within earshot, so I started the song.  They all noticed, and changed course to come over!  The videographer motioned for me to keep looping the song, which provided the soundtrack for this bit of their wedding video.  They also came next to me for a photo.  So much more meaningful than playing it for drunk bridal parties!  Loved this.

4. There were three people in costumes, all pink and white striped, sort of an Alice in Wonderland/Queen of Hearts theme, but all bubble gum pink.  Two girls and a guy.  I'm still not exactly sure what the deal was, but they stuck around for a while.  There's a pensioner named Rob who takes photos on the Royal Mile, and he appeared around the same time and got some of all of us.  One of the girls is in town to take a Japanese exam. 

5. After having tea at the Elephant House I needed the toilet!  (They do call it the toilet here.  Seems like TMI to me, I'd rather say "bathroom" so it's vague which bit I'll be using.)  But I needed a babysitter for my stuff (NOT giving up my pitch) so I willed one of my friends to appear.  None did, so I asked Rob the trusted photographer along with the three pink whatevers to do the honors while I ran into Cafe Nero.  Soon after I got back, Tara walked by!  Followed by Caroline!  I have to give my brainpower more credit, I guess!

6. Nice chat with Elaine.  Such a great character!  She was also taking a toilet break.  I feel like she is the May of Edinburgh, for those of you who know the Ptown characters.

7. This next bit is not something I feel proud of, but it was such a good day and I was talking to everyone and going for everything so it just came out.  A preteen boy did one of the classic moves of bending down as if to tip but not tipping and saying or somehow communicating "just kidding" to the amusement of his friends.  Super annoying, right?  So I yelled after him, "That's not very nice, young man!"  I'm about to turn 24 and I'm already calling younguns "young man."  Oh no.  But he looked genuinely surprised and frazzled, so I wonder if I misread the situation.  I really hope he didn't actually tip!  That would make me the biggest asshole ever.

8. A man who looked familiar stopped to talk.  Discussed the problem with the price of education in the US, and how it's all free here.  Explained that the UK government takes care of its "subjects" from birth to death.  This man is unemployed but he gets good checks and has a free place to live.  He's certainly not unemployed due to lack of smarts; I said I was from Boston and he said "Ah, Massachusetts.  New England Patriots, Boston Celtics."  "That's right, but what else?"  ".....Oh, Boston Red Sox."  And "Boston Logan Airport, Northwest connection en route to Detroit Michigan."  Wow.  And he saw "Iorio" and declared it an Italian accordion, but that one's easy.  I was eager to get back to playing, but he accused Obama of being "just as bad as Bush" so I reclasped my accordion to speak up about this.  Could have gone on for a while, but I did have to finally announce that I was getting back to work. 

9.  Other buskers: at one point the not-friendly bluegrass band came out. Amplified.  A little too loud, but whatever.  A bigger problem was a new circle pitch guy who played music way too loudly while he was gathering people.  Then during his act he snapped a whip several times, which makes all heads turn and depletes my attention.  Todd does this too.  Annoying and seemingly unnecessary.  The only other group out was a sister act, but the sisters are children!  Accordion and violin.  They were just the cutest.  Matching tartan skirts.  The accordion player was quite good, a little child-sized Hohner 48-or-so bass, and the violin player was good too.  Doing traditional stuff.  I went over after the big rain to ask them to move down but also to compliment them.  They had a sign that said "Saving for a piano."  But Dieter burst this bubble when he said that they come out every year and that the mother is extremely pushy.  That's no good.

10. Had a nice talk with Dieter.  I always learn so much from him!  What I love is that when we talk you can still see silver in the wrinkles around his eyes.  Always a little silvery even after removing his paint!  Today's brilliant idea was to transport my accordion box within another box to stand on.  I won't always get this spot but I do want to be permanently elevated, but I can't transport two boxes.  Voila!  It would hide Ruby and Badger, but help quite a bit.  Keeping an eye open for a magically perfect sized box.

11.  Dad, stroller, two little boys.  Littler boy had a farm book, so I played "Old MacDonald."  The older boy frowned and covered his ears, but then as they retreated he smiled and waved.  Make up your mind!!

12. The Parade.  I had heard that today was the day of the Edinburgh Pride March, from Tom who was drumming for it.  I had forgotten this, but when I was at the market a man walked by wearing a rainbow tartan kilt, holding a stuffed teddy bear in a snuggly thing and waving a flag that looked like the US flag but with the Scottish flag and rainbow stripes.  Right.  So when I was on the RM it was clear that the parade had happened through popped balloons and ribbons on the sidewalk.  But...after I set up again after the main rain I heard drumming getting closer.  Oh, this must be it, coming back through!  I got super excited.  It seemed quite formal; actual drums corps in [pink] uniform, followed by flutes.  There were many flags, one of which featured the queen.  Someone in the parade held a fancy cushion with a crown perched atop.  I figured the pride march was getting extreme and crowning a "Queen."  Ha!  LOL!  But the rest of the parade was quite serious, if it was a pride march it was incredibly subdued or just extremely ironic.  They pulled it off if it was!  But it became clear that it wasn't the pride march.  What was it?  I asked someone, and they said it's a weird thing.  This was the anniversary of the massacre of some Catholics, and certain Protestants have a parade very year to celebrate.  Eeeeee.  Well at least it didn't interrupt my playing for too long.

I believe that's it!  I quit because my arms were getting super sore, I was actually COLD (despite having put on sunscreen earlier and Caroline providing me with a hot chocolate).  Decided to pack up when the rain started again, which didn't involve waiting too long.  Great day, felt really good!  Nice having a slow day in terms of other buskers.  Tomorrow is Canada Day, so hopefully I'll get out long enough for a few rounds of "O Canada!"

Till next time.