By Pam Hersh
My favorite people-watching perch in town – the front window stool of Starbucks overlooking the sidewalk of Nassau Street – has trained me in a new profession.
I have become a fundraising consultant to individuals soliciting money from strangers on Nassau Street, an enterprise that takes place each weekend directly in front of Starbucks.
In addition to saving people’s souls, street fundraisers save lives of predominantly children and teenagers, inflicted with diseases, such as cancer and opioid addiction. I can advise the street fundraisers where to place the signs, where to stand, when to solicit, what to say and what to wear. Thus far, the winning outfits are a dinosaur costume and a strip of bacon.
Last week, a new sidewalk entrepreneur appeared in front of my perch. He intrigued me for two reasons. First of all, he was doing more than begging. He was entertaining the pedestrians with his singing and guitar playing, and putting on a great performance, as evidenced by the crowd of adults and dancing children surrounding him. Secondly, he admitted he was raising money for no cause other than himself. The sign in front of his bucket that was overflowing with dollar bills said he was trying to make enough money to make an “EP” or extended play record of his music.
Andrew Moyseowicz, street stage name Drew Page, is a full-time Princeton University public policy (Woodrow Wilson School) graduate student, who, when not working on his coursework, spends his time performing on the street, a.k.a. “busking.”
Self-described as an independent singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/street performer of acoustic-driven country and pop music, Drew is trying to raise enough money to launch his music career by making a digital (not vinyl) recording that will be available on a digital music service.
Music is Drew’s anchor, the constant in life as a “Navy brat,” who was born in California and has lived “all over the place” from Brussels to Boston. When an international affairs student at Emmanuel College in Boston, Drew was able to obtain not only an education in global issues, but also an education in busking, because the streets of the college town Boston are ideal for the busking entrepreneur. He always has split his time and interests between academics and entertaining with one common goal – to make a difference in the world.
“Before grad school, I worked in Boston homeless shelters, was an intern in Sen. John Kerry’s office, worked for the Commerce Department on trade policy. With all of my jobs, I hope to help change things for the better…. I write songs about events in my life (such as the death of a good friend) and social issues. When volunteering at a homeless shelter, I developed a kinship with a lot of individuals living on the streets – and these experiences are reflected in my music. But my music is intended to uplift not depress. The song I wrote about the tragic accident that took the life of my 22-year-old friend is happy and joyful – the way that I want him to be remembered,” he said.
The ideal life for Drew would be to communicate a humanitarian message through music – while actually working professionally on humanitarian causes. To put his dual track life in context, two entertainers that he admires are:
- Kris Kristoferson, world-renowned country music superstar and songwriter of “A Star is Born” (1976) fame. “More interestingly to me,” said Drew, “Kris Kristoferson was a military officer and Rhodes Scholar, who studied at Oxford before releasing his first album at the age of 33.
- Michael Punke, former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative and U.S. Ambassador to the World Trade Organization. He was a career public servant, but found time during his career to author “The Revenant,” the book that would be adapted to film and go on to win three Oscars.
“I picked up my first guitar when I was 10. I started playing drums when I was 14. I began performing on the streets as a busker in college. Since then, I’ve performed in 32 states and five countries…. I first tried busking on the streets during my freshman year of college in 2007. I played my guitar, made $30 and learned two things: I wouldn’t go hungry and I could make people smile doing what I loved. Since then, I’ve played on street corners all across the United States and Europe, and I am always curious to discover local audience preferences and compare regulatory landscapes for performers.”
Even though his parents are supportive of his ambitions in the music profession, they are not musicians – unlike his grandparents. His great-grandmother was an opera singer in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his great-grandfather was a bluegrass fiddler in rural North Carolina.
After he graduates in June, Drew said he intends to head to Nashville, where he hopes to get his record produced and find a job in the music industry – perhaps something related to public policy and the music industry that will be a bit more lucrative than busking.
“I’ve been writing and recording my own songs for years now, but I was never truly pleased with the final product because I was worried about the production quality. Last summer, I was a graduate intern at the National Endowment for the Arts and I was surrounded by creative people. Their influence inspired me, and I decided I was going to do it: I was going to make a professional album.”
Princetonians should look for Drew busking on various street corners between now and the time he graduates. And look for me in my role of advising buskers and others soliciting money on Nassau Street. I may actually do some performing – because I believe people would pay zero-talented me to bust up my busking.
To donate to Drew’s EP project, visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/drewpagemusic/drew-pages-debut-ep.
For more information about Drew and his music, visit drewpagemusic.com.