The Man Behind the Music: A Harvard Square Performer Describes Life
December 7, 2007
As Firooz Sorkhabi plays his guitar, throngs of people pass by. Some drop a dollar or two in his case while others are too busy to appreciate the flamenco rhythms. Some people watch him while they wait; the regulars stop to say hi. Mr. Sorkhabi’s audience? The riders of Boston’s T who pass through Harvard Square. Mr. Sorkhabi started his life in Rezaeih, Iran. He was taken with music and art from an early age, and began playing the guitar at age 12. His first teacher, his cousin, supplied him with the foundation of a classical training. Knowing the basic chords allowed Mr. Sorkhabi to improve and further his training. Classical training did not hold his attention for long though. Soon, he became enthralled with Spanish bullfighting and the music that accompanied it. His second music teacher, whom he met while studying economics at the University of Tehran, expanded upon his musical knowledge by teaching him the Flamenco style.
The Masters’ Degree
When Mr. Sorkhabi moved to England in 1974 to earn his masters’ degree in computer programming, he took his love of Flamenco with him. It was there that he met Juan MartÃn at one of his concerts. Mr. MartÃn was already a well-known musician, especially in the Flamenco style, when Mr. Sorkhabi met him in 1976. Mr. Sorkhabi learned the true style of Flamenco from him, and to this day he still references Mr. MartÃn as his greatest inspiration.
So why does this accomplished artist and professional play in Harvard Square? He’s here, he says, not because “the money is good, although it pays the bills,” but rather “to practice, to get students, and to meet nice people.”
Firooz Sorkhabi comes to Harvard square several times per week to share his love of Flamenco with commuters, students, and MBTA workers. He, like many other T musicians, is not homeless, is not mentally handicapped, and is not playing as a last resort.
Mr. Sorkhabi is a multi-talented, multi-faceted man. In addition to playing in the Harvard Square T station, he is also a graphic designer and offers private guitar lessons to “anyone old enough to hold a full-sized guitar.” His students benefit from all parts of Mr. Sorkhabi’s repertoire, learning both classical and Flamenco styles. Mr. Sorkhabi has a specific style of teaching. He does not teach his students music theory or how to tune their guitars. Those skills, he says, might be taught later, but the beginning of their training is focused on a “monkey see, monkey do” arrangement. He teaches his students how to use their fingers to manipulate the guitar by having them follow what he does. This technique, he says, allows learners to play their first song within the first three to four weeks of lessons. The accomplishment, in turn, keeps students motivated, interested, and confident.
His students rave about his mastery of guitar as well as his ability to teach. “Firooz has the patience of a saint, the knowledge of a professional, and the generosity of a professional,” one student explains. Another says, “Watching him play and listening to his stories about dedicating a life to music are inspirational, and he never hesitates to pass down the wisdom he has gathered for a life’s experience and the famous teachers he himself has had. Studying under Firooz cannot be simply considered classes, it is an apprenticeship.”
Graphic design clients have glowing experiences as well. The self-taught professional receives reviews from clients saying that “the quality of his work is impeccable” and that they “would not even consider changing or trying another vendor.”
Mr. Sorkhabi, then, is a well-educated and successful man. He is also well traveled, having lived not only in Iran and England, but also briefly in Spain — the origin of his inspiration. In America, Mr. Sorkhabi has traversed the country, visiting New York, Arizona, and Washington, D.C.
His daughter (who currently lives in Germany) and his mother continue to be a large part of his life; he accredits them with supporting his love of music and being sources of inspiration and happiness for him.
The Logistics of Music
In order to play in Harvard Square, Mr. Sorkhabi first had to obtain a permit. This is perhaps easier said than done, because there is a limited number of permits available despite a huge demand from musicians. According to an MBTA worker, those who do obtain permission to play are “all very talented.”
As a musician in Harvard Square, Mr. Sorkhabi is contributing to over 50 years of tradition. Street artists are so endemic to the square, and the T system, that they are as much of a distinguishing characteristic of Harvard Square as brick sidewalks. Due to the popularity of street and T musicians, there is a playing schedule in Harvard station. Only two musicians are allowed to play in the station at one time, one on the outbound platform and one on the inbound platform. If there is more than one musician on hand to play, they must take turns, usually in three-hour shifts.
Playing in the T station allows musicians like Mr. Sorkhabi not only an opportunity to make some money, but prime practice space. “Outside is very cold and there is too much noise,” Mr. Sorkhabi says. “Here, I have found a better place.”
Indeed he has. Harvard Station suits Mr. Sorkhabi so well that he has another role when he sits down to play his guitar. He is not only an entertainer, but also a friend to those who work in the station as well as those who pass through and lend a listening ear. As one MBTA worker gets off her shift, she sits by Mr. Sorkhabi as she waits for her train home. Seeing her, Mr. Sorkhabi waves and plays her something special: “Just for you,” he says.
Soon after, a woman gets off a train with her two-year-old son in tow. She immediately walks over to Mr. Sorkhabi and smiles. He asks her how she has been — she is obviously a regular of Harvard station — she responds with an outpouring of emotion. Pointing to her two-year-old son she says, “His father got married in Morocco and didn’t tell me. We have been dating for two years and he has had a secret wife for five months.” Mr. Sorkhabi is incredulous. But the woman’s story didn’t end there. She continued to say that she ordered her son’s father out of their shared home and changed her son’s name to Alfred. “It was my grandfather’s brother’s name,” she says. “He was a very good man.” To this, Mr. Sorkhabi’s response was to start playing music. It seemed to comfort both the woman and her child, as the boy began to smile and reach for the guitar.
This kind of occurrence, a flood of emotion from strangers, is not wholly unusual for Mr. Sakhorbi. It is not always, however, so sad. Sometimes, people burst with happiness.
“One day,” Mr. Sorkhabi begins, “I was playing here. A lady came. It was wintertime. She took off her jacket and started to dance.” She told him, in her broken English, that she was a Flamenco dancer from Barcelona. She danced to his rythms for the rest of his time playing, drawing crowds from all over the station. People came through the turnstiles simply to listen to the music and watch her dance. Together, they almost tripled his usual earnings of $150. Humbled by her talent, Mr. Sorkhabi asked her if he measured up to the Flamenco guitarists who usually play for her. She responded, “If you were not a good guitarist I would have gone on a train.” When the woman left, she told Mr. Sorkhabi that if she were ever in Boston again, she would look him up. So far he hasn’t heard from her.
Some people, then, would say it belittles all of Mr. Sorkhabi’s accomplishments to categorize him as a T musician. He possesses skills and successes that go beyond those in Harvard Square. He talks of his extensive guitar collection (featuring a hand made beauty from Spain) and his ability to completely remodel and alter old guitars in a few months, turning them into phenomenally-sounding instruments. Modestly, he states that he has been able to make a career out of his one true love: music. Some might say that Mr. Sorkhabi is much more than a simple street musician, that he should be doing more with his talent or that he is selling himself short.
He says that this is just where he wants to be. He loves Boston — “of course,” he says. “It’s America.” He loves teaching and entertaining. He is part of a great Harvard Square tradition. He is a comfort to those who need comforting and an outlet for those who need to let loose. Firooz Sorkhabi is just an ordinary Harvard Square musician.