[HANASHIR:2536] A story from the Subway

[Red Sea Blue <Jess...>]

For anyone who likes my life music stories.

After attending an all singing/dancing Ma'yan seder, I was taking the
subway home.  As I landed on a platform (via the stairs) I noticed a lone
seated person a short distance away from me, carefully wrapped up,  with a
guitar in arms. I walked closer, more music I thought in anticipation
(never can get enough). From a distance I thought it was a man, but as I
got closer I realised that it was a woman. She was neither old, nor young.
Her guitar playing was plinkety plinkety plinkety, beginners style, and her
instrument was certainly worse for wear, and maybe had never seen much
better days.  She had a little red woollen hat on, which only really
revealed her key features, hiding her forehead and her hair. She was
singing into a microphone that was roughly taped onto something that was
holding it to her mouth. I could see a wire attached to it but not where it
was leading or a speaker from whence any amplified sound was coming. It was
a low budget gig, that I had just caught the end of. When she realised she
had my attention she started to sing another song. The voice that came out
transfixed me, it was full low, bare and ultimately gentle. It rung of her
life experience. My dirty, cold surroundings faded and I was briefly
transported to a beautiful place, somewhere deep in her soul. She quickly
opened up my own voice which I merged with hers. She started the next song
and then a chap walked up and dropped a $20.00 note in her box. As my train
came onto the platform this lady thanked me for singing with her (??) and I
left, although I wanted to stay, have a cup of tea and chat a while (not
that there was any tea on hand!).
I had just received an important lesson in the art of performance.

Jess Gold
London, England



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