How local can you get with your music?

How local can you get with your music?

By Tara Giddings

Outside the San Francisco ferry building on almost any given weekend a man sits outside exuberantly playing the drums on a variety of items from pots to trash cans, and he puts on quite a show. Perhaps it started as a mere tourist attraction, perhaps an inside joke with locals, or perhaps from a life long desire to play the drums for a crowd.  No matter the initial idea this man provides the crowd with an individualist experience and one that is quite unforgettable.

Full of energy the street performer dances around the table filled with drummable objects. He taps his feet on the ground and runs around to bang on the white plastic bucket before switching back to the metallic pot turned upside down. His excitement transfers to the crowd as their smiles switch from gentle amusement to a joyous laughter. The intense fog and light rain do not manage to stop a crowd from forming. A little boy giggles as he places a dollar in the tip jar and the rest simply enjoy the opportunity to see such a fun show in the midst of an average busy day.

Stationed between the farmer’s market held at the Ferry Building and the artisan pop ups near the Embarcadero this man has a prime spot to catch people out for a weekend stroll. An assortment of people stop to watch, from a couple wearing Patagonia jackets  drinking Sightglass coffee out on a dog walk, to a man wearing a variety of jackets with holes possibly holding every item he owns in a garbage bag. Down the block there is a man painted silver and another man singing (possibly impersonating Elvis?) but the drum man is the most entertaining and has the best musical ability.

His talent draws in the audience with energetic beats that make me imagine being on a beach in Jamaica. He pops up and down while causing a stir with the sounds. The metallic hit forms a higher pitch and the plastic causes a more steady tone. The music is upbeat and feels positive, like it can help create a better life outlook if you only stand still and focus on each bang of the drums. The man grins as he plays along, spending the  joy he feels from his art to the public through the music.

Adorned in a floral shirt and bucket hat the man adds in a few “woo woots” alongside the enthusiastic “yeah yeah! ”from someone passing by. The man bounces along with his whole body as he produces the waves of music. Just by standing next to him people begin to nod along and bounce their own legs to the sound of the beat. As the sensations of the sound are felt in their entire bodies people look a little more calm and a little more happy than the few who walk by and ignore the noise to simply continue on without bothering to notice the lively attitude surrounding them.

By taking the time to appreciate the music and give gratitude, or cash, to this man he manages to be just as much of a performer as those inside concert venues. He may not be one of the best drummers around, but his spirit and perseverance to his passion, with the fact that he is willing to play outside for free, imply how important the music is to him. He is able yo not only pursue what makes him happy, but also allow other people to take a break from their own lives and live in the world of energy created by the sound.