MUSICIANS ON THE STREET AND IN CONCERT
Music is a very strong passion of mine. Had I not been affected by art design and photography, I would have chosen to develop my love for the piano, percussion, and woodwinds. Musicians bring about another form of expression like fellow artists, dancers, and writers. They are members of that elite worldly union of the creative arts. Just like other forms of art that are so crowded with wonderful and talented people, only so many musicians can fit into the limited chambers, concert halls, arenas, studios, recording labels and circuits of what we know for popular musicians. Few become successful enough to survive within the financial level of the mainstream.
In my daily adventures, I can experience at least one musician on the street wherever I go. These street musicians serve the public on some level and often make at least a part of their living by donations from people like me and you. One can certainly agree that there are a variety of levels of skill and the more experienced ones have worked out a fine niche for themselves. Some perform solo and some others, in pairs, trios, quartets and sometimes perform in a small band. Some do all the above and sometimes more or less.
I sometimes wish that physicists, chemists, historians, biologists, and philosophers could be recognized in public in the same way as these musicians.
I have taken on a pledge never to take a photograph of any street musician unless I am able to contribute money to their public forum. For many, it does not matter as you are not obligated and can enjoy or despise what you hear whether you contribute or not. Some bring their mates, some bring their pets, some live in semi-splendor and others appear to live on the street. They make their way like other people in all walks of life.
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 "Street trio" Oakland, California August 2023 |
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 "Street piano" Emeryville, California July 2023 |
 "Folk musicians" Berkeley, California July 2023 |
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 "Tarika and Destiny" San Francisco, California July 2023 |
 "Bass player at Juneteenth" San Francisco, California July 2023 |
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 "Public drummer practicing" Berkeley, California June 2023 |
 "Berkeley High School Jazz Combo" Berkeley, California June 2023 |
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 "Farmer's Market Entertainer" Oakland, California June 2023 |
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 "People's Park Musicians" Berkeley, California May 2023 |
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 "Campus piano musician" Berkeley, California April 2023 |
 "Peets musician" Berkeley, California April 2023 |
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 "Solano Musician" Berkeley, California December 2022 |
 "Farmer's market musician" Oakland, California November 2022 |
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 "UC public piano player" Berkeley, California October 2022 |
 "UC public piano player" Berkeley, California October 2022 |
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 "UC public piano player" Berkeley, California October 2022 |
 "Nancy the banjo player" Berkeley, California October 2022 |
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 "Two Museum Gala DJ's" San Francisco, California October 2022 |
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 "Harp player a" San Francisco, California September 2022 |
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 "The Stratospheres" Albany, California September 2022 |
 "UC Campus Piano Player" Berkeley, California September 2022 |
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 "Bass player" San Francisco, California September 2022 |
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 "One piece guitar body front" Berkeley, California August 2022 |
 "One piece guitar body rear" Berkeley, California August 2022 |
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 "Shattuck Avenue musician" Berkeley, California August 2022 |
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 "College Avenue musicians" Oakland, California July 2022 |
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 "Bart Musician" Berkeley, California July 2022 |
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 "Accordian player" San Francisco, California June 2022 |
 "Trio of musicians" Berkeley, California June 2022 |
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 "Accordianist: Alex Yaskin" Berkeley, California May 2022 |
 "Berkeley pianist" Berkeley, California May 2022 |
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 "Berkeley Saxophonist" Berkeley, California March 2022 |
 "Berkeley Duo" Berkeley, California December 2021 |
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 "High School Band" Berkeley, California December 2021 |
 "U.C. Campus Vagabond Piano" Berkeley, California October 2021 |
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 "William Winat" San Francisco, California October 2021 |
 "Jen Shyu" Berkeley, California October 2021 |
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 "Jen Shyu" San Francisco, California October 2021 |
 "Hamid Drake and William Parker" San Francisco, California October 2021 |
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 "Roscoe Mitchell" San Francisco, California October 2021 |
 "Anthony Braxton" San Francisco, California October 2021 |
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 "Jen Shyu" San Francisco, California October 2021 |
 "Tyshawn Sorey, King Britt, William Parker" San Francisco, California October 2021 |
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 "Jen Shyu" San Francisco, California October 2021 |
 "Drummer: Leo" Berkeley, California October 2021 |
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 "Solano musicians" Berkeley, California August 2021 |
 "Dorothy Morrison" Richmond, California August 2021 |
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 "Fourth Street Musician" Berkeley, California March 2021 |
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 "Solano Ave Musician" Berkeley, California February 2021 |
