Hello!
Recent trips:
Paris, France
New York City, New York
Hartford, Connecticut
South & North Carolina,
Oberlin, Ohio

Future Trips:
Berlin, Germany
Paris, France (again...)
New York City, New York ("")

I do street performing to fund my trips since I am:
1. A college student
2. A musician.

What I do:
I'm a violist at a music conservatory,
I do repair and restoration of instruments in a violin shop,
And I teach little kids in the prep chamber music department of my school as well as give private lessons at the Cleveland School of the Arts.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I just want make friends and swap stories. I'm after couch surfing spirit - engage with people. The free accommodation is great but if that's all people go for, they miss out entirely.

Interests

• music festivals
• music
• live music
• classical music
• electronic music
• violin
• teaching
• french
• french food
• french culture
• viola
• french movies
• violon
• french language

Music, Movies, and Books

These days I'm listening to music by
Father John Misty, old recordings of classical music, and Sylvan Esso

My all-time favorite movie is Fight Club or anything cinematically beautiful.
Books: I look for something to inspire me.
Recently read - Living on $2 a Day, The Rise of the Creative Class, The World Without Us, Absolutely on Music, Musicophilia,

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Okay maybe I can get away with two things...

1:
So I spent an entire week in Asheville as a homeless street performer. Basically I woke up on Thursday to learn that a friend was going to Indiana from South Carolina so I hitched a ride with him. Absolutely no plan at all, I brought my viola and started playing in the streets. And it was incredible!

I slept in a hammock 30ft in the air behind a law firm in downtown Asheville which was freaking great.

Once I was talking about people about living in the tree and playing on the streets for fun, I had a little girl come up to me and give me AN ENTIRE PIZZA from my favorite pizza joint, called Mellow Mushroom. That made my entire trip. Absolutely incredible.

I met a Hungarian girl working in the U.S. as kitchen staff to a Jewish summer camp who happened to be on a lunch break. She told me all about Hungary (they're super into Folk Music, they even teach it in schools). She really wanted to go to Greenville, SC (oddly enough where I went to boarding school) because she wanted to see the beautiful waterfalls.

Before I got bought a blanket for the hammock it was quite cold and I couldn't sleep very well, so around 5:00a.m, I started packing things up. Things got a little weird.

With my stuff all packed, I started heading to the restaurant for coffee. It was DARK. Not a single person in sight. I walked up Broadway street, which was more like an alley since you can't go left or right until you're at the end of the block.

This car appears and I'm on the right side of the street, they're on the left side - we're going opposite directions.

I'm thinking "Oh finally - at least there's SOME traffic on this road. Someone might get mugged."

So then this car slams on the brakes and this gentleman pulls out a knife.

So naturally, I start running up the hill. Looking back, he gets back in the car and goes around the block to cut me off. Possibly more literally than figuratively. AND SURE ENOUGH right as I get down behind this 2ft wall to hide from this very lost knife salesman - I see him come around the block.

Long story short, he went around the block for two and a half hours with two of his friends while I played with this really nice chipmunk that wanted to keep me company. It was a good time.

Other things I want to remember about that trip: the couple trying to sell their camper in Greenville, SC; the amount of times I went to Dobra for tea and Devin who helped me keep my instrument safe in the shop; the thirty-one year old woman who let me drive her car; and the man who lived in the apartment above where I busked near the library and would come listen to me every day. You were all incredible.

2. I also biked to Charleston from Columbia, on a single-speed, by myself, in 100+ degree weather. The route was over 130 miles in 8 hours. It was the hardest physical thing I've ever done.

3. I went to Paris with zero money, my viola, and a small bag. I lived there for a month and had an incredible time. Fully funded by playing music on the streets.

4.
...
...
Also music school auditions...

What I Can Share with Hosts

I have stories that range from getting run over by a car, changing careers, and homeless travels. If you have any broken instruments I might be able to fix them..?

Countries I’ve Visited

France, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States