Meet Colin Sauer, possibly the youngest busking musician in Columbus. He made his Short North solo debut a few weeks ago during Gallery Hop.
Colin is a first grade student from Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School in Grandview Heights. He is also a Suzuki violin student with a big heart.
When Colin's parents described the kind of funding needed to raise money for their upcoming adoption of a baby from China, Colin signed up to help by playing his violin.
He ended up raising around $200 in the three hours that he played. That is no chump change. When violinist Joshua Bell busked on the Washington Metro system in 2007, he only made a little over $32 from over 1,097 passers-by counted by journalists from The Washington Post.
Here is a video of the great Joshua Bell explaining how difficult it can be to play in such a mobile and public place:
Colin and his parents were nice enough to answer a few questions and even write me a letter. Like most children, Colin has many interests including sports and even ballet, but his description of how he feels when he plays music jumped out at me.
"When I play violin now, I feel extraordinary because I get more creative. Some artists play music that inspire other people to make art. I like to make up songs inspired by other songs. That’s basically art."
Hopefully Colin continues to play out around Columbus and inspires other young musicians to do the same.
If you would like to add music to the Short North for Gallery Hop, you can submit an application on the event's website or contact Melanie Kortyka at (614) 299.8050, ext. 15, with any additional questions