In Conversation--Taking it to the Streets
Playing for Change: Conversation with Filmmaker Jonathan Walls When it comes to street musicians, I have a fond memory of an African-American vocalist who sang soul tunes on University Avenue in Seattle. He accompanied his vocals by jingling a jar of coins and he always brought a smile to my face, even on the gloomiest days. Also in Seattle other street musician stars such as the Andean ensemble with their pan flutes and bombo drums performing at the Northwest Folklife Festival, where they drew crowds and downtown Seattle, as well as, an extraordinary Native American violinist that performed in Pike’s Place Market, etched themselves in my memory. So when I turned on the radio and to an NPR show, On Point , not too long ago, and heard an interview with Grammy award-winning producer/recording engineer Mark Johnson who chatted about his project, Playing for Change , I experienced goose bumps. My heart went out to Johnson who experienced an epiphany in a New York City subway