T.C. McManus

After busking on the mean streets of Seoul, South Korea for a year, T.C. McManus built up an extensive repertoire of traditional music from around the world.
He began by singing and playing the Celtic and Jewish tunes he was most familiar with. Then he thought learning a few Korean tunes would surely impress the locals. And it did.
But he didn�t stop with the Korean tunes. He learned melancholy Russian songs, romantic French waltzes and even a sentimental Japanese song, �Song of the Apple� from 1946, which some say �cheered up� Japan after World War II.
Aside from busking, T.C. played in bars and at artsy outdoor festivals.
After his year in Korea, he traveled throughout Central and Eastern Europe, busking in cities such as Prague, Berlin and Athens.
But now he wants to use his global repitoire in a new way, educating music lovers on music and cultures from around the world.
In his show �Accordion World Tour: From East to West� he plays songs from around the world, telling the stories behind the songs and demonstrating how musical ideas, like people, move from country to country.
He will also tell stories about busking in various countries, reflecting the countries� attitudes towars various music, often with surprising results.
While in Korea, he earned a living by teaching English to kids aged 4-16, keeping them reasonably amused. And in bars he entertained audiences he certainly hopes were older, so T.C. has what it takes to entertain music fans of all ages.