“The Music Man”
By: Rauf Scales
images: LABEL Photography
I’ve often wondered what makes people tick. Why there are some people that continue to be optimistic about life when so many others have accepted that where we are in life, is just where we are supposed to be? It seems that so many young people today in the face of adversity look for easy options out. Whether it’s dealing drugs, using drugs or dropping out of high school, we want things to come now. If we mess up oh well, now I’m a bad person, I can’t change who I am so off I go into a life of crime. Well I recently came upon a gentleman in downtown Wilmington that inspired me. I felt he had a very different outlook on life than most people in better situations than his.
This man was a vagabond of sorts, his clothes a little ragged and the stale smell of cigarettes on his breath, his speech hurried and broken. Most of what he wanted to say he had a hard time translating from his (unbeknownst to me) eternally optimistic and enlightened mind and into continuous sentences. But he knew what he wanted to say and was only too eager to share what I in the NOW moment recognized as a lesson, LIFE, was about to teach me.
I met Glen on my way into class, he was on the sidewalk with his saxophone out, opening a pack of cigarettes, the twinkling spark and genuineness of his “hello”, gripped and lured me into a much needed soul reprieve. The funny things about lessons that life can teach you is, that when you are actually aware of that moment, you very often have some other pressing matter the outside world wants you to do, diverting you away from literally an opportunity of a lifetime. My pressing matter was my college class that day to which I was already late.
Glen an avid musician and street saxophonist was a man that had experienced life, at 52 he has battled drug and alcohol addiction. Losing his father at an early age, a troubled youth, and lack of a positive role model to hear where he is in his heart today, you can tell he has really led a comeback kid kind of life. I talked with Glen that day briefly and made a promise to myself and to him that I would hear his story.
He responded to my promise with an absolutely unexpected question, very nervously he asked if “I had a mother and if she was single” I had to do a double take, surely he did not just ask me this, I quickly responded with a shocked no, and then we both burst into laughter, him surely at what he had said, me at the completely wonderful Now of that moment.
As the days passed Glen became an afterthought, life came back after that NOW moment, Bills, child support and school began to once again feed like a vampire at the life sustaining force we call joy. Even though my life at the moment was one of undulating facades, the cheery spark and genuineness of Glens “Hello” came back to mind again and again. On one of those dreary snow days that froze our dear Wilmington into a winter war zone. I recovered from my laundry bound jeans pockets, a card, this card just happened to be Glens, It read
“Glendon McRae
Saxophonist for hire”
Now again being very happy for that now moment, knowing that this “coincidence” was in fact no coincidence, I am supposed to do this. You see life was not about to let me forget about it’s lessons, and it will in sometimes obscure and in sometimes very obvious ways remind you, you still have a lesson to learn. I gave that number on the card a ring, on the other line I hear a gruff voice asking who’s calling. In my most professional manner, I inform Mr. McRae that I would like to talk with him. An interview of sorts to hear his story.
The following is the very enlightening exchange between to most people this unknown street performer and myself.
LABEL: I appreciate you meeting with me Mr. McRae
Glen: You can call me Glen and thank you
LABEL: Ok, Glen my first question is, are there any other instruments that you play or do you only play the saxophone?
Glen: I play a little bit of bass, I play a little bit of piano, but my passion is the saxophone.
LABEL: Ok , ok so your a Musical man haha.
Glen: I am the Music Man thats what they call me
LABEL: So to get to the bread and butter of why we are here , when you were going though your addiction and you got sober what was the reason you went back to school?
Glen: it wasn’t decided I was going to school. I was actually playing my saxophone and a guy saw me. He asked me to be in his Jazz band and that came with it, the school came along with it and I actually played in a concert last spring without being a part of the school, But they got me to register and got me the pell grant, and I went ahead and said “Why not”. I guess God put me there .
LABEL: Can you tell us a bit about some of the things you’ve had to deal with in your life and how they have shaped your mentality on being positive and striving for more, than the bare minimum?
Glen: There is power in believing, this year has been the best year of my life basically because in the last five years, My mother died in me and my sisters arms one night. Up to that point I had been drinking going on 30 years from when I was in high school nine or tenth grade all the way until i was about 40-45 years old. I started getting sick around 30, I had felt like an alcoholic but i started showing symptoms around 30. For about 14-15 yrs I was a hardcore alcoholic and drug user, I had started using crack. I began to use the drugs to be social and have a good time, they really started to stop me from accomplishing my goals. Theres always something going on and we have to make choices that benefit us and not make dumb choices. The little things add up
LABEL: I look at you now and I saw you on the street, earlier you were talking about not giving up, believing that God put you here for a reason can you elaborate on that? What makes you get up and go everyday?
Glen: Santa claus is not gonna show up and take care of me, or when the rent man come for his money you can’t tell him you don’t have it, sometimes might be ok , once or twice, but you can’t have an excuse every time. I get up every morning because God allows me to, for that I try and be productive every day, to follow my dreams, theres still things out there I want to do. To lead by example to show that even though I was broken , I can keep going.
LABEL: You are on the street as a performer everyday and I’m sure you see a lot, what is your opinion on the state of our poverty stricken communities and drugs?
Glen: This guy died the other day from heroin. The cops went and rounded up the major dealers. But its hard to tell someone not to do something , especially like me they are going to go want to do it more. This stuffs accessible its on this corner, that corner, kids in schools , most of em know someone that is using and where to get it.
LABEL: You said earlier that you work to lead by example, How so?
Glen: By keeping the faith, Not drinking on the street, i smoke cigarettes so I can’t be telling nobody not to smoke haha, but i work everyday and I’m going to school. I work on myself everyday.
LABEL: I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us Glen
Glen: My pleasure, thank you for listening
The more I listened to his story , the more I came to admire Glen, This musician that has become a welcome addition to the street life in downtown Wilmington. Passed by many people on holiday, they will remember him as the guy that made their heads nod in acknowledgment of beautiful music. Mr. Glendon McRae aka “The Music Man” Follows his passion everyday, When I see him on my way to class I am inspired to follow my dreams just as this man is doing. So next time you See this full of grit street performer stop and give him a listen, perhaps a few bucks in appreciation and think about this mans triumphs in life and how each and every one of us can do anything we put our minds to.
For Contact info on Mr. Glendon Mccrae “ the Music man” email LABELWILMINGTON@gmail.com
Do you know of anyone that is an inspiration to their community?
If so Please contact us @ LabelWilmington@gmail.com
Also to view more images from LABEL photography Check out : Labelphotography.wordpress.com
I am living Reverend King’s dream and as such, I am inspired to dream.
raufscales 