Happy 50th Metro birthday! Meet a Concordian who rocks out underground

Fifty years ago today, on October 14, 1966, Montrealers boarded the metro for the first time. Coincidentally, it was the same day that Concordia officially opened the Henry F. Hall Building.

The two Montreal institutions have been inextricably linked ever since.

The Guy-Concordia metro station is at the centre of the university’s downtown campus. Thousands of students, staff and faculty take the underground trains to and from the university every day.

A few Concordians, such as Ben Evans, even make a part-time living in the metro, entertaining commuters.

‘The smiles inspired me’

Busking is not your average student job, but that’s one of the reasons Evans loves it.

The 22-year-old electrical engineering undergraduate first started playing in Montreal’s underground two years ago, inspired by the metro musicians he passed on his daily commute.

He recalls the morning he woke up early to add his name to the Guy-Concordia busking sign-up sheet, which operates on a first come, first served basis. 

“I felt awkward when I started, just standing there and jamming out,” says Evans, who has been playing electric guitar for the better part of 12 years.

“However, the quick smiles, the thumbs up — and of course, the pocket change — really inspired me to keep at it. It was really cool to watch people momentarily enjoy my music on the way to wherever they were headed.”

The perfect student gig

Around the time Evans took up busking, he also began his academic career at Concordia, a choice born directly out of his passion for music.

“I was doing my own recordings — working with microphones, amplifiers and frequency balances — and I got curious about how these tools worked,” says Evans.

“That’s where my interest in electrical engineering came from.”

He attributes his ability to think about music differently in large part to what he’s learned in his program.

“The electric guitar’s strings are vibrating pieces of metal over a magnet. There are laws of physics that relate to how sound is produced and heard. When you learn this theory you begin to better understand the connection between electricity and sound.”

Evans says busking has helped provide him enough money to make ends meet without having to seek out more traditional part-time work. Moreover, he says it’s the perfect student gig.

“I can really busk around my school schedule. If I have a week of exams, I just won’t play. Whereas if it’s a quieter time, I can do 20 hours. I’m my own boss.”

‘Busking helps break down barriers’

Beyond earning some coin (literally), busking has also made Evans more social.

“I can be a little reserved, but this work has opened me up. When I see a stranger walking past me in the metro, I now know they could be very friendly. Busking helps breaks down that barrier.”

As for any advice the musical engineer has for other Concordians who share an affinity for performing?

“Try busking — give it a shot!”

Find out more about Concordia’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.