A girl and her guitar… The life on tour series
Summer 2024 Tour
The life of a singer/songwriter is a cyclical experience.
- CREATE
- CAPTURE
- SHARE
The best part is going on tour and sharing the music you created. Many music community members asked me what my summer tour was like, so I started writing about it to share the experience.
Concert #5 Busking at Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA
What: Busking
Where: at the Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA
When: August 13th, 14th and 15th, 2024.
WHAT IS the Pike Place Market?
Seattle’s heartbeat - the Pike Place Market - is a vibrant icon that has shaped the city’s energy for over a century. It is often referred to as “the soul of Seattle” and the more time I spent there and the more I learned about its history the more that moniker made sense to me.
The Market stretches over nine historic acres in downtown Seattle. Seattle’s Pike Place Market is where locals and tourists gather to shop, chill, savor the tingle in their taste buds, and discover hidden gems.
Established in 1907, Pike Place Market is one of the oldest and largest continuously operating public markets in the U.S.A. You can feel the vibrancy of this amazing community as soon as you spot the pouty blue Puget Sound as you huff and puff down Pine Street and Second Avenue.
Pike Place Market has been a non-profit since 1973. Its mission is to preserve, rehabilitate, and protect the Market’s buildings; increase farm and food retailing opportunities; incubate and support small and marginal businesses; and provide services for low-income people.
Every day is different in the Market, but most of the Pike Place Market is active from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with some restaurants staying open until midnight or later. Pike Place Market is open 7 days a week and is only closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
WHAT I LOVED ABOUT BEING THERE
What I loved the most about being there was this uncanny sense of belonging I felt while I was there. I wonder if the farmers, small business owners, and artisans, residents and other buskers feel this too.
I was overwhelmed by how friendly and welcoming the vendors at the market were to me. You can feel and EXPERIENCE all of the thought and purpose that has gone into building this beautiful community. I know that this sense of belonging I felt is what the market was built upon and what it continues to preserve to this day.
I know that being there with my brother was absolutely a part of this feeling; having him share the market with me was an extraordinary experience.
We grew up in Western New York State and he has called Seattle home for over two decades. He recently started a walking tour company that strolls through the market. I was lucky enough to take a tour with his company while I was there, and it completely opened my eyes to the magic of the market!
Wander Northwest offers insightful guided walking tours through the history, art, culture, and delightful treats of Seattle, Washington. They provide several options covering various areas of the city, each focusing on the specific history and unique characteristics of that particular neighborhood.
A walking tour with Wander Northwest is an incredible and immersive way to experience the city. It is not just a tour; it is a celebration of history, art, and the magic of Seattle.
Some of the farmers you will find at Pike Place Market are:
- Lee Family Farm - vegetable, berry and flower farm located in Kent, Washington
- the Silver Springs Creamery
- The Thai Tao Flower Farm.
Some of the artisans are:
- Candlemaker - ManifestbyFatima
- Kris Sacksteder of Weird Woods sculpts boxes from a single piece of wood.
A few of the small business owners:
- Tia Matthies and Robynne Hawthorne, owners of The Rabbit Box
- Metsker Maps
- amazing taqueros at Marisco Mexico
About the residents
- There are over eight residential buildings in the market that are home to over 500 residents. The residents come from all different backgrounds and the buildings have been around since the early 1900s.
And the buskers!
Some of the regulars are a violin duo in cat costumes, a hammered dulcimer player, a magician called Mr. Unity and so many more amazing performers some of which I was lucky enough to meet while performing there.
WHAT IS BUSKING?
A busker is a live street performer. You’ll usually find them doing their thing in high-traffic spots like busy sidewalks, subway stations, or parks. They could be singing, playing an instrument, juggling, performing magic tricks, or even dancing. It's street entertainment at its finest, offering up some sweet unexpected melodies or captivating shows to passersby. And if you dig what they’re doing, you can toss a few bucks their way to show some love!
I had always wanted a second chance at busking. I applied to be an official busker in New York City when I lived there and was denied. I then learned it is legal if one does not use amplification and is at least 250 feet away from the subway teller. I decided to try it out. I was terrified. I went to my stop on the L train in Brooklyn. It was LOUD and competing with screeching train brakes and subway announcements was challenging acoustic-wise.
I asked my girlfriend at the time to accompany me. She wore a newsboy cap and pretended to be reading a book, waiting for the train. It was nice to have her presence and to have someone looking out for me, but you never really know who you are going to run into on the subway platform. I found it difficult to feel vulnerable while trying to get into my sharing music zone. After a good 20 minutes I was done. I was proud of myself for giving it a try, I think I made about 45 cents and made a few people smile. I also felt like I didn’t really get a chance to share my work due to the competing sounds.
Fast forward ten years and endless life experiences later, this time in Seattle was different. The first day, I asked my brother to accompany me. He asked if he could get me a drink or something to eat when we arrived and I was all set up and settled. I asked him: “could you just make sure that I don’t get murdered?”
Being a tour guide who is in the Market daily, he smiled and nodded his head. He hung out and listened to me play, took photos and smiled at passersby. It was easy. I felt acknowledged, understood and safe. By the next day, I was set. I walked to work freely and felt like I knew my place.
The first day I set up next to the clock (Performer Location A on the map), snuggled up next to the Pike Place Fish Market. While there was a gigantic crowd and lots of excited energy, my singing voice could not compete - nor did I feel like competing!
My brother and I then worked our way down to what they call “the cave” (Performer Location I on the map). That was special, we caught a lot of folks waiting for the elevator and the acoustics were just lovely.
One morning I sang in front of the original Starbucks (performer location K on the map). That was fun - people were so excited to be there and I was happy to add another element to heighten their already-stimulated senses.
My favorite spot to sing was on Post Alley between Pike Place Chowder and Copacabana (performer location D on the map). There was a pocket of shade there in between buildings which was wonderful on the humid August afternoons. The sonic buzz of the market was still there but it wasn’t overpowering. To me, it was background noise that set the stage and I could still do my thing and share many magic moments with passersby.
The restaurants’ staff was friendly with me - it felt awesome to shoot the shit with them - just another day at work for both of us. I felt respected and alive and I felt like I had a specific job to do at the market that was of value.
I FEEL GRATEFUL
I am grateful to Charlie Woodman, the Pike Place Market Daystall Arts program specialist for the helpful orientation and to Alana Crawley - the Daystall Arts Program Manager for meeting with me to give me my amazing Busker Badge that I wore with pride!
I am incredibly grateful to all the farmers and craftspeople that inspired me and welcomed me to the market with such enthusiasm.
I encourage you to visit Pike Place Market if you ever find yourself in Seattle, WA! Please give my brother a call if you do!
https://www.wandernwwalkingtours.com/
I believe in music and its ability to heal the wounds of the world. I believe in my music because of the peace that it brings to my inner world to make it. When I get out into the world to share it, I begin with a prayer that it will do its thing and be of service - to just one person - who needs it - at a time.
