Film About Turkish Subway Musicians
In Turkish, the term “subway musicians” is written “metro müzisyenleri.” Check out the trailer for a beautiful, soon-to-be-released documentary about street musicians in Turkey, Metro Müzisyenleri, by Osman Çakir.
The Rules of Musical Attraction
Read Irish Mae Silvestre’s Arts & Entertainment blog post on CSM here.
Here’s an excerpt: “It’s rush hour at the Clark and Lake subway stop. A frantic flurry of coats and briefcases marks the beginning of the end of the day. And then it ducks and weaves through the crowd: a violin’s sweet, sorrowful song permeates the tired old tiles of the station. Trains barrel in and out. Yet a handful of commuters remain rooted to the spot – for now, home and other destinations can wait.
“His name is Scott Dusenbery. Neat and nondescript in jeans and a preppy white polo shirt, he coaxes his violin into a mellow tune of lingering notes, seemingly oblivious to the crowd…”
Read the full post here.
Music In The Air
Please take a look at the recently-completed documentary, Music In The Air, from Alex Mechlin. From the underground subways to the busy streets of downtown Chicago, this film gives you a look at the lives of street musicians. It explores their motivation to perform before an interactive and usually mobile audience, views on music appreciation, and opinions on regulations which govern how and where street musicians can perform. While they may be ignored by passers-by and overlooked by city laws, the exuberance of playing music cannot be disregarded.
Watch the video here: Music In The Air
Please Send Us Your Stories!
We’d love to hear your stories and thoughts about street musicians and performances in Chicago (or another city). Tell us about your favorite performer or how hearing music on the streets or during your commute makes you feel.
You can share with us by emailing your story to submit@chicagostreetmusicians.org.
A Look Into The Lives Of Street Musicians
Cecile Vannucci, a journalism student at Northwestern University, has spent countless hours talking with many of Chicago’s talented street musicians, learning about their lives and photographing and filming them during performances and off stage. She recently shared her wonderful writing, photographs and film with CSM. You can enjoy them here:
Essay: In Between Trains (Spring 2010)
Photographs: A Day in the Life of Martin Saville
Photographs: Downtown Chicago – The Underground World
Film: Chicago On A Musical Note
Chicago Street Musicians Launches First-Ever Music Video
Thank you to everyone who attended the launch of our Chicago Street Musicians “Sweet Home Chicago” video. You can watch the video below and at our YouTube Channel.
The jury of Intercom, the International Film and Video Competition, recently awarded “Sweet Home Chicago” with a Certificate of Merit for its superior quality. This division of the Chicago International Film Festival, Intercom honors the best in Corporate, Industrial, Educational and Interactive productions. Sweet Home Chicago competed against thousands of international entries and won in the “Online/Viral” category.
Thank you to Joe’s and Martin Guitars for their sponsorship.
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CSM Survey Results On Wordle
A recent survey by Chicago Street Musicians asked Chicagoans the following question:
“Name three words that come to mind when you think of street musicians.”
Here’s what we found:
