Arts & Entertainment

Performers Ease Subway Commute

By Wilmer Ortiz

Staff writer

Benjamín Schnake Gálvez sat on a chair, playing a six-stringed guitar at the Union Square station. Into a microphone, he sang a mellow song in Spanish that was broadcast through a small amplifier.

He is one of the performers sanctioned by the Metropolitan Transit Authority Arts & Design project. Its goal is to make commuting through New York City more of a pleasure than a pain.

Each spring, musicians and dancers who want a shot at the program arrive at Grand Central Terminal to compete for a slot on the MTA’s official roster. They get promoted on the MTA’s website.

But why perform in such a hectic environment?

“I’ve been an artist since I was a kid, since I was 13 years old. But I just got a master’s in music at NYU. So, I’m looking for better opportunities in the city,” Gálvez said.

“I grew up in Chicago and wanted to be something other than in a gang,” said Steven Clark, a Michael Jackson impersonator, who was dancing to “Billie Jean” at the Times Square Station. “People of my color are expected to grow up doing illegal things like that. So, I wanna show my audience that my people, my brothers, are more than just drug-dealers and stuff.”

Classical cellist Erik Robert Jacobson wore a tuxedo while playing Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 Prelude at a Port Authority subway station. “I played for the Harrisburg Symphony in Pennsylvania,” he said. “I hope people enjoy my music.”

What those subway performers do, Gálvez said, “requires a lot of passion.”

“A lot of people have talent,” dancing impersonator Clark said. “And nobody will know it unless you come out here and show it … Don’t be afraid to show your talent. It can take you anywhere.”