Staff photo by Ben McCanna

Busking is more than a means to make money, according to Somala Markaei. "My goal is to start a smiling revolution," he said. Markaei, who goes by the name Master of Theology, is often found drumming his djembe and singing improvised lyrics at Bell Buoy Park or Deering Oaks during Portland Farmers Market on Saturdays. He also encourages children to smile and join in, like Adelynn Adams, 4, above. "Kids are the soldiers of smiling," he said. "When you smile, you increase the luminance of the sun."

Markaei, who claims to have been born in 60,000 B.C., has been drumming "all my life." He is originally from the Commonwealth of Dominica, but moved to the U.S. Virgin islands in 1980 and has lived in Portland for the last 20 years, he said. In addition to spreading a message of smiles, Markaei recommends smoking "one reefer for every day of the year, and two on Leap Year [Day]."

Staff photo by Ben McCanna

For Eugene Silverstreuse, his banjo is a ticket to travel. The 23-year-old West Virginian has visited 35 states by camping, hitchiking, hopping trains and "walking more than I mean to," he said, leaning against the wall of the Maine College of Art on Congress Street. Busking pays his daily expenses well enough that he never misses a meal. Silverstreuse, a Navy veteran, said he planned to stay in Portland for a short time before moving on to Bar Harbor, then Burlington, Vermont, and Quebec Province. He plans to eventually hit all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. When asked if he ever gets lonely, Silverstreuse shook his head no. "That's what the banjo is for."

Staff photo by Ben McCanna

Haley Depner has been making balloon animals since she was a child, but it's only been a year since she began clowning around Portland. When in costume, the 21-year-old Cornish resident and USM biology major goes by the name Sweetums the Clown. She offers a range of more than 60 different balloon sculptures, including dolphins, mermaids and ninja swords. Depner accepts tips, but otherwise the creations are free. "[Sweetums] would rather everybody get a balloon than have anyone walk away without one due to lack of money." Sweetums can be found at Deering Oaks on Saturdays during the Portland Farmers Market, as shown here, and often on First Fridays downtown.

Staff photo by Ben McCanna

Stiltwalker Rose Humeniuk is a newcomer to the street scene, making her very first appearance on First Friday in June. Since then, the 23-year-old Falmouth resident has been making appearances in Monument Square every Tuesday and Thursday. She would busk more often if not for a day job at Ocean Gateway. Humeniuk, who jokingly refers to her stilts as 24-inch heels, took two years of classes at Circus Maine, but never studied stiltwalking. "It just sort of happened," she said of her new skill. Humeniuk's street performing, which incorporates elements of mime, is empowering, she said. "I have social anxiety, but doing this allows me to be among people. The costume is a screen between me and the world that makes me feel safer."

Staff photo by Ben McCanna

Frank Turek, far right, was a late-bloomer when it comes to music. The 54-year-old Portland resident first picked up saxophone at the tender age of 30. "I just dedicated myself to it," he said, and the learning came fast. For the past 12 years, Turek has been busking under the name 'Cranky the Clown School Dropout." He plays what he calls circus klezmer music at Monument Square and Deering Oaks during Portland Farmers Market and occasionally at Congress Square Park. Turek plays shows with the avant garde jazz band Mystic Out-Bop Review, but busking offers luxuries that gigging can't. "There's a lot of freedom to this," he said. "There are no constraints of time or music." Another benefit is meeting new peopls. "I love the characters you meet on the street. There's a lot of nutty people who come up to you, and I actually like that." In this photo, Joanne Girard of Scarborough takes a photo of husband Jim posing with Cranky in Deering Oaks.

Staff photo by Ben McCanna

For Allen Price street performance is more like street practice. The 64-year-old Parkside resident is in Deering Oaks almost every day, "whether the tips are good or not," he said. Price plays professionally as a session player, freelancer and instructor. (Price taught Cranky the Clown School Dropout to play sax, for instance.) A clarinetist and saxophonist, Price maintains an 80-song repertoire, which necessitates a lot of practice and Deering Oaks is the perfect place to do it. People, however, can "be a distraction when you're trying to remember the notes," he joked.

Staff photo by Ben McCanna

Aaron Seglin can't see his admirers in the park. Blind since birth, Seglin -- a multi-instrumentalist -- has been playing since he was three, beginning with piano and singing. Today, the he plays flute and harmonica in the band 13 Scotland Rd., which he describes as James Taylor meets the Allman Brothers. The band has a residency at Bull Feeney's playing the second Saturday of each month, but Seglin plays djembe every Saturday in Deering Oaks, which is adjacent to his residence at the Iris Network. If he can find someone to guide him, Seglin will occassionally play other parts of the city. "But I don't play on cruise ship days," he said, "because cruise ship people are cheap."

Staff photo by Ben McCanna

Saxophonist Glen DaCosta isn't shy in describing his place in music history. "I'm a pioneer in Jamaican music," he said during a recent weekday in Monument Square. DaCosta, 75, played in Bob Marley and the Wailers from 1973 until Marley's death in 1980. Today, DaCosta visits Portland from Jamaica for a few months every year. He busks most days in Monument Square accompanying his own recorded music played on a portable CD player. Surprisingly, he doesn't busk in his home country because reggae isn't popular there anymore. "Everyone listens to dancehall now," he said. "It is vain and empty music." DaCosta said reggae is superior because it spreads a message of greater consciousness and "it represents the voiceless and disenfranchised. It is the people's music." DaCosta makes about $30 a day on average. "To be honest, the money doesn't matter," he said. "It's about getting the message out, teaching children about their rights and the important things in life."

Staff photo by Ben McCanna

While the Portland Farmers Market is bustling with commerce, Emmy Simmons is perfectly still. Standing in front of a box and holding paper hearts, the costumed and statue-like Simmons waits for someone to leave a tip. When it happens, Simmons breaks her pose, extends the heart as a return gift, and curtseys before striking another mime-like pose. The character, Alonzo, was inspred by "The Toymaker's Opera," a book written by Simmons' spouse, KA Simmons. "Alonzo is a living doll, an automaton," she said. "He is innocent and loving and sees beauty and goodness in things. He seemed like the ideal character for spreading love and beauty." Simmons performs for about four hours in a single day, which can be uncomfortable. "Standing for so long can make it difficult for your heart to pump blood to your brain, so I have to remind myself to move my toes and tense my leg muscles from time to time, otherwise I run the risk of fainting." During those long periods of silence and stillness, Simmons is focussed on the kind-heartedness of her character. "I think the phrase 'I love you' at every person who goes past."