With their generators confiscated by firefighters, protesters are left with only thoughts and guitars and conga drums and any other impromptu materials fit for banging on. They are street musicians awash in their own sweat and dirt beating, strumming and singing on in the Financial District. Some serenade crowds of tourists and demonstrators with protest music, singing about the atrocities committed on Wall Street, while other “performers” are merely expressing themselves. For the most part though, it seems that Zuccotti musicians are either drawn there by the large audience, or they are there to bang on something. Either way, passersby are sure to find a panoply of styles and beats from “artists” marching to their own drums.
Anton Cipriani, 35, has been playing the drums since he was a little kid. Although, he claims, he is no “big shot,” Cipriani plays because it affords him some release. And, he says, while people are not discussing relevant situations, this offers a percussive venue for stress release.
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