|
|
NEW Power Play: Discover the Secrets to Spirit-Winni… $17.19 |
|
|
Fisher-Price Discover n Grow Kick & Play Piano Gym $47.95 |
|
|
FISHER PRICE DISCOVER N GROW OPEN PLAY MUSICAL GYM NEW $62.00 |
|
|
PLAY AND DISCOVER OPPOSITES SELF CORRECTING PUZZLE TEACHERS,PARENTS,HOME SCHOOL $5.00 |
|
|
Fisher Price – Discover N Grow – Musical Activity Play Wall $38.75 |
|
|
Baby Einstein Discover and Play Activity Gym – Musical Play Mat for Babies $19.99 |
|
|
NWT Baby Einstein Discover and Play 6-pk Yellow Washcloths $12.00 |
|
|
NWT Baby Einstein Discover and Play 5-pk Green Washcloths $10.00 |
|
|
Discovery Bee Interactive Plush Bee Play & Discover Book w/Carry Case $5.99 |
|
|
Starbucks Coffee Tumbler 8 Ounce Explore Discover Play Travel Mug New $16.99 |
|
|
ION DISCOVER PLUG & PLAY GUITAR for COMPUTER $119.98 |
|
|
NEW & SEALED! Fisher-Price Discover ‘n Grow Kick and Play Musical Piano Gym $59.39 |
|
|
BRAND NEW! Fisher-Price Discover ‘n Grow Kick and Play Musical Piano Gym $59.30 |
|
|
Baby Einstein Discover & Play Activity Gym $19.95 |
|
|
SoftPlay Play and Discover Book Lot of 2 Ladybug & Silly Dino $8.00 |
|
|
GUND – PLAY & DISCOVER PUZZLE – FAIRY CASTLE – NWT $5.99 |
|
|
Adam Harasiewicz Plays Frederic Chopin (Discover) – Composer-Frederic Chopin; .. $28.95 |
|
|
Fisher-Price Discover ‘n Grow Kick and Play Piano Gym for Babies $9.99 |
|
|
Fisher-Price Discover n Grow Kick & Play Piano Gym $45.00 |
|
|
Soft Play – Discovery Kitten – PLUSH – Play & Discover Soft Book – NIP $6.95 |
|
|
New Little Tikes Play Laptop Computer Discover Sounds Light Up Ages 1+ $24.92 |
|
|
VEGAS RATED MAGAZINE MIKE TYSON DJ FASHION SHOP WATCH DISCOVER PLAY DINE PULSE $12.95 |
|
|
Wimmer Ferguson Crawl & Discover Tummy Time BABY PLAY MAT TOY – must see EUC $10.00 |
|
|
Learn Discover”Complete Idiot’s Guide to Soccer”Play Score Rules Manual Tip Book $3.90 |
|
|
PLAY AND DISCOVER MATHEMATICS by THE LEARNING JOURNEY -NIB- ***FREE SHIPPING*** $34.99 |
|
|
My First Discover and Play Book $1.99 |
|
|
THE LEARNING JOURNEY PLAY AND DISCOVER MATCH THE RHYME $6.00 |
|
|
Little Tikes Discover Sounds Saw -Play Tool w/Lights $4.99 |
|
|
AIWA HV-MX100 PLAY PAL SECAM – RARE USED WARRANTY VISA MASTERCARD AMEX DISCOVER $589.99 |
|
|
Discover the night sky (Play and learn glow books) by $4.36 |
|
|
Fisher Price Infant Baby Discover n Grow Kick & Play Piano Gym $19.99 |
|
|
3 pc. Set – VTech Discover Talking, Book & Play Teether $21.00 |
|
|
Baby Einstein Discover & Play Color Blocks set of 4 used in original box frog $15.50 |
|
|
The Seven Personalities of Golf: Discover Your Inner Golfer to Play Your Best Ga $4.87 |
|
|
New Fisher Price Discover n Grow Take-Along Play Blanket Gym Baby Excercise Pad $22.49 |
|
|
Fisher-Price W2621 Discover ‘n Grow Kick and Play Piano Gym 746775040451 $74.83 |
|
|
Discover American Wildlife playing cards 52 diff. $9.50 |
|
|
Discover Birds of America playing cards 52 diff. images $9.50 |
|
|
Discover Birds of Canada playing cards 52 diff. images $9.50 |
|
|
Discover Cowboys playing cards 52 diff. $9.50 |
|
|
Discover Desert Life playing cards 52 diff. $9.50 |
|
|
Discover Dinosaurs playing cards 52 diff. images $9.50 |
|
|
Discover Lighthouse playing cards 52 diff. images $9.50 |
|
|
Discover Marine Life playing cards 52 diff. $9.50 |
|
|
Discover Native Peoples playing cards 52 diff. $9.50 |
|
|
Discover Tall ships playing cards 52 diff. Sailing boat $9.50 |
|
|
Discover Wild flowers of Canada playing cards 52 diff. $9.50 |
|
|
Discover World Animals playing cards 52 diff. images $9.50 |
|
|
Fisher-Price Discover ‘n Grow Kick and Play Piano Gym $53.19 |
|
|
SOFT PLAY DISCOVER COLORS BUNNY RABBIT PLUSH CLOTH BOOK $7.98 |
|
|
Dr. Maggie’s Play and Discover Phonics book/tape set- NEW $3.99 |
|
|
Play Along! Discover the Lead Christmas Carols NEW $16.27 |
|
|
New Fisher Price Discover n Grow Musical Activity Play Wall Crib Toy $28.99 |
|
|
Letters (Play and Discover) (1854348906) $15.80 |
