Fifty Days Underground

January 22, 2014

Who inspired today's broken heart song?

A woman who found out her husband was having an affair five days before the birth of their third child.

Having never been through something like that, this song was slightly challenging to write. I was attached to the idea of a first dance at a wedding. I wanted the music to have an eerie, music box feel to it. Beautiful, but haunting.

I think what inspired me most about this woman's story was her strength. When she wrote to me, she didn't sound broken. She sounded strong and brave. I imagined her dancing on her wedding day, and when her marriage crumbled apart, I still saw her dancing. It's a different kind of dance, but she's still dancing. She's embracing this new chapter in her life, and is a stronger person now than ever before. Her story and courage has inspired me beyond words.

Where did you play?

I decided to start off at the 7th Ave. F/G stop in Park Slope. It's close to home, and was my subway station for two years, so it felt comfortable. It's the first time I ever performed in the subway, so I was trying to go for the least scary location possible. And I didn't chicken out, so mission accomplished!

How much did you earn?

$24.57 + a shiny coin that looks like it's from another century (so much more than I anticipated for two and a half hours in a quiet station). Someone gave me a $5 bill - I was amazed!

Did anything unusual happen?

I sang next to a disgusting sock, and decided not to wonder how it got there. It was freezing. I could see my breath as I sung, and had to stop to warm up my hands after each song. Fingerless gloves are going to become my new best friend for the next few months. In general, people were much friendlier than I had anticipated (sorry, New Yorkers). I had a lot of people thanking me for my music and telling me to stay warm - totally unexpected. Oh, and my keyboard batteries died (I had extras). I think all my earnings are going to end up going towards buying batteries.

Did you meet anyone interesting?

Not in particular. Children seemed to be the most fascinated, and the ones who wanted to stop and listen. There was a little boy, about 3 or 4 years old in a red snowsuit who started clapping and yelling, "Yay!" at a pause in the middle of one of my songs. He stole my heart today 100%.

What's the best advice you received from a stranger?

Another musician, actually. He stopped to give me some tips on subway performing. He told me the acoustics were best at the 14th St. F/M stop and the Penn Station A/C/E stop. He also said I'd probably make a lot of cash there, so that's good to know (even though it's not the goal of my project).

How are you feeling?

Accomplished! I honestly wasn't sure I'd be able to pull it off. I was scared shitless this morning, and kept envisioning myself getting there, chickening out and running straight back home. The toughest part was having people watch me set up my equipment. The performing part was actually much easier than I expected. I can honestly say this is one of the scariest projects I've ever taken on in my entire life, so I'm feeling pretty darn proud of myself. I'm also feeling quite loved with all the support from family and friends. I'm a blessed little girl!

© 2014 Kelly Bazely