The Well Aging Fiddler: 100 Park Shows
Last week, to my surprise, I performed my 100th Park Show.
It all started in the spring of 2020, when I decided to take my violin and bow, walk to a nearby park, and play music to the empty picnic tables and the tall Oregon trees. The pandemic had settled into more than a speed bump in our lives, and I simply did this for something to do: a nice walk, some fresh air, and little danger of encountering anyone else since the pandemic had everyone sheltered in their homes.
I was nervous. I had no idea where I was going to play, how long I would play, whether anyone would be in the park, and how they would respond to the music. I’d chosen a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and to my surprise the park wasn’t empty. There must have been at least ten other people walking alone along the paths and trails.
Oh dear. I’d assumed the park would be empty.
For 45 minutes, I wandered from one end of the park to the other and back again, looking for an isolated picnic table far from anyone else. I found one up on a hill, took out my violin, my bow, and the sheet music. I don’t remember how I sounded, but I’m certain it was a little shaky. I played roughly eight to ten short tunes. I have no idea how it went. There wasn’t any applause. The trees continued to silently sway in the wind. Nobody walked up to me and said, "Nice job" or anything like that. The few people who were there continued their activities, someone on a bicycle rode down the path, and that was it. I packed up and walked home.
A few days later I repeated the process. I packed my equipment, walked to the park, found an empty picnic table, played for a few minutes, then walked back home. Then I did it again, and again, and again.
That was five years ago, and since then I’ve never stopped doing these Park Shows. Now and then, if the weather is good, I go to the park and play music for 15 or 20 minutes.
When I play, none of it is planned. Everything happens on a spontaneous basis, yet it also has that "I’ve been here before" feeling not unlike the movie Groundhog Day from 1993, the story of a man forced to live the same day over and repeatedly.
Over the slow course of these 100 Park Shows, my focus changed from something to do to get me out of the house, to an interest in performing for the sake of the music. I stopped worrying about whether anyone would disapprove or judge my playing. I simply enjoy playing the music among the tall trees. I focus on filling those 15 – 20-minute Park Shows with variety. American fiddle tunes, Irish tunes, Scandinavian tunes, pop tunes, a couple of classical songs.
Some tunes are included in the programs for several performances then fade away. Other tunes are occasional, three or four will be my go-to warmup songs.
Do people stop what they’re doing and come over to listen? Sometimes. There are always a few people playing pickleball to my right, and perhaps a picnic or two up higher on a hill. I’ll stop and talk with anyone who comes over. I’ll let little kids hold the violin and bow. I get smiles and nods. Sometimes someone may be sitting close by at a picnic table. I always ask if they’d mind if I play for a few minutes. Nobody has ever objected.
I’ve come to a point where I just want the music to sound as good as possible. I don’t want to come across as indifferent to anyone who is listening, but I’ve also come to realize I can’t control how they react to the moment. All I can do is play as well as possible and let whatever happens happen. I hope that makes sense. I don’t do this for audience approval. I just do it.
I just look out the window, see it’s a great day, make sure I have nothing to do for an hour or two and walk to the park, play the music, and walk home.
That’s it.
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Replies
Thank you for sharing your interesting experience.
This is a great way to get comfortable playing for others. It sounds very pleasant, too, among the pines!
This is very encouraging. I have thought of doing this a few times, but always chicken out. Our town has three large parks and other smaller ones, with some big pines and nice shade trees, an open invitation.
Thanks very much for your post
This is a wonderful post -- thanks. I occasionally do something a bit similar, playing/practicing alone in a deep forest, by a lake, or on a deserted beach. Weather and insects permitting. Curious animals will sometimes come by to observe (including humans) and the birds seem to sing louder.
Definitely keep it up. I’m confident that the general public is more receptive to violin music than we might believe, and there are a lot of creative ways to bring music to listeners where they are.
The idea of doing park shows resonates with me, even though my method of sharing the music is a little different. For starters, no parks nearby me. I haven’t counted the number of one-man shows I’ve done, but I’d estimate it’s 225-260 per year. The venue is my garage, which has the acoustics I like, and where it’s warm enough about 8 months of the year for playing late afternoon/early evening sessions. Of course, I don’t know who my audiences are during these playing sessions, since I can’t see them, and they can’t see me. But I know I have them because, later on, they tell me they hang around to listen. Quite a variety of people, too: working professionals, retirees, school jock types, small kids.
Since you touched on the subject of young kids: One unexpected - and memorable - visit in summer 2012 was from a kid I’d guess to be about 6 y/o at the time. He’d been riding his bike through the neighborhood during one of my garage sessions and had stopped to listen. I didn’t know he was there till he parked his bike in the driveway, walked up to the garage door, and knocked. You guessed it - he wanted to try out my instrument. Too big for him back then - not surprising; I didn’t move up to a 4/4-size fiddle myself till 14 y/o. The kid would be about 18 today - and, I’m sure, would have no trouble holding the fiddle now.
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September 23, 2024 at 11:33 PM · Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience and feelings. Keep up the good work!