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Does he have a cd playing in the background or something?

yea

Not sure if it's a CD, but he has a large speaker playing "background" music that also plays the violin parts as well. He just pretends he's playing the violin parts.

lots of grifters here. i hate seein poor saps give money to redlight/stop-sign scammers

It sounds like he's playing some sort of soundtrack from the show Bridgerton.

He is a fake. Not the first time he has been called out at that spot.

I usually give him 5 or 10, sounds great.

WHY ITS NOT REAL

Freetown giant is where all the old retired seniors or highschoolers go. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a violinist scamming the old and young there

Sounds real to me, makes me happy.

i assure you its not real. Its being played from the speaker. Hes just moving the string. and hes not in need. he is taking advantage of people like you who think they are helping someone out, this is his profession, and they make more than some jobs. Also notice scammers on the side of a busy road who force kids and babies to play as props (usually not their own kids) with made up stories to steal money

Pretty sure same guy was at Harris Teeter in KC. I will say that the sound quality was pretty impressive, I guess give him a tip to help him cover the cost of his sound system? 🤓

Oh this guy. Def fake and his sound system shakes everything. Definitely a pro at this and raking in the cash. I also see the same people around the area when he's around with nearly professional made signs, and several other details.

I haven't seen him with kids or babies, did he steal from you? I just give him the money. I don't feel like I have to or threatened.

Whether it’s real or not, it’s still entertainment. Not exactly a scam. It would be a scam if he were saying he were raising money for a fake cause. That said, would I tip? No, but I also never tipped him when I assumed he was really playing the violin.

Also, can’t help but to notice “The Music Man” type twist in this story. Dude turned out not to be a real music professor, but he made everyone in the community happy so they decided not to tar and feather him. Or at least that’s how I remember it…been a while since I last watched it.

I’ll just leave everyone here with this…

“You got trouble, folks. Right here in River City. Trouble with a capital "T" And that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool!”

grifters at stop signs and red lights often use kids. His grift is extremely common, but your right its not stealing, but its scamming, they are taking advantage of people who think they are supporting a talented underprivileged musician.

its a scam. He is taking advantage of people who donate thinking he is a poor talented musician who needs money, thats why he is pretending to play the violin. I am telling you, he has no idea how to play the violin. what he is doing is no different than the supermarket playing music over the speaker, its not entertaining. Unless you’re entertained by a speaker playing music…

Yep, I dropped a buck in his collection. Liked the music anyway.

There are UFOs being shot out of the sky, I honestly could care less about a guy entertaining people by pretending to play a violin. Someone definitely ought to play a little violin just for you.

you can care about multiple things. Personally, i care that they are taking advantage of people wanting to support someone in need. They are lying and scamming. But i guess your cool with that because they have a speaker that plays stock violin music lol. They aren’t doing it to entertain people, are you daft.

It's a show provided by a pan handler asking for money. I don't really see how it's anymore of a scam than people who buy tickets to watch artists lip sync at a concert.

I get that it may be an insult to your skillset, but it's really punching down to be calling out a guy trying to get creative while he begs for money in a parking

The description of the violin mime is way different from those people who misuse their kids to get money from people at stop lights.

Raking in the cash? How much do you honestly think he could possibly make standing outside a grocery store?

How do you know how much he is making? Do you have some sort of insight?

How do you know he is not in need? Does the fact that he can or cannot play the violin have any correlation with his financial situation? The way I see it, someone would have to be pretty hard up to choose to rely on the generosity of strangers by standing outside a grocery store whether they can actually play an instrument or not.

This is exactly right. It seems to me that the OP believes that a person asking for money outside a grocery store is only deserving if he deems them worthy. Whether the person can actually play the violin or not, it’s not exactly the most glamorous or lucrative lifestyle to stand outside asking strangers for money. Telling them they are unworthy of a small sum because they lack talent in your opinion is pretty tone deaf (pun intended).

I mean, about as much of a "scam" as holding up a cardboard sign or just saying you're a vet and asking for change. I hardly feel defrauded by it.

I have thought about it and if this guy gets 10 people to tip him 2 dollars within an hour he's making 20+ dollars an hour tax free

Theyre still scamming people. Even if the violinist doesn’t present themselves as someone in-need, they are tricking people into thinking they are providing a service: live music. Both are scams.

people who do these grifts make money off of it. good money too, because generous strangers give money thinking exactly what you are thinking. Thats why they do it. it makes as much as a job.

Also, hes tricking people into thinking he is providing a free service; playing live music on a very difficult classical instrument. Which he is not. So if they tip for that, they were scammed.

Theyre still scamming people. Even if the violinist doesn’t present themselves as someone in-need, they are tricking people into thinking they are providing a service: live music.

I've seen him at various lots, and he appears to get tips way faster than the people who aren't able to afford a sound system.

Is it the same guy that was at giant in forest hill/ bel air? White violin? Gave that mf ten bucks lol dammit.

As a NYer, I never give money to anyone in the streets/sidewalks/ traffic lights or whatever. I always just assume it's a scam. If people are trusting / want to give others their money, they have a right to.

I love that Giant 😂

So a politician then.

so anyway hes giving a great show and disenfranchised people shouldnt have to be berkeley graduates to deserve money to eat