This week we spoke to a musician who, like others, lost a lot of work when the pandemic hit: Performances were postponed, or cancelled altogether. Patrick Contreras, a Fresno violinist, started to offer front lawn concerts to make ends meet, and the idea has taken off. He says he’s heard from other musicians across the country, asking how he’s made it work.
Contreras says he honed his street performance skills playing at nursing facilities and fairs where he used a self-contained set-up. He would bring a battery-powered speaker and his own music. That’s what he uses now, and he asks folks to stay 15 feet away, just in case.
Listen to the audio postcard above to hear Contreras talk more about the idea, and about explain the origin story behind some of his own music.
