Everyone Knows it's Windy

Here are two quick posts from two very windy days!

I. Sunday, 9 September, 2012:
First off, happy 909090909 day!  Because my family is very silly, we like to think the chorus of this Gipsy Kings song says "909090909."  Therefore, we listen to that song on September 9th every year.

Sunday was the "Riding of the Marches," when a ton of horses are ridden into Edinburgh and up the Royal Mile.  It necessitates putting up fences, and the circle acts couldn't perform.  I thought it would be quite busy due to crowds congregating, but it was actually a quiet day.  I set up outside McGregor's for a few hours.

1.  A teenage girl asked where I was from and said I'm "so smiley!"  Funny that smile levels cause such a question. 

2.  A beard stopped to talk.  It was enormous and fluffy and white, and you could just barely see some eyes above it and feet below it if you looked carefully.  Its owner asked if I read music, and explained that he's a songwriter.  He has written a song for Scottish independence, and wants to record local musicians playing it.  Additionally, he would like those musicians to keep it in their repertoire and play it frequently.  I asked him if it was appropriate for me to participate as a non-Scot, and he said, "Of course!  Anyone who wants to be Scottish can be Scottish!"  Can I get that in writing for a visa?  Furthermore, he told me I can keep playing it in America.  He said something like, "If you play it on the radio in New York you'll get really famous!"  He said he'd bring it next time he saw me, hope it happens!  I'd be curious to hear the song.  And as he retreated, I yelled after him asking what key it was in.  "G!"  Awesome, I can do G.

3.  A Japanese woman asked if I'm local.  I guess I said no, although I do consider myself "local."  Maybe she asked if I was Scottish.  Anyway, she's from a Japanese TV network, and she's looking for local musicians to film.  She really wanted a female, and thought I would be perfect for it.  I told her I could be local, but she wasn't keen.  Almost got famous in Japan!

4.  A guy stopped, and said he saw me "ages ago."  He's a musician, and he had been looking for an accordion player to record a track.  Hope he gets in touch!

5.  This one's nice.  An older couple was strolling by, looking very serious.  I had just started "La Vie en Rose," and the woman stopped her husband, continuing to look very serious.  She whispered something to him, and they began to dance.  Everybody nearby stopped to watch with big smiles, and we all had a tear or two welling.  Loved this.

6.  I angled myself to face the mile in time to see a big metal rod fall from the roof of the building of the Filling Station and fall onto some diners' table outside.  Scary!  Luckily it missed them, but there were broken glasses and liquid everywhere.  It could have killed someone!  Super windy, I guess.

Things were quite slow, so I quit a little early to await the horses.  My new friend Cammie and I watched the anticlimactic parade that involved lots of horses clip clopping up the road, some pipes and drums, and speeches we couldn't hear.  I guess it's a huge event in the Borders.

Without further ado, since I want to finish this, email my parents about Inverness, and take a bath and read in bed for a while since it's balls-ass cold, here's the next post!

II. Thursday, 13 September 2012
I had a few days off!  Monday and Tuesday I was in Inverness with JP the puppeteer.  I jumped in Loch Ness just to say I did, and Nessie totally nibbled my toe.  Wednesday was a beautiful day, but I didn't work because I had to try to edit an image of Nessie into a Loch Ness photo, naturally, which ended up taking all afternoon.  It doesn't even look good!  Today was back to work, but it was cold and windy.  No good!

There were a ton of buskers out!  These blustery weekdays I've had the  mile to myself, so I was surprised.  A red-haired young man played tap-guitar at the police box, a Spanish hang player was at the door, Sam Austin the guitar player/singer who I met at the Fringe was at my fave spot, and Edgar was at the cathedral.  I talked to Victor the hang player a bit in Spanish, which was fun.  He's here for a few months to busk.  Funny how I had never heard of the hang, but now I've seen several.

