Violinist takes a bow after busking around the world
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Concert violinist David Juritz has performed in many of the world's greatest halls as a soloist, guest artist and concertmaster of London's famed Mozart Players.
But he may have found his true calling while "scraping away" in near anonymity outside some of the same venues.
The violinist left his London home on June 9 and has since traveled the globe as a street performer, raising money to fund music education for some of the world's poorest children.
During a stop in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday, with only a few days left before his tour ends, Juritz said he had raised at least $50,000, after expenses, for the charity Musequality, which he hopes will grow into a fund of $500,000.
"It's difficult to turn publicity and goodwill into cash," said Juritz, who has worked from 6 a.m. until midnight almost daily over the past 4-1/2 months but insists it was worth it.
"People aren't really that interested in the easy things in life," he said, explaining why he had not just set out to raise the money via a sponsored series of concerts.
Juritz came up with the plan early this year as he decided to mark his looming 50th birthday by raising funds for charity by performing Bach's solo violin works. This reminded the South African-born musician of playing in the streets when he was a student at London's Royal College of Music.
"I remembered saying to somebody, 'I bet you could busk your way around the world if you put your mind to it.' That's all it took, only about a minute's thought. If I'd given it four or five, I'd never have done it."
NOT ALL ABOUT MONEY
Juritz set off by leaving for his local London Underground station with no money in his pocket as he wanted to begin as he intended to continue, playing in public and hoping enough money would be thrown into his violin case to cover his travel.
Sent off by friends and family, he did much better, raising 2,000 pounds ($4,000) -- more than enough to cover his initial travel to Europe and Africa, let alone his Tube fare.
"The first hour still stands as the best hour I've had," he said.
The worst hour of the 60,000-mile (96,560-km) journey came just a few days later in Berlin, where he spent a windy, rainy three hours dodging security guards before ending the day "with blisters on the bottom of my feet and 11 euros ($16)."
Another memorable stop was at California's Stanford University where one hour's playing garnered $500.
But Juritz said some of his best moments were not associated with large amounts of money.
In Montevideo, Uruguay, Juritz feared street children might rob him but instead they gave him what money they had. In Singapore, Juritz played in an area inhabited largely by immigrant construction workers where an observer who looked anything but wealthy gave him 5 Singapore dollars ($3.30).
"'I want you to take this so that a child can have an education,'" Juritz recalled the man saying, choking up. "It has been absolutely amazing."
One of the first Musequality programs is in Kampala, Uganda, which Juritz got to know while performing on the soundtrack for the film "The Last King of Scotland."
"If you actually take a group of kids and put them up on the stage and get them performing, they suddenly realize that there's another route in life than having to clamor for attention and have to fight," he said.
Juritz said he had come through his journey without being mugged, or arrested, although he was almost taken into custody in Seoul. His performance in the South Korean capital attracted a policeman who took notes and pictures then rang for backup.
"That's always a bad sign," Juritz said. But in the end, they decided to let him go.
"I've been very lucky," he said, although he noted wryly, "I'm going to go along now and have a go at the White House."
