Music in the Streets
As you go home after a hard day’s work, and you get off the metro train,
sometimes you have to walk a long way to the exit or to change trains. Suddenly in
the noise, some music is heard. Those are street musicians. You take out a coin
from your pocket and throw it into their hat or instrument case. These musicians
bring color and life to the city streets. Street musicians are aged between 17 and 30
years. Some of them are men, some women. They play classical music, pop or folk
music, old and new songs. Many musicians are former university students or
professional musicians.
Andrew Hain, for example, was once a music student, but he gave up music and
became a painter. Now he plays in the underground because he doesn’t want to
forget how to play. His girlfriend is a painter, too. She helps him to collect the
money. Another street musician, David MacNell, tells new players:
“Learn new songs all the time, or else you’ll have fewer and fewer listeners. Wear
bright clothes to attract attention. Make sure that the places where you choose to
play are warm. The best places are and bridges certainly the underground.”
On Sundays, Hyde Park is the best place as the speakers here address the people.
The street musicians are doing business with their the many tourists who visit the
park. The weather is one of the worst problems. It is not so easy to play the violin
or the guitar on a rainy day in November London and try to smile.
A much worse problem is the police. From time to time, they come, and the
musicians are moved to a different place. True, they are not often fined. One
musician told me:
“The policeman asked me what I was doing. I said I was just practising. Some
money just fell out of my pocket into the guitar case, and I was told to leave my
place. I think it’s not fair. People love street music. It makes the city more
attractive.”
Exercise 4. Answer the questions
 Why should street musicians wear bright clothes?
 What are the best places for street musicians?
 Which is worse for street musicians – the weather or the police?
 Why do street musicians need to learn new songs all the time?

Exercise 5. Why street musicians like their job and what their problems are. Write
the text.