My husband and I were channel surfing the other night and we happen to catch Tavis Smiley's show on PBS. His guests that caught our attention were the Escobar brothers, Damien and Tourie, who were trained violinists from Julliard none the less. To say that these guys are good is an understatement.
According to their story, they use to panhandle inside New York's subway not only to make a quick buck but also to test the waters. It must have been a real test to be able to be notice especially since there are also a lot of different panhandlers in the area.
If you're able to listen to their album titled "Struggle From The Subway To The Charts", it will be an experience to remember and worth listening to.