Well-known Gisborne busking identity, Melvyn Cann, has been honoured in a ceremony at an Elbow Room Concert of the Melbourne Composers League.
In its citation, the league celebrates his lifetime devotion to music performance and composition and to his honouring music as a higher calling.
Melvyn won local hearts during Covid lockdowns when, miraculously, he was permitted to continue busking.
“I have had wonderful experiences, performing as soloist, conductor and concertmaster in many formal environments, concert halls, churches and the like … but for intimacy and emotional intensity, none of that equals busking during Covid,” Melvyn said.
“Over and again I had people coming to me, tears streaming down their faces, telling me how much the live music meant to them in those arid times. This taught a lot about the central place that music holds in our hearts. I am very grateful.”
Melvyn can be heard regularly playing his violin outside Coles or IGA in Gisborne.
More than 100 of his works can be found on Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/user-982199379/tracks.
He is also a poet, artist, philosopher, filmmaker and healer.
