Unemployed Saxophonist Tries Hand at Busking in DC

By Maria Socorro Garcia

Busking in the DC Metro stations is not something new. Playing music in these underground halls is a common sight for a lot of commuters. Zach Ambroise played his saxophone for the first time in the underground walkways at the Arlington Courthouse station of the DC Metro.

Ambroise took the DC Metro to go teach sax lessons to his student. He did not have any money on him, so he borrowed $40 from his mom to pay for the train. He figured if he played his saxophone in one corner of the DC Metro, he could practice for his lesson and probably earn some extra cash at the same time.

“I did not expect people to give me money. I was clueless on what I was doing. All I did was to practice my music,” Ambroise explains. So he continued to play until DC Metro security personnel stopped him from playing.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) strictly prohibits any individual carrying out commercial activities on Metro property unless an agreement or permission is granted. Free speech activities are permitted, but only in limited areas. Street performer Alex Young challenged this rule by arguing that the WMATA rules are an infringement on his rights of free speech. He filed a case against WMATA in 2014. A federal judge has issued a preliminary ruling allowing busking in the Metro stations.

Ambroise started playing the saxophone at age 8. He began to seriously master the musical instrument in college at Morgan State University in Baltimore. Ambroise is proud to say that the famous jazz saxophonist Tim Green mentored him. He further honed his craft by finishing his master’s degree from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a major in jazz. He wants to become a music teacher someday.

Ambroise moved back to Washington, D.C. recently and is currently looking for a new job. While unemployed, he said he would play his saxophone again on the DC Metro.

“I am going to try again, and I am not going to let them stop me play my music,” Ambroise said.

Photo of Zach Ambroise taken by Maria Socorro Garcia