 "Musician and Canine Owner" Berkeley, California December 2020 |
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 "Musician at the Berkeley Bowl Market" Berkeley, California December 2020 |
 "Musician on Hopkins Avenue" Berkeley, California October 2020 |
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|  "Musician on Shattuck Avenue" Berkeley, California September 2020 |
 "Musician on Solano" Berkeley, California August 2020 |
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|  "Musician at ASUC" Berkeley, California May 2020 |
 "Musician" Berkeley, California June 2020 |
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 "Musicians" Berkeley, California April 2020 |
 "Musician" Berkeley, California October 2019 |
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 "Musician" Berkeley, California August 2019 |
 "Musician" Berkeley, California August 2019 |
 "Musician" Berkeley, California August 2019 |
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 "Musicians" Oakland, California June 2019 |
 "Musicians" Oakland, California June 2019 |
 "Musicians" Oakland, California June 2019 |
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 "Musicians" Oakland, California June 2019 |
 "Musicians" Oakland, California June 2019 |  "Musicians" Oakland, California April 2019 |
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 "Street Musicians" Emeryville, California March 2019 |
 "Street Musicians" Berkeley, California December 2018 |
 "Street Musician" Berkeley, California May 2019 |
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 "Street Pianist" Berkeley, California August 2018 |
 "Street Pianist" Berkeley, California August 2018 |
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 "Street singer" Berkeley, California July 2018 |
 "Marimba Band" Berkeley, California March 2018 |
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 "Musician" El Cerrito, California February 2018 |
 "Musician" Berkeley, California October 2017 |
 "Musician" Berkeley, California February 2018 |
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 "Butch Haynes" Berkeley, California November 2017 |  "Musicians" Berkeley, California August 2017 |
 "Musicians" Berkeley, California August 2017 |
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 "Musicians" Alameda, California April 2017 |
 "Musicians" Berkeley, California January 2017 |
 "Musicians" Alameda, California April 2017 |
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 "Musicians" Berkeley, California January 2017 |
 "Musicians" Berkeley, California September 2016 |
 "Musicians" Berkeley, California September 2016 |
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 "Musicians" Rapid City, South Dakota, July 2016 |
 "Musicians" San Francisco, California, May 2016 |
 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, February 2016 |
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 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, May 2016 |
 "Musicians" San Francisco, California, August 2016 |
 "Musicians" Cancun, Mexico, February 2016 |
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 "Musicians" Oakland, California, December 2015 |
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 "Musicians" San Francisco, California, December 2015 |
 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, November 2015 |
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 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, October 2015 |
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 "Musicians" San Francisco, California, December 2015 |
 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, October 2015 |
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 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, September 2015 |
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 "Musicians" Oakland, California, September 2015 |
 "Musicians" Oakland, California, September 2015 |
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 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, July 2015 |
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 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, June 2015 |
 "Musicians" Monterey, California, June 2015 |
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 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, May 2015 |
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 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, May 2015 |
 "Musicians" San Francisco, California, March 2015 |
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 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, February 2015 |
 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, February 2015 |
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 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, January 2015 |
 "Musicians" San Francisco, California, January 2015 |
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 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, November 2014 |
 "Musician" Berkeley, California, October 2014 |
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 "Musician" Berkeley, California, September 2014 |
 "Musician" San Francisco, California, August 2014 |
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 "Musician" Berkeley, California, August 2014 |
 "Musician" El Cerrito, California, July 2014 |
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 "Musician" San Francisco, California, July 2014 |
 "Musician" Berkeley, California, May 2014 |
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 "Musician" Berkeley, California, July 2014 |
 "Musician" San Francisco, California, April 2014 |
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 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, February 2014 |
 "Musicians" Berkeley, California, February 2014 |
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 "Musician" San Francisco, California, December 2013 |
 "Musician" New York City, October 2013 |
 "Musician" San Francisco, California, December 2013 |
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 "Maui Musician" Maui, Hawaii, August 2013 |
