Germany 101: Street Musicians

one of the things i most enjoy about this place is the abundance and the talent of the street musicians here. i often am walking about in the city, when i come across music that i technically should be paying big bucks for. these people are amazing. they come with pianos, accordions, violins, cellos, bass(i) - plural for bass???, and more. how they get these things on the trains i'll never know. regardless, the other day i heard a four piece string ensemble entertaining the masses all for pennies. they captivated the crowds. i think i stood there about a half an hour. wow, how magically music can change your outlook and lift your spirits. you can't stand there and not smile or move. and how intriguing to watch my stoic german friends relax and interact with the performers. music breaks down our walls and lets us escape the ho-hum of now. i love it!!!
my other favorite evening i heard the accordion playing from far away and i followed the sounds to this man playing his heart out - rockin that thing. it reverberated off the walls of the plaza. he was so vulnerable. some people danced, some smiled, some sat and closed their eyes, some laughed and mocked, but there he was giving us everything he had. beautiful. beautiful. beautiful. i dig that guy. he transformed my evening.
another day while walking through our englischer garten (bigger than central park) another accordion player sweetly played classical while couples danced under the shell-decorated rotunda. i'm in a movie...