|
|
LONTIC DISCOVER THE LOST WORLD DINOSAURS PLAY SET FULL CASE BRAND NEW IN BOX $99.97 |
|
|
Rainy Day Play: Explore, Create, Discover, Pretend by Nancy F. Castaldo $5.98 |
|
|
PLAY & DISCOVER FIRST WORDS PUZZLE PAIRS TEACHING ABC’S LEARNING JOURNEY COMPLET $16.00 |
|
|
Baby Einstein Discover & Play Star 30706 $46.42 |
|
|
Fisher-Price Discover ‘N Grow Kick and Play Piano Gym #zTS $54.99 |
|
|
NWT-Toddler Game-Play and Discover Match The Rhyme $28.99 |
|
|
DISCOVERY BEE – PLUSH BEE INTERACTIVE PLAY & DISCOVER BOOK w/ TOTE BAG & TAG $12.75 |
|
|
NEW read discover soft Teddy book soft play 6 months+ plush fabric teddy book $19.99 |
|
|
Tiny Love Touch and Discover Development Baby Play Book Free Shipping $31.13 |
|
|
Rainy Day Play: Explore, Create, Discover, Pretend – Paperback $1.00 |
|
|
DISCOVER BIRDS of AMERICA PLAYING CARDS~DECK GAME~NEW in BOX~SEALED $10.39 |
|
|
FISHER PRICE DISCOVER N GROW OPEN PLAY MUSICAL ACTIVITY GYM NEW $54.95 |
|
|
Baby Einstein Discover & Play Musical Pop Up Book GENTLY USED $8.95 |
|
|
New, Soft Play Read & Discover Interactive Penguin Book $18.99 |
|
|
New Fisher Price Discover n Grow Open Play Musical Gym Baby Excercise Pad w/ Toy $61.99 |
|
|
Rainy Day Play: Explore, Create, Discover, Pretend – Paperback $0.99 |
|
|
Discover and Play Color Blocks Baby Einstien Red Block $4.00 |
|
|
The Seven Personalities of Golf: Discover Your Inner Golfer to Play Your Best $10.00 |
|
|
Diane James, Sara Lynn What We Wear (Jump! Starts: Play & Discover) Book $4.19 |
|
|
PLAY AND DISCOVER MATHEMATICS, New $35.45 |
|
|
Fisher Price Discover and Grow Jungle Musical Open Play Activity Gym NEW NIB $69.95 |
|
|
Baby Einstein: Discover and Play (Pop Up Song Book) by Barbara Egel $0.99 |
|
|
! FAST 2DAY UPS ! PLAY YOUR BEST GOLF NOW DISCOVER VISION54S 8 ESSENTIAL PLAYIN $17.58 |
|
|
The Seven Personalities of Golf: Discover Your Inner Golfer to Play Your Best… $3.95 |
|
|
NEW FISHER PRICE DISCOVER & GROW KICK & PLAY GYM $79.05 |
|
|
Rainy Day Play!: Explore, Create, Discover, Pretend (Williamson Little Hands Ser $3.95 |
|
|
NEW Soft Play & Discover Discovery Kitty Child Book $16.99 |
|
|
Kids II Baby Einstein:Discover&Play:Gym loop/Velcro Toy:Picture pocket:30720-3:U $4.99 |
|
|
Fisher-Price W2620 Discover ‘n Grow Open Play Musican Gym 746775040444 $66.62 |
|
|
Wimmer-Ferguson Crawl And Discover Play Mat Baby New Fast Shipping $46.95 |
|
|
Baby Einstein: Discover and Play (Pop Up Song Book $4.95 |
|
|
Rainy Day Play: Explore, Create, Discover, Pretend – Paperback $1.00 |
|
|
FISHER PRICE DISCOVER & GROW KICK & PLAY PIANO GYM NEW $52.00 |
|
|
Fisher Price Discover ‘n Grow Musical Activities Play Wall for Playards New $30.58 |
|
|
Fisher Price Discover ‘n Grow Chime Ball Elephant New Centers Play Activity $18.12 |
|
|
Let’s Learn about the Jewish Holidays Discover, Explore and Play Teacher’s Guide $3.29 |
|
|
Fisher-Price Discover Fun Grow Musical Activities Play Wall Development Toy $29.88 |
|
|
NEW Fisher-Price Discover ‘n Grow Musical Activities Play Wall $29.99 |
|
|
Baby Einstein Discover and Play Gym Replacement Duck Squeaker Toy EUC! $7.99 |
|
|
LITTLE TIKES DISCOVER SOUNDS KITCHEN PLAY SET NEW $44.87 |
|
|
Kids II Baby Einstein:Discover&Play:Gym loop Toy:Picture discs teether:30720-3:U $9.99 |
|
|
Play It Again: Discover Your Musical Abilities $15.50 |
|
|
Little Tikes Discover Sounds Hair Dryer Pink Play Kids $5.94 |
|
|
“David Blaine – Discover Magic” Playing Cards Deck NEW $6.99 |
|
|
Kids II Baby Einstein:Discover&Play:Gym loop/link Toy:Plush Duck:30720-3:U $5.99 |
|
|
Kids II Baby Einstein:Discover&Play:Gym loop/link Toy:Plush Bird:30720-3:U $5.99 |
Blues Man Plays On The Streets – This Time It’s Paris, France
This romantic city of the Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge and the Notre Dame Cathedral is home to a wonderfully diverse gathering of humanity struggling to live and breathe in this great city.