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 "Chapel of the Chimes Musician" Oakland, California, June 2013 |
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 "Chapel of the Chimes Musician" Oakland, California, June 2013 |
 "Chapel of the Chimes Musician" Oakland, California, June 2013 |
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 "Chapel of the Chimes Musician" Oakland, California, June 2013 |
 "Chapel of the Chimes Musician" Oakland, California, June 2013 |
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 "Kud Gharma" Berkeley, California, May 2013 |
 "Kud Gharma mate" Berkeley, California, May 2013 |
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 "Kora Musician" San Francisco, California, December 2012 |
 "Kora Musician" San Francisco, California, December 2012 |
 "Nancy" Berkeley, California, November 2012 |
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 "New York Subway Musician" New York City, October 2012 |
 "New York Subway Musician" New York City, October 2012 |
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 "Nancy on Banjo" Berkeley, California " July 2012 |
 "Market Street Drummer" San Francisco, California " August 2012 |
 "Burrell on Flute" Berkeley, California " July 2012 |
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 "Musician at Chez Panisse" Berkeley, California " March 2012 |
 "Shattuck slide Guitar Player" Berkeley, California " April 2012 |
 "Musicians at the Claremont Hotel area" Berkeley, California " April 2012 |
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 "Claremont Viol player" Berkeley, California " February 2012 |
 "John Henry with Lyre" Berkeley, California " February 2012 |
 "Lindell" Berkeley, California " February 2012 |
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 "Accordian on Shattuck Avenue" Berkeley, California " January 2012 |
 "San Francisco Trumpet Player" San Francisco, California " January 2012 |
 "Civic Center Accordian Player and dog" San Francisco, California " December 2011 |
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 "Harmonica Trio" Berkeley, California " December 2011 |
 "Bugle player from Freds Burial" Dixon, California " September 2011 |
 "Nancy on Banjo" Oakland, California " September 2011 |
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 "Rainbow Girls Band" Berkeley, California " September 2011 |
"Robert the accordianist" San Francisco, California " September 2011 |
 "Campus Guitarist" Berkeley, California " September 2011 |
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 "Multi instrument player on street" San Francisco, California " May 2011 |  "Mariachi Band" Berkeley, California " June 2011 |  "Red Violin Player at BART" San Francisco, California " May 2011 |
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 "Nancy at Walnut Square Peet's" San Berkeley, California " May 2011 |
 "Musician at the Alameda County Fair" Pleasanton, California " July 2011 |
 "Multi instrument player on street" San Francisco, California " May 2011 |
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 "Ukelele Player on BART" Oakland, California " May 2011 |  "Musicians at the Berkeley Farmers Market" Berkeley, California "June 2011 |
 "Musician at North Berkeley BART" Berkeley, California " May 2011 |
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 "Female guitarist" Berkeley, California " April 2011 |
 "Lindell Reeves" Oakland, California " August 2011 |
 "Ronald Brewington at Embarcadero Bart"
San Francisco, California " April 2011 |
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 "Solano Guitarist" Berkeley, California " April 2011 |  "Hare Krishna Street Musicians" Berkeley, California " April 2011 |
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 "Calvin Keys" Berkeley, California " March 2011 | 
"Rockridge Bart Musician " Oakland, California April 2011 |
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 " Steel Guitar Player on Solano" Berkeley, California May 2011 | 
"Zither Player in Chinatown " San Francisco, California March 2011 |
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 "Zither Player in Chinatown" San Francisco, California March 2011" |  " Young Trumpet player on Union Square" San Francisco, California March 2011 |
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 " Solano Accordian Musician " March 2011 | 
"Kalimba Man at the Solano Stroll " September 2009 |
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 " Las Vegas Street Musician" February 2011 | 
"Berkeley Zydeko Musicians " February 2011 |
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 " Robert and his purple accordian " February 2011 | 
"Fourth Street Musician " February 2011 |
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 " North African Musician with band " December 2010 | 
"Berkeley Street Musician " January 2011 |
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" The Homeless People Band" January 2011 | 
" The Homeless People Band: Christa Larrama" January 2011 |
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" The Homeless People Band: Chloe Behrens" January 2011 | 
" The Homeless People Band: Robert Levin" January 2011 |
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" Berkeley Musician Rick" California November 2010 | 
" Accordian Player Robert" San Francisco, California November 2010 |
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" Bulent with a Kunun "New York City" October 2010 | 
" Berkeley Campus Musician "Berkeley" November 2010 |
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" Robert on Accordian at Civic Center "San Francisco, California 2010 |
" Robert on Accordian at Civic Center "San Francisco, California 2010 |
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Nancy on the banjo, Berkeley, California 2010 |
Nancy on the banjo, Berkeley, California 2008 |
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"Civic Center Harpist" 2010 |
"Fourth Street Folk Singer" 2010 |
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"Berkeley Accordian" 2010 |
"New York Subway Accordian" 2010 |
Copyright Raymond Holbert 2023: Use of these images and or text is prohibited without permission from the author.
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