The District prides itself on being diverse. From politics to restaurants, one can find a mix of styles and cultures that suits any and every need. The music scene is as diverse as the rest of the city, and to find it, all one has to do is keep one's ears open while walking down a busy street or coming out of the metro. Street musicians, a new arrival on Washington's streets, exemplify the true spirit of music and connect with people of all ages and backgrounds.
Taking the escalator up from the L'Enfant Plaza station is a tedious task; people walking to work or hurrying home. However, this daily grind is bearable and enjoyable while listening to the sweet, gospel-like sound that comes from John Anton Thorton's trumpet. He symbolizes a sense of pride, playing soulful hymns and patriotic songs such as "America the Beautiful" and "The Star-Spangled Banner."
These are fitting songs for him to play with the U.S. Capitol in the background. Thorton puts great feeling into his trumpet playing, something he has been doing on the streets for nearly 30 years.
When asked about his feelings of playing on the street, Thorton replied, "I'm not playing, I'm performing. I feel like I'm trying to hit the right note." John Aton shares his experience and thoughts for musicians, telling them to "play hymns; play God's music. Use the talent that God gave you to play his music."
One of D.C.'s brightest scenes for nightlife, Dupont Circle serves as a haven for street musicians. With the steady trickle of the circle's central fountain serving as an unacknowledged percussionist, many musicians set up their instruments here and entertain tourists and people passing by with a free show. Occasionally, an experienced professional plays here. Robert Lighthouse is one such musician.
His guitar is audible as crowds walk up the escalator at Dupont Circle station. On one fall morning, many were gathered around, having submitted themselves to his musical power. They swayed to the music or nodded their heads to the bluesy energy emitted from his amplified guitar and his heartfelt lyrics.
Lighthouse has been playing his blues guitar riffs and harmonica for the majority of his life. Over the past 20 years, he has played in clubs throughout the world, but he still likes to play on the streets.
"On the street you have a chance to connect with more people, and play for more people," Lighthouse said. "When it's good on the street, when you get something really working on the streets, then you know it's good."
Lighthouse reminisced about playing on the street in San Francisco nearly 15 years ago. A harmonica player approached him, who he later found out was in the band Blues Traveler. The harmonica player asked if he could play along with him. Lighthouse confessed that he didn't know who he was at the time, but he could tell that the harmonica player "was real serious." So they started playing together. Lighthouse says that, "looking back on that, it's something that I can say that I have played with that guy."
Lighthouse shares his wisdom and said that over time, musicians should "be persistent, stick with [playing] and develop it more."
The satisfactory feeling derived from performing is one of the main draws for street musicians, a feeling that unites people from different generations. Walking around Dupont Circle, one can listen to two different people strumming along to Bob Dylan's music. One was a middle-aged man with gray hair and beard, while the other was nearly half his age, clean-shaven and professional-looking. These two guitarists capture the idea that music can affect different people in the same way, and push them to play their music in public.
A third guitarist from an even younger generation also embodies that sentiment, as she picks at the chords from Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" outside the Tenleytown Metro station. Kristen Parotta, a freshman in AU's School of Communication, continues the spirit of the street musician. She described street music as "original," and said that "you get good feedback." She approaches her music as an attempt to combine her playing in the professional sense as well as for personal enjoyment. "Most jobs are pretty boring," Parotta said. "I would rather play music."
This love of music and performing brings together people from all generations and musical tastes to capture the very basic and, some would argue, best level of music.
Each of these musicians brings their own unique, diverse styles and influences together to contribute to the musical diversity in this International city. There are more like them out there. All you have to do is look and listen.
