This was the final farmers market of the year, one that popped up a few weeks ago. It turned out to be a reasonably warm day, though with the little wind that came up occasionally, it had some chilly moments. This is three hour gig so I was glad I had some sun on me the whole time.
I decided again to go with no sound amplification and several vendors thanked me for it. In fact, a friend and potter down the path said it was amazing how well the sound travelled acoustically. It was a fairly slow day, I was told, so I was glad that the vendors were listening and appreciating the music.
There were a few kids with parents and grandparents drifting by, and some of the kids got into it, but there were some very frightened/shy kids that wanted nothing to do with me. I can’t figure it out but I understand how strange it must be to experience live music that somehow demands a reaction. I try to be as non-threatening as possible, but sometimes I just can’t break through. I’ll often encourage the moms and dads to join in, and, often they do, but just as often the dads just don’t know how to do it. It’s sad, really.
One delightful toddler girl had a great time with her grandmom and as we chatted, I found out the grandmom was a primary school teacher for many years. She knew what was going on and it seemed her granddaughter caught on, as well.
I got some good tips, a nice pottery mug from Tom, the potter, a ball of soap, a beautiful squash and a surprise check from the market. I’ve had a tough time booking this market (this was my first visit this year) and I can’t understand why not. As one of the vendors said to me, I’m am the essence of what a musician should bring to this type of event. I agree, frankly.
I was done at 12 noon and had a healthy three hour session of practice. That’s why I like what I do.