Pics | tamboura-baptiste

Pics

On this page are various images of me captured over the years since embarking on this music journey in the Fall of 2010.

I practiced and practiced and practiced before going out to play for the first time. Very first stop? I played for an hour or so in the twilight part of the day at Venice Beach, California - no speaker, no hip and trendy Pop music (which I play a lot of now). It was simply me unplugged, playing Bach and other standard classical repertoire. I had no idea what to expect, was completely nervous - anxious to see what would happen, and very hopeful. 3 money tips came my way that very first day. One was from a young man who gave me a buck as he walked by. Another tip came from some residents in the building which was right in front of me as I played. Unbeknownst to me, "They were listening and enjoyed it," said the lady upon giving me a couple dollars. The last tip, one which I will never forget, came from a couple visiting from France. The story goes...At first, they walked by and lingered and listened as I played one of the sonatas by Bach. When I finished, they smiled and meekly applauded as they were the only ones there. The gentleman looked in his wallet and realized he didn't have any change for a $20 bill. I told the couple to please not worry about it as I knew their intentions were genuine and anyway I truly did not expect much at this stage of the game. They apologized and walked away. About 30 minutes later, as I continued to play, very surprisingly to me, the gentleman returned with a $20 bill in his hand and put it in my violin case. I will never forget it and am entirely grateful. It was a sign to continue the music journey...and I indeed have.

The pictures are displayed chronologically: