Popping Strings For Profit

The members of the Poodles, a female country music group, were playing along Brattle St. recently when they were overwhelmed by the amplified sounds of a neighboring street musician. "It was like playing in a three-ring circus," says group member Ruth Rappaport.

The Poodles quit early that night.

Getting drowned out by music and noise of the many occupational hazards that street performers endure. They must contend with bored audiences, policemen checking permits, weather turning foul, malfunctioning amplifiers and popping strings.

Despite the uncertainties, hundreds of street performers from all over the world gravitate toward Harvard Square during the summer months to play music, juggle fire or do a little magic. "It's so great to sit here, and out of the corner of my eye see someone smile," says Carol Hetrick, who plays violin along Brattle St. to supplement her income as an administrator at the Longy School of Music. "It makes it all worthwhile."

Most performers are on the street to earn their living by collecting contributions. Despite working as a lifeguard three times a week at the Central Square YMCA, Kevin McNamara makes most of his money by playing his guitar, harmonica, and mandolin, shaking his maracas, and stomping on his tambourine in front of hundreds of delighted strangers. How well does he do? "It's very therapeutic," McNamara says. "We save a lot on shrinks."

"We're socialized to think we're not leading meaningful lives if we don't get a regular paycheck," says Eric Kilburn, who is now in Nicaragua as a member of Arts for a New Nicaragua, a Brookline-based group dedicated to cultural exchange. "We don't just live like Bohemians, living under a bridge."

Others may come to the Square to practice in front of an audience, to publicize a future gig, or just for fun. A recent graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Ed Bernstein likes to beat his conga drum along Brattle St. After finishing work at Digital Equipment Corporation. Bernstein starts searching around Paperback Booksmith for other musicians to join him.

Though many make needed money from their music, most say that the amount they make has little to do with how well they feel they have been accepted. "I'll come home and there you have a pile of money in your case. It doesn't click," says Luke Hunsberger. "It's hard to connect the money with people's appreciation."

"To be a successful performer, you have to detach yourself from the money," says Kilburn. Others disagree, though, like Mike Babinchak, who says that "there's a direct correlation between how well you play and how much you make."

Throughout Harvard Square, street musicians make that money from contributions. But in an attempt to make the area more attractive, the Charles Square Hotel pays musicians to play in its courtyard.

To perform on Cambridge property, a performer must obtain a $5 permit from the Traffic and Parking Department. According to Traffic Investigator George Hewitt, the permit allows performances only on the raised area in front of Paperback Booksmith and Grendel's, "unless you have the permission of the store and you don't obstruct" the sidewalk. Many performers do not have permits, most do not play in legal areas, and no one plays in front of Grendel's.

"We wait for complaints, then we move," says Lieutenant Thomas Benson of the Cambridge Police. "The street officers use their discretion." New regulations will be considered at the August 5 City Council meeting, according to Deputy City Manager Richard Rossi.

Many performers, however, complain that the enforcement of the current rules by the police is arbitrary. "I have found the Cambridge police to be unworkable," says Hunsberger, who no longer plays his guitar on Cambridge streets. "It's up to the police to enforce the rules and it depends how they feel that day. I don't want to be under their whim."

Instead, Hunsberger, McNamara, and others have applied for permits from Harvard Real Estate to play at Holyoke Center, which is owned by the University. The permits are free and, in general, allow a musician to play for four to six hours. Some requests for the summer are made as early as February, and the entire summer calendar is usually filled by June.

The manager of Au Bon Pain, Douglas Parker, has the right, along with Harvard, to cancel or deny a permit. Citing local gadfly Logan Evans and his trivia game exploits as something he would object to, Parker says simply, "He annoys people."

Though most musicians in Holyoke Center play directly in front of the Cambridge Trust Company, the bank is not involved in monitoring the area. Senior Vice President James F. Dwinell III, whose desk is closest to the performers outside, says that although he rarely complains, "I've got to admit that a guy playing a saxophone in a monotone tone--it gets under your skin."

