For the love of their art

On Saturday evening, I found myself walking down Kirkwood to do some much-needed shopping with a friend.

After stopping at Urban Outfitters, we continued to walk down past Kilroy’s to stop at Cactus Flower.

As we began to cross Grant Street, something caught my ear.

Louder than the shouting voices and the sloshing beer from Kilroy’s, a banjo accompanied by a violin caught my attention.

Curious, I forced my friend to cross the street with me to find the source of the music.

We stumbled upon a quartet singing and playing the upright bass and the guitar, along with the banjo and the violin. Their voices and harmonies blended so perfectly, and the song was so captivating that I just stood in the middle of the sidewalk, staring.

When they finished the song, I fumbled in my purse for whatever spare change I had.

Tossing 50 cents into their guitar case, I apologized for not having more to contribute for the amazing performance I just experienced.

What began as a quick shopping jaunt had turned into a free concert. The combination of new clothes and good music made what was already a great night even better.

This is not the first time I’ve experienced a musical walk down Kirkwood Avenue.

I’ve run into performances ranging from a cappella to bluegrass to steel drums, and each time I’m impressed by how much talent the streets of Bloomington showcases.

What impresses me even more is most of these musicians do it for the love of their art. Sure, a passerby’s spare change is always a plus, but they sit on the sidewalks until midnight practicing their passion for free.

Lovers of any type of music can appreciate what these sidewalk musicians provide.

You don’t have to travel far and pay a lot to hear good music – it’s only a few blocks away.