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Doug Clark: It’s time to tune up for Street Music Week
We are now less than a month away from the 14th annual Spokane Street Music Week.
Soon the sidewalks of downtown Spokane and Coeur d’Alene – as well as Spokane’s historic Garland District – will be bustling with bluegrassers and jazzers and crooners and you name it, who will entertain the public to help feed the hungry.
Listen up: This year’s event takes place during the noon hours of June 13-17.
This is Coeur d’Alene’s third year of joining in on the fun.
And like always, all donations collected will go to Second Harvest regional food bank.
Similar to most of my finals back in college, I might have slept through SSMW were it not for the inquisitive wake-up calls that keep coming in.
Such as …
“Please send me the dates and instructions for joining in as a musician,” wrote John Hancock in a recent email.
“My uke playing/singing is now ready for the public.”
That’s so cool, John. And thanks for your support.
I put his email address into our vast Busker Nation database so that he will receive all the updates and information about this year’s event.
All newcomers should email me at dougc@spokesman.com. I’ll add you in with John.
To get things rolling, however, let me answer the most commonly asked questions about Street Music Week.
Q: How does someone take part?
A: Besides being the biggest outdoor festival to not need portable toilets, Street Music Week is the easiest event, too. Take part one day or every day, it’s totally up to you. Just show up at the staging locations a little before noon and sign in. Everyone will receive an event badge (to keep) and a red bucket for collecting donations (to not keep).
Q: Then what?
A: Participants venture off to find a spot on the sidewalks where they can perform for an hour. Just don’t block the pedestrian flow or any doorways.
At 1 p.m., buckets are brought back to the staging area with whatever has been collected. Once the money is turned in and counted, every penny goes to Second Harvest.
Q: What are the staging areas?
A: Glad you asked. In downtown Spokane you’ll always find me at Main and Post, just east of the Starbucks across from Pottery Barn. Garland participants meet outside the Gathering House, kitty corner from the Milk Bottle. The Coeur d’Alene staging area is outside the Art Spirit Gallery on Sherman Avenue.
Q: How come you call it Street Music Week when all the performances take place on sidewalks?
A: True, playing your, say, tuba in the middle of a street would be counterproductive to the cause. So we tend to discourage any literal interpretations of the event’s title. That said, nobody wants to be thought of as a “sidewalk” performer. It’s much cooler to tell people you’re a “street musician.”
Q: What do you do if you want to take part but you’re just not good enough?
A: You haven’t been paying attention. Street Music Week is for everyone of all levels of skill. “It’s about generosity, not virtuosity.” That’s the motto of Street Music Week.
Q: Really?
A: Really. We’ve had everyone from world-class performers to basic beginners. They even let me play.
Q: That’s very tolerant.
A: Don’t get smart.
Q: Speaking of world class, will Peter Rivera, the great former lead singer of Rare Earth, a band that sold millions of albums, be singing again at Street Music Week?
A: He’s a generous guy, and I’m hoping to twist his arm.
Q: Any other special guests in the works?
A: I do have a commitment from the fabulous “Three Rivers Saxtette,” a jazzy ensemble from the Tri-Cities.
Q: They were great last year. How’d you get them again?
A: My brother, Dave, is the group’s leader. Plus I have some truly embarrassing photographs that date back to when my parents liked to doll him up in a dress.
Q: So he has no choice?
A: You got that right.
Q: Street Music Week has been quite a success, hasn’t it?
A: It sure has. Last year’s event raised $27,421, which upped our cumulative food bank total to more than $118,000.
Q: What if I can’t make the event but still want to donate?
A: You can donate through our website, www.streetmusicweek.com. The site also has photos from past events and other great information.
Q: Wow. And anyone can take part?
A: Anyone. You don’t have to be a musician. Over the years we’ve had Scottish dancers, magicians, jugglers, comedians, a grade school marimba band and even a guy who played a crazy guitar that he made out of a mailbox.
Q: You convinced me. I’m in!
A: I was hoping you would say that. See you in June.
Doug Clark can be reached at (509) 459-5432 or dougc@spokesman.com.