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The following is a list of many of the entertainers who perform regularly in Harvard Square. The list is, of course, incomplete:

Pamela Ambrose and Carol Hetrick (cello, violin) -- Hetrick is playing to earn money so she can attend the Harvard Graduate School of Education in the fall. But like many Harvardians, she's having her doubts. Despite comments from her colleagues at the Longy School of Music, she continues to play along Brattle St. and in the Harvard Square and Government Center T stops.

Mike Babinchak (cello) -- After playing in orchestras for years, Babinchak says, "I like the freedom of playing on the street." When he's not playing classical music at the Coop and in subway stops, he teaches music to private students.

David Baker (12 string guitar) -- Baker chooses the quieter spots along Brattle St. to play mostly his own music, which he merely describes as "acoustic wizardry."

Ed Bernstein (Conga drum) -- A graduate of RPI, he makes up his face with black, silver and blue makeup and joins other musicians along Brattle St., usually on Tuesday. He calls what he does improvisation. "It's like jazz out not like it's taken to mean by Berkeley students." Originally from Long Island., Bernstein plans to write a book for street musicians under the name of Tem Noon.

John Bigelow and Lorraine Saltre (classical guitar) -- Bigelow plays several times a week, sometimes with his wife Saltre. He plays at Charles Square and Holyoke Center. They says they perform classical music, contemporary spanish folk songs, and operatic arias "for the basic honesty of the situation. If people stay and listen it's because they like us."

Nuala Ni Chanainn (violin) -- She plays baroque music every other week with Brian Clague (violin), usually on Tuesday. They prefer to play inside the Coop. Originally from Ireland, Chanainn, who still speaks with a pronounced Irish accent, also plays folk music with a group called Amarcord (2 violins, accordion). Clague says he plays because "there's a feeling of putting something into the world that's good."

Eric Kilburn (guitar, drum, amp) -- Kilburn is director of the Nameless Coffee House on Church St. and plays folk and rock songs. They're not all happy songs because "there is war, poverty, and strife, and if you try to ignore them, you can live a happy, superficial life." He is often hired to play in Charles Square, though he is now in Nicaragua-for several weeks. "I feel I make people happy every time I play," he says.

Sonny Holiday (magic) -- He plans to start performing in Florida very soon. Holiday says the attraction of his show is that there is a beginning, middle, and end.

Luke Hunsberger (guitar with amp) -- He plays at Holyoke Center twice a week-for five hours starting at 7 p.m. and at the Downtown Crossing once a week at lunchtime. He plays 60s and 70s music, Beatles, Neil Young, Bob Dylan. He's a regular in the Square, having performed steadily for the past nine months. (see story this page)

Kevin McNamara (gultar, harmonica, mandolin, maracas, tambourine, amp) -- McNamara usually is assisted by "Hurricane" Dennis on the bass. They play at Holyoke Center once a week and often near the women's annex at the Coop. They just describe themselves as "fun rock-n-roll." Be careful when you're near them. Kevin likes to have fun with the crowd.

Barry O'Brien (guitar, no amp) -- O'Brien plays 60s and 70s pop songs, as well as Irish and American folk music. "All the same old stuff everyone likes to hear," he says. He plays Holyoke Center once a week and along Brattle the rest of the time. Sporting long hair and often a bandanna, as well, he enjoys joining other musicians and singing with them. With no permanent home and traveling throughout the country, O'Brien likes to think of himself as a troubadour.

Helio Pena (acrobat) -- Originally from Portugal, Pena has travelled by way of Canada to juggle fire for the kids. He usually performs on Sunday on the raised area in front of Paperback Booksmith.

Poodies -- A group of four women who play "old-time string band" and Southern Appalachian music. Ruth Rappaport says they distinguish themselves by playing Tex-Mex and Hungarian music, while using rock-a-roll rhythms. They perform once a week along Brattle.

Michael Spire (guitar, amp) -- Along Brattle Street, Spiro plays three or four times a week. He writes and performs "comedy music" since "it's less boring than playing Neil Young and James Taylor songs all night." He is particularly proud of his song "Music, Sex, and Cookies," which played nationally on the Dr. Demento show.

Donald Weir (bag pipes) -- From Edinburgh, Scotland, he has been in this country for only two weeks. His schedule is loose, but Weir says plans to play regularly until Aug. 24. His show is somewhat of a novelty and is not to be missed.