For the past few weeks, I have been busking around the metro Boston area. I intend this blog to be a chronicle of my adventures in playing for strangers for tips.

Some highlights thus far: Playing "Ashokan Farewell" and having a lovely young lady tell me it was her wedding song. Playing "Danny Boy" and having an older couple stand and listen to me, and when I was done the gentleman told me "That's my song. I'm Danny." Fascinating any number of small children. Having an elderly gentleman on oxygen tip me $10 for "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Seeing Cool Urban Teens (tm) dance a jig when they don't know I'm looking. Finding a small fiddler and his father at Fanueil Hall and playing with them for a while.

Some lowlights: Disheveled men who talk to me (and by "disheveled" I mean "appearing to be homeless and generally smelling strongly of alcohol, but I don't know for certain they're homeless." I don't mind being talked to. I do mind when people stand too close and talk too much so I can't play, because no playing=no tipping). The stranger who hugged me. I was then considering putting up a "DO NOT TOUCH THE FIDDLER" sign, but I think most people are appropriately inhibited about such things. The young woman who told me I'm a disgrace to musicians...well actually, she had a strong accent, so I'm not entirely sure what she said, and even if that is what she said, it was too funny to really be a lowlight.

Creative tips: Change from Bermuda, Singapore, Bahamas, various other places (I love foreign coins, so this is fine). A variety of Jesusy tracts (I don't mind these either, as long as there is also a tip involved). A flowery branch from a tree (sweet gesture, but I'm pretty sure it came from a tree in the Public Garden where it shouldn't have. It lasted for quite a while in a glass of water at home until the cats started eating it). Extra's new Watermelon flavored gum (sadly, I cannot recommend it. Too chemically).

As you can see, The Accidental Fiddler is excessively fond of parenthetical comments.

Today looks cold and damp, so I will be going underground.