November 6, 2007
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i had the most amazing experience meeting a man on the street last night, spoke to him until 2 in the morning. it was FREEZING!
last night for not much reason at all, i went to borders half an hour before it closed, took some music magazines and sat down at the cafe. there was only one other person there sitting one table away from me, he saw my magazines and asked me whether i was a musician, and his eyes lit up. turns out he used to be the concertmaster for tasmanian symphony and is now a freelance preacher. we chatted for about 20 minutes, and as we walked out of borders, he said that he must introduce me to melvin.
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melvin was standing outside lygon court as he does every other day and night, tirelessly entertaining people with his violin playing. i pass him by all the time without saying a word, but i needed an introduction for me to speak with him.
we didn’t take very long to warm up to each other. as we stood there in the cold for 3 hours, he tried his hardest to impart on me as much knowledge as he possibly could. his eyes welled up with tears as he recalled what greatness he seemed destined for as a musician and conductor, having turned down conducting the melbourne symphony and a scholarship to paris conservatoire, because he felt that he needed to prepare himself as a human being so he accepted a scholarship to oxford to study philosophy instead.
so he did. but after 10 successful years of great music in london, he tragically lost the use of his right arm. the rest was history. he regained the use of his arm many years later, but that hiatus was enough to turn his career over.
and as it turned out, he wasn’t grieving over the loss of his career, but he was grieving over what classical music has become here in australia. with the exception of a few sparks, dead. meaningless. empty.
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he taught me such a great deal in 3 hours, very intense ideas, some were in my mind overly spiritual, but it was all amazingly inspiring, meaningful and musical. i had a good glimpse of what great musicians are made of.
how odd is it that i have found myself a friend and mentor, in an unkept 60 year old violinist on the street.
Comments (6)
Sounds like something you would usually get out of an inspirational book … =)
wow i’ll never think of street buskers the same way again
events – always seem random – chance meetings are the best. thanks for sharing yee meng!
man…. that is so cool…
how’d u get home in the end? heheh
I used to pass by him lots without stopping to even listen to his playing, as well. But one time, I dropped a coin in his hat and chatted to him for a bit, then stayed to listen to him play. He played this oriental-sounding piece, I’m guessing, just for me! It was so sweet.. =D He seemed like a genuinely lovely fellow. =) And now I know his name is Melvin!
=) walked! lygon court’s 5 minutes from where i live