A fine and sunny day last week beckoned me to Winchester to hopefully find my 100th stranger. The cathedral precinct was packed with visitors and there were many people in the High Street and around the market stalls.
I had walked as far down as I usually do when I heard guitar music and decided to carry on to find the guitarist. He was sitting playing next to his bike propped against a red door. I could not help but notice his bright stripey sweater including a band of deep purple and a polo-neck collar in the same lovely colour.
First I walked over to a seat on the opposite side of the road and took just one shot. Then I crossed back over to ask the busker if I could take some photos and if he would be in my strangers' project.
He agreed but said 'not too close' which was not a problem as portrait shots of street artists, be they musicians or painters need, I feel, to show their creativity and thus are not usually the standard head and shoulders portrait. I introduced myself and found he was called Marvin.
Usually street artists have a card with website details and I have found that I then need to do a little research online for my story so as not to interrupt them when they are busking. . Marvin gave me his card
http://marvinbnaylor.com/ and I learned from the review section of the website that the title track, Human God, on his EP released in July 2016 is in homage to David Bowie.
On his website, there is very detailed information about the numbers on his CDs, what inspired them plus some videos which can be seen on YouTube. He asks for minimum modest amounts for CDs for sale. I made a donation to his guitar case and I intend to have a look at his CDs online.
Maybe this is the one, reviewed on his website, that I might buy:
"FolkWords Reviews
‘Spaceships There Are’ – Marvin B. Naylor – an EP to give Salvador Dali a run for his money."
For 30 years, until August 2010, Marvin made his living playing in rock groups, first in Canada, then here in England. Unfortunately when 'the inevitable hearing problems' got so bad, he could no longer perform onstage. This was when 'in desperation', he started busking, playing solo instrumental guitar – first in Southampton, then in Winchester.
He found that some people he met on the street were 'quite entertaining' and some quite the opposite. He decided to start writing Diary Of A Busker after coming home each time from a day's session.
Marvin told me that he has kept this busking diary for six and a half years and wrote that web address down for me:
http://diaryofabusker.com/about/.
I asked him what he puts in it and he said he writes about folk he has met, whether they are nice or not and remarked that he has sometimes had to call the police for help with objectionable people.
From the busking diary I discovered that it is not unusual to make sums of only say £8 or £11 for one hour's playing, which seems pretty modest to me, especially if the weather is inclement.
And I also found in its online pages, touches of Marvin's humour, information about what he played in sessions, and learned that in Winchester it is not necessary for street performers to have a licence but that they must not stay more than one hour in any location in the city.
Marvin appeared live at Eppyfest 5 in Stroud in July 2016. He teaches guitar in and around Winchester.
A collage in my 2nd album
https://365project.org/quietpurplehaze/add-ins/2017-03-11 includes a photo of Marvin with his epiphone semi-acoustic guitar. He plays fingerstyle guitar.
I asked him about other hobbies, interests and he spread his arms to include his guitar, guitar case, CDs for sale - perhaps also his bike which he uses to get around the city with his equipment. He told me busking is an essential part of his work.
I enjoyed listening here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqbcmsQEDyI
18 months ago, I started 'Haze's strangers', to capture portraits and stories of 100 strangers.
Firstly, a big thank you to Phil
@phil_howcroft who inspired and encouraged me to begin.
Secondly thanks, today, Marvin for being No.100 in my project: I enjoyed meeting you and discovering your story and will be sending you the best of the photos I took, together with a link to your entry in 365 Project.
Jobs a God ' un 😀
Thanks gor the mention and credit 😀
I bet you felt proud and a little emotional getting to 100.
My ETA for 100 is probably September 2017 ...which will be 2 years and about 1 stranger per week 😀
Nice too that you have found a place and space in the flickr humans group to share your work to another audience .
Bravo
Thanks Babs,no worries about anything - look after yourself.
As to what will I do now: after I met Marvin I went on into the cathedral and have portrait no 101 to write up - so the end of one century of portraits and the start of another on just one sunny afternoon. Marvin sent me an email on receipt of his photos and said that he does not normally like photos of himself but found them 'very good'. And he has a new CD out shortly so that is the one I shall buy. Thanks again!
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I could not see 100 when I started Cherrill, you are quite right. 100 flowers would be more challenging than strangers I think? Yes, a retirement project!
Thank you so much. I really enjoy it. (I have just posted No. 101!)
It doesn't seem brave - just someting I really like & find interesting.