Cook Finds Contentment Through Violin

Juan Quiroz has been playing the violin for two years. When he saw other musicians performing in the subways of New York City, he decided to give it a try. For almost a year now, Quiroz, 76, has played at the Times Square Station three days a week, six hours per day.

"I saw other people playing their music," says Quiroz, speaking through a translator, a man passing through the subway station. "I thought I would give it a shot." A cook in a local Manhattan restaurant by profession, Quiroz hoped to make a little extra cash by playing for people in the station. Although he hasn't made more than $10 a day, Quiroz, an immigrant from Mexico, is content. For him, playing the violin is not just about the money.

"It makes me feel calm," he says. "The violin is a soothing instrument." And, unlike many of the musicians who play in the stations hoping to make it big in the music industry, Quiroz is there to share the songs that he has picked up. Before settling on the violin, Quiroz tried a variety of instruments, including the saxophone and trumpet. But in the end, it was the sound of the violin that he liked.

For the most part, Quiroz has not had any problems with playing in the station. Occasionally, he is asked to leave by police patrolling the area, and Quiroz will quietly move to another part of the station.

"I have gotten one ticket from the police," says Quiroz. "But for the most part, I am OK. And if someone says something, I just move to a different place."