Summertime

"Oh, there's that nice girl with the guitar. I've been missing her."

I could hear them speaking from halfway down the corridor, two women in their sixties speaking sotto voce.

Even though I often suspect that I'm being mistaken for several other, younger, girls with guitars who've played on the Toronto subway system, I'm happy to be described this way. I smile and play energetically as they approach.

"Hello, Dear. How are you?" one asks with a warm smile.

"Fine thanks!" And I actually am.

+++

Because I've been feeling less-than-confident about subway singing recently, today I sought a busking location that was as much like a concert hall as possible.

The only ones I could think of were Spadina and Queen's Park subway stations. Of the two, Queen's Park was more likely to be well-travelled on a Monday afternoon, so that's where I went.

Unfortunately, the escalator under the glorious vaulted skylight was under repair and the floor space reserved for buskers was occupied by dismantled escalator parts. I wondered yet again: is every subway station continually under construction, or am I simply drawn to the ones that are?

I considered riding the subway to a better location, but in 32 degree heat I couldn't be bothered.

Taking my cue from the harpist who resourcefully created an alternate space for himself at Broadview, I decided exactly where I wanted to stand and started singing in the best part of the corridor.

+++

Today I played three well-known summer tunes and repeated them often.

"Summertime" ("...and the livin is easy"), "I Can See Clearly Now" ("gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day") and "Here Comes The Sun" were all popular with passers-by. At one point, a man walked by and pulled out a harmonica, playing along with "Summertime". I wished he could stay longer.

I think I'll add more sunny-day covers to my repertoire. "You Are The Sunshine of My Life" would be good, I think.

Also, I want to write a great summer song of my own.

(There I go again, raising the bar on myself. Yup, I'll write a definitive summer song not unlike, oh, George Harrison, George Gershwin and Stevie Wonder! Well, might as well aim high.)

I have to say, it felt good to be singing in the subway today, and I was relieved to be enjoying it again.

When my mood lifts after a down period (not just about busking, but about the "music career" in general) I wonder, what was I thinking? How could I not enjoy singing songs I love for hours at a time and having strangers thank me?

(Queen's Park station - Almost 3 hours in the middle of the day - $36.29)