By the time I made it up to Edgar, he was ready to pack up.  But first, I requested he play Mozart's "Queen of the Night" aria.  It is incredibly challenging, and Edgar is the only saw player in the world, that he knows of, who even dares attempt it.  His performance of it is inspiring, amazing, beautiful, and just so hilarious.  You can imagine how hard it is, but he pulls it off.  You can't help but laugh watching it!  I'm going to pressure him to get it on Youtube soon so I can share it.  You're going to love it.  Anyway, I took his spot on the cathedral steps since he was packing up.

1. The excitement of the day was my hat!  When I was freezing last week I wanted a hat, and had the idea to try to obtain a piano key hat.  A week later, my friend Torya has knit one for me.  Here it is:

 Now I just need musical note earrings and piano socks!

2.  An old man saw my loans sign and commented, "You shouldn't have to pay them.  Education should be free for everyone."  Hear hear!

3.  Two older women who appeared to be sisters stopped to talk.  One asked me some basic questions, and translated into Spanish for her sister.  So naturally took the opportunity to speak a lil' Spanish.  It turns out they're Argentinian.  We had a nice talk in Spanish, but I'm worried I used "tú" instead of "usted."  I'm out of practice!  They didn't storm off, offended, so that's a good sign.  They were very nice women who wished me luck in Argentina (I told them I want to go there next--fact) and said they'd see me there.  Lovely!

4.  A tourist stopped and asked me something about when the cathedral was built.  I don't know!

5.  I had an idea.  I personally think it's brilliant, but I'd be curious of the opinions of punters (British word for audience members, customers, etc.)  The idea is to give passersby access to some notecards or papers or something with the instruction to "Conduct" or "Help me phrase" or something.  These cards would have musical symbols, specifically fortissimo, pianissimo, sforzando, crescendo, diminuendo, fermata, accelerando, and ritardando.  The idea is that people would have fun holding them up and manipulating these areas of my playing, which will probably be quite funny.  It'll be fun if musical people do it and do it well, silly if people don't know what they are and do it crazily, and educational for kids to try them and see what they mean!  What do you think?

6.  An old man stopped while I was finishing up a song.  He reached into his jacket and pulled out...a tin whistle, and played me a reel.  He asked where I'm from, and when I told him he asked if I know any American reels or jigs.  I know "The Devil's Dream," which I played on violin as a kid.  I attempted it but it wasn't very good.  Cool!

7.  Some middle-aged folks sat down across the street and listened for quite some time.  They came over after a while and asked if I could play a bunch of songs.  I didn't catch a lot since they were talking over each other, but one was definitely "Dire Straits."  One man asked me to do Paint it Black again, but incorrectly matched it to its artist.  I forget what he said.  Got to learn more classic rock!

8.  I talked to a very friendly police officer.  He came to the Fringe busker draw a few times to remind us that there is extra theft and we should keep an eye on our stuff.  He was always super nice, and has continued to greet me in passing.  Today, he was working undercover!  Looked totally normal in street clothes, but with a subtle earbud in.  Badass.  He stopped to talk, which was nice, asking where I'm from.  "Massachusetts."  "What's the capital again?"  "Boston."  "Oh yes, Boston, Massachusetts!"  Everyone knows that combination!  He asked if it was the Garden State, and asked about New England.  People here know quite a bit about US geography.  Nice to know this guy's on my side if I have trouble with my favorite pitch more.

Took a break and had some food, talked to Todd and Scott.  I set up later at the Door, but didn't last long because it was quite cold and windy.  I wanted to come home and get stuff done and go to bed early!

9.  An obviously American middle-aged couple walked by, and the mom said, "I wish my kids would pay theirs back!"

10.  A young man heard me play the Godfather theme and asked if I could play the "other one."  The "main one."  He sang a little in a very high register, but then got embarrassed.  I'll have to look it up!

That is all!  I'll probably go out tomorrow evening then allllll day Saturday.  Maybe I'll go sew the hole in my dress.  Till next time!