From the Newsstands: This story appeared in The Eagle's December 2024 print edition. You can find the digital version here.
We first approach the musician, who goes by Ringo AK Star, in sundrenched Tenleytown as he sets up his saxophone. The instrument case teeters dangerously on the ledge above the Metro station escalators as he dips his reed in a plastic water bottle and smiles at us warmly. In a black jacket, baseball hat and blue jeans, he’s inconspicuous, but his music brings the quiet neighborhood to life.
The sound of Ringo’s alto saxophone echoes through the evening air every Thursday just outside the Tenleytown-AU Metro station. Tenleytown isn’t the only place that Ringo performs, but he finds something special in the unimposing suburban spread of this neighborhood.
“It’s a good area, people are so nice. People enjoy my music. I like that about this place. People respect you,” Ringo said. “I like the ambiance here. That’s the reason why I’m here, just once a week.”
Yet, it’s not really about the place for Ringo; his presence at the Metro station is mostly about playing his saxophone. He doesn’t necessarily see it as a performance, but rather a rehearsal.
“When I’m doing street performing it’s like I’m practicing. Instead of practicing at home I get to play in the street,” he said. Still, he practices for at least an hour a day at home as well.
Ringo’s love for music began at an early age and spans instruments — from the bass to the piano — but he especially loves the sax.
“My dad used to play the trumpet a long time ago,” Ringo said, laughing. “I would listen to him play. Maybe I picked that up from my dad.”
Ringo wanted this article to be about the music. He spoke of his biggest inspirations: John Coltrane, Boney James and Sonny Rollins. Though he likes all kinds of music, smooth jazz holds a special place in both his taste and his repertoire.
The D.C., Maryland and Virginia area has been Ringo’s home for his entire life, and he now lives in Rockville, Maryland. Before the pandemic, he played with a band in Baltimore, but currently plays bass at a church every Sunday. Aside from freelance music, he works as an independent contractor for different companies in Virginia.
This interview wasn’t the first time that Ringo had interacted with American University student journalists. Years ago, one of his performances was interrupted by students with a similar idea to our own.
According to Ringo, these students recorded his music and then conducted an interview. They made a video and overlapped the performance with him speaking.
“When they played that back to me, I loved it,” Ringo said, adding that he’d even kept up with one of the students.
Many in the University community have probably passed by him, either consciously enjoying his music or continuing with their routine. Yet, even with busy days, consider pausing a moment longer, as Ringo preaches the power of music amidst the habits and occasional monotony of D.C. life.
“[Music] is good for the body and soul,” Ringo reminded us.
This article was edited by Samantha Skolnick, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Emma Brown, Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Ariana Kavoossi, Ella Rousseau and Nicole Kariuki. Fact checking done by Sasha Dafkova and Hannah Paisley Zoulek.
