Sousaphone Player Keeps Watertown Neighborhood Smiling During Coronavirus Pandemic
WATERTOWN (CBS) - He's a self described man of mischief, who on a rainy Friday, in the middle of a pandemic, walks the streets of Watertown playing the sousaphone.
"The tuba makes more people smile more than any other instrument. And then when you have a tuba that's dressed up as the Loch Ness monster that's pretty entertaining," said Zack Hickman.
He does it all while donning a captain's hat and serious 'stache. It's the kind of good trouble he'll be remembered for, even though most people don't know who he is.
"I'm imagining he lives somewhere around here. But I have no idea who he is," said Kristin Caulfield, who spotted him on a walk last week and posted the video on social media.
"It's a human touch we all need right now. And that's what I loved about it," Caulfied said.
Turns out the good deed is something Hickman needs too. Stay-at-home orders forced the 41-year-old career musician off of a tour alongside Josh Ritter. And in looking for ways to stay busy, he decided to share his skills.
"You could start to feel people being a little stir crazy. So I thought it would entertaining. I put on my sousaphone and started to walk around the neighborhood," Hickman said.
That walk turned into a two mile parade of one. Two weeks later, rain or shine, he's still delighting neighbors young and old alike.
"When the weather's nice you get people out on their balcony. They dance around a little bit. You also have people that are profoundly alone right now. It's been really moving I have to say," Hickman told WBZ-TV.
So, if you're in Watertown and hear a horn blaring, come to your window or step outside. Join the man of mischief with a mustache and he'll help you pass the time.
