Sounds from the street

Two pairs of feet tap the concrete, following the rhythm created by a pair of guitars and a harmonica. UW students and buskers Carl Preiksaitis and Rob Jopson sing the lyrics of Bob Dylan and Neil Young at the University District Farmers Market. Jopson, a junior, and Preiksaitis, a senior, perform at the farmers market during the fall, summer, and spring, weather permitting. Jopson moved in with Preiksaitis a year ago. After that, he began teaching himself how to play guitar using tabs from websites and tips from Preiksaitis. He bought his first guitar over the summer. He's now with Preiksaitis at the farmers market every other week, talking to the people who'll listen and watching kids dance along to their music. As a newcomer to the busking scene, performing on the street took some getting used to for Jopson. He and Preiksaitis look to each other for cues as they play. Between songs they laugh and chat, discussing chords or lyrics. "I'm still not very good, so getting ... self-confidence [took a while]," Jopson said, "and not really worrying about how good or bad I sound." Preiksaitis, however, has had practice. He taught himself to play the guitar and harmonica. He started busking solo in front of the post office his sophomore year. "Then I sort of learned that the street market is a much better place for buskers," Preiksaitis said. He decided to busk to get a chance to perform in front of an audience, all while making a little money on the side. One guitar case was packed up neatly behind them. The other, with an assortment of harmonicas inside, sat open, waiting. Kids clutched dollars from their parents and timidly put money in the case. Making money is not Preiksaitis' main goal. Rather, he uses the Saturday markets as a time to be out sharing music with the community. "It's really fun," he said. "You get random people walking up to you, saying they really enjoyed something that you did, and it's nice to get that sort of recognition." Busker Brandon Smith, 34, said he usually tries to busk a couple times a week. He performs at different spots throughout Seattle, but sometimes sets up his cello and amp in front of the University Book Store. "I always like playing for people," Smith said. "Busking is spontaneous too - you get people passing by, and it's kind of cool because it's like a slice through a part of the city." In the streets, Smith sat on his amp playing his cello. After his set, a person passed by saying, "Hey, you were shredding it man." Preiksaitis said there is a culture of busking. Guitar players are expected to know their chords and lyrics, and it is also important to have enough material to play for the amount of time a musician is busking. "There are definitely some of the times when you forget what you're singing or the particular chord change, and usually that's OK because people are just walking by," he said. "But occasionally you get people watching you, and you screw up in front of them and it's kind of embarrassing." Busking at the farmers market has changed recently, and now there is an informal registration. If there are buskers waiting for a spot, the musicians have to change places. At his spot, Preiksaitis has to fight the sounds of the street behind him. Preiksaitis worked at a summer camp and idolized the people who could just pick up a guitar and sing. He said that inspired him to teach himself how to play guitar and harmonica at the same time. "I thought that was really hard to do and really cool if you could pull it off," Preiksaitis said. Preiksaitis said he was also inspired by his favorite musicians, citing Young and Dylan as influences. He said he wanted to experience their songs in a different way. Preiksaitis said he thinks the farmers market is one of the best parts of the U-District. Even though he has written a few original songs, he doesn't typically perform them at the market and instead plays things that the crowd will recognize. "People are only usually listening for half a minute at a time," he said. "So it's more captivating to play a familiar song." Jopson said he and Preiksaitis are still trying to figure out their dynamic. He said they haven't figured out whether or not they are more successful as a pair or as individual performers. "We really don't have too much time to practice at home, so sometimes songs work out, and sometimes they're awful," Jopson said. "It's definitely more fun, I think, having a partner in crime." Smith, who took free orchestra classes throughout his school career, works in various aspects of the music industry. He does work as an audio engineer, records his music professionally, and busks as well. He also picks up work in construction and welding from time to time. Packing up his cello, placing it over a layer of dollar bills inside his case, he said he gets as much financially out of busking as he puts in. "I busk wherever I see an opportunity," Smith said. "All of the stuff I have been playing is my own music." Jopson said he plans to play and have fun but doesn't have any intentions of trying to make it professionally. Preiksaitis plans to continue playing during nice weather for as long as he is in Seattle, but he said he does not have plans to take his music any further than that. "I'm not a professional musician by any stretch of the imagination," he said. "I just enjoy playing, and I think it's great that there's a venue where I'm able to play in front of people rather than just playing for myself at home." Reach reporter Sarah Radmer at features@dailyuw.com.

Sounds from the street

Disruptor interrupts Psych 210, professor and students chase man on to Red Square

2025 Seattle and King County primary election endorsements

UW mechanical engineering students are now required to pay $250 quarterly fee to participate in department-affiliated RSOs

College Inn Pub reopens under new ownership