Pipe Me Aboard, People Working On Your Way to Work

Maybe it’s just me, but lately the New York City subways seem overrun with Peruvian panpipe players. Now, it could be that the stations I use just happen to attract performers of that particular genre. Still, almost without exception, when I’m walking to or from the 6 train, I’m greeted by the gentle harmonies of Abba in woodwind. There’s obviously money in it. Some of the performers have full electric bands. Many of them sell professionally recorded CDs, even tempting passersby with dancers who showcase the goods. So people must like it. Which, I suppose, shouldn’t be too surprising, for the simple reason that subway travel is monotonous, and we all welcome any escape from monotony.

There’s nothing new in that. We’ve long sought relief from the extended tedium of commuting by paying street performers who make us smile or by tuning into drive-time radio. But what’s new, at least for the large segment of the population who don’t enjoy reading, is the constant accessibility of multimedia entertainment, which means that it can help abate boredom in new places  work, for example.

We have been in New York on different occasions and also experienced anywhere from a sole player to an entire band playing pipes guitars, drums and tambourines. As the author claims, it is a nice respite from the drudgery of subway travel and all that you face when you reach your destination and go off the work.

We remembered descending into one subway stop and finding a pair of identical twins, playing Peruvian music. One played guitar and the other the pipes, and since they were good looking gentlemen with long, dark shoulder length hair they attracted their fair share of women. Clearly, they were enjoying themselves, and just as clearly, as evidenced by their guitar case laden with bills and silver, they were making money.

So in a sense, these subway troubadours and working to entertain our work force, or at least those who use subways and other forms of transportation. Whether these troubadours are legal or illegal immigrants is a concern for somoene else, since they do help us relax on our journey to work. Perhaps, in addition to the Pervian musicians we can use a few Irish bands, playing Celtic music, and samplings of other music from other parts of the world.

We doubt seriously if these people will ever need background checks since technically they are among the self-employed. But if you are fotunate enough to be in a place where your workday begins with the lyrical sounds of Peruvian Pipes, consider yourself lucky. It will brighten up your day.
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