Temple student forms special bonds with Philly homeless people

Walking down the streets of North Philly you will almost always see at least one homeless person sitting on the side of a building. But most students don’t even think twice about it, just looking at them as a normal part of a city.

Some homeless people stand outside of stores, like 7-11, asking for money, while others simply sit with blankets outside of the Liacouras center looking hopeless. The stereotypical thought is that all of these people simply want money for drugs and got themselves to this point by making bad decisions.

But how many people actually take the time to listen to what they have to say and learn how they got to the point that they are at today? Temple junior, Sean Gnitzcavich, decided one day to take the time to sit down with one of them, which eventually created a whole new world of friends for him.

Sean created “Beats for the Streets,” which he explains the meaning of the name as making music to make a difference. Recently on an episode of Temple Talk, Sean made a segment of himself in action doing “Beats for the Streets.”

“I strike up a casual conservation, like with anyone else, and then if they’re open to opening up then we talk about them, sometimes about how they got to where they are, and sometimes just about experiences that make up their better qualities that many people don’t see when they encounter a homeless man or woman on the street.”

Sean stated that he has grabbed people off the subway asking for change, people in Rittenhouse Square that join him when he plays music, and also just anyone who wants to join him in his backyard on Diamond St. Sean usually plays his acoustic guitar, which he explains can be sung to in any way.

“I’ve sung in my typical alternative style, and sometimes people have rapped and we’ve gone bar to bar,” Sean said. “I’ve harmonized in some soulful improvisation and played songs that they’ve liked. Some join in and they teach me songs to play along with them, but we do a lot of improvisation — its just making music.”

He told a story about his friend Ebo who made way more money by playing music with Sean then he would by just sitting on the street begging. In one day they were able to raise enough money together for Ebo to stay at his friend’s place for an entire week and get enough food for the whole weekend.

“I always give them all the money we make and typically give them whatever I can too,” Sean said. “I really enjoy bringing out the music in whoever I get to play with. I mean, half the time they’re making more money for themselves than I am, and surprising me with rap, R&B, soul, and poetry. It would surprise you the amount of talent that goes unrecognized.”

The idea of doing this first started freshmen year for Sean when he was playing music in Rittenhouse Square with a friend who was visiting from back home in Connecticut. Sean met a man named Jay who had lived in Philly for his entire life. Jay shared with him how much the city has changed throughout the years, which eventually led to them playing music for hours, jamming out to some originals, making up a few songs on the spot, and playing classics out of Jay’s song book.

“The experience was eye opening to the happiness that comes from sharing music with a stranger who has a completely different backstory and such a large age gap,” Sean said.

After the encounter Sean explained it became a common thing his sophomore year to have homeless people congregate around his block on the corner of 18th and Diamond. Sean said that they would typically hangout on stoops, offer to sweep or shovel his sidewalk, do yard work, or bring wood for bonfires. But there were also those who just came to share stories, offering him some words of wisdom and warning him about the issues they have faced first hand.

“I’ve shared some very personal connections with two in particular, who told me about their experiences with death, depression, adversity, and addiction — to the point where they’ve literally cried on my shoulder telling me about how they didn’t deserve the second chances they got,” Sean stated.

One homeless man named Country met Sean’s friend and the next day sat down with him, crying, and saying quality friends who love you that much are hard to come by. He explained to Sean that, after being alone, he now knows the difference between friends who really love you and those who are just there for the moment.

“It really made me appreciate what I had,” Sean explained. “Some people think that they are all just looking for material, but they’re looking for love and friendship above all — just like the rest of us.”

Sean usually does “Beats for the Streets” monthly if his workload isn’t too much, but he explained that he spends most of his time off-camera because it’s more natural. “It’s not about getting shots, or trying to get them to answer questions they don’t want to, or talk about things they’d rather not think about,” Sean says, “it’s about having a good time, just as much for me as it is for them. I still record a lot of the songs we make, but it’s just for me and not to publicize.”

When asked if he considers them as a normal friend, he laughed and said, “What do you mean ‘normal friend?’ I don’t think any of my friends are normal, and they are just as much ‘normal friends’ as any of my other friends. But I do look at them in a different light because they have different perspectives on life.”

Sean has invited some of these people to come in his house to have breakfast or get a drink. He explained that he has had one person in particular, Country, come to his house for bonfires, music, and to do what typical people do — vent about life. Sean even ended up introducing Country to his mother one day, and she was flattered by him as they sparked up good conversation that was filled with laughter.

When asked if it’s hard to leave these people knowing that they are homeless Sean explained that a lot of them leave with enough money to sleep or eat. “That’s the purpose of the whole thing,” Sean said, “And if we can’t make them any money (which hasn’t happened) I’ve got food, cigarettes, or whatever they want because they’re offering me their time as much as I’m offering mine.”

“Honestly I think a lot of the bonding ends up benefiting me more than them,” Sean said. “I mean I offer friendship, pocket change, and a song to change the tune of their mood, but they offer wisdom and insight to experiences I wouldn’t find myself in.”

@morgkola