Lets Play Guitar On The Underground
The Paris subway is the most dense system on the globe, and some of the statistics are impressive. For example, there are more than 300 stopping points and in the whole of Paris there is nowhere further than four hundred metres from a station! The conglomeration has additionally been a traditional haven for the ‘street performer’. As I’m one those fabulous people, I thought I’d check it out.
How’s It Work?
One would guess that you just find a spot and start to play – not all all! That romantic idea has long gone. The whole thing is organized nowadays and all hopefuls need to take an audition (yes – a proper one!) with the street music performance people at RATP, the folks that operate the metro.
And hear this – every year, the best of the Paris metro buskers are recorded in a professional studio and a CD is released for general sale to the public – things have changed a lot! As you might think, the style of the music varies a lot,going from tin whistle blowers to string sections. Several famous French stars were discovered playing here.
Of course, you must adhere to a few rules, like ‘no amplifiers’, ‘no CD sales’, and a few other things. I couldn’t wait to bend some of those, I’m afraid to tell you. But as we will see, in reality nothing ever works out how you want it to …
Time For The Big Audition – Gulp!
I hopped on a train, guitar case in my hand (sounds like a classic blues song, don’t you think?) in the Southern part of France and a few hours later I was perched on a stool in a small room in the Metro offices, patiently waiting for the audition to commence. I’d decided that I would play 4 of my very best and sing my heart out – ‘must get this license, must get this license’ was my unspoken prayer. It represented the door to riches beyond my wildest dreams (and they could get pretty wild.)
It seemed obvious that, I thought, my skills would be assessed by a very experienced team of pros. This could be tricky. I tuned my instrument and waited, almost nervously. A man entered, turned on a camcorder and said “Hello – play something.” After that he sat down and appeared to read a magazine! Unphased, I launched into a very loud rendition of Love In Vain by Robert Johnson, at which he looked a bit surprised. After asking me if I could only play blues, or could I play anything remotely modern, to which I said no, he informed me that the audition was at an end and I would receive a letter from them soon. Short and sweet indeed.
I caught the subway to Montmartre, had a meal with my mother-in-law who lives close by, and caught the train back down south. Strangely enough, a week after that I got an letter of acceptance and planned my first day performing in the city of Paris.
I Love Paris In The Springtime, When It Glistens…
Sorry to let you down, my friends, but I found that the metro was – a bit of a let down. Well, that’s not quite true. It just wasn’t what I hoping for, that’s all. I got there one freezing morning and dived into the nearest station to secure a spot. That was my first error. There are so many performers, so you need to turn up very early to make sure you have a prime location. In fact, like real estate, it’s all about location, location, location.
Mind you, I saw some excellent performers while I was searching, a complete range of musical activity from blues music to African drums. In one station crossover tunnel (these are often big!) I stumbled upon half a Russian orchestra, complete with a dancer. It was suddenly obvious, the rules laid down by the authorities didn’t mean much underground. About 75% of all performers use amplifiers and often sell CDs. I can appreciate why this is, in my own area, CD sales account for half of my income from street playing.
A A Story Of Success – Sax Always Sells
Strangely enough, the people making most money are the ones that didn’t bother getting a permit, and don’t even play in the tunnels. Let me tell you how they work. These people often have a sax, or some kind of horn, or an accordion (of course) and play for the passengers that use the carriages. I went with one of these guys on one of his journeys and we talked a while, as we were soul brothers, you could say.
He took a train for five stops, playing jazz saxophone over a backing tape. I thought he was really competent at what he did and people liked him, which is no small feat in any city. He would the repeat the journey in the other direction for 8 hours each day.
It was very pleasant to go back into the world above and daylight again, thinking that the life of a musical troglodyte is not calling. The remainder of the day was spent looking around some other corners of this wonderful city, and banging out a tune or two in some nice places above ground.
About the Author
Jim is a professional blues player operating out of France. Play the blues