Saskia Esken used to be a street musician and remember the time

Saskia Esken is a workers’ child: she was the first to study in her family, but she did not hold her studies until the end. After four semesters of politics and German studies, she broke off. Before she finally trained computer science and then started her career in politics, she had to get through with various jobs: waitress, parcel deliverer, chauffeur, writer-and street musician.

In an interview, the outgoing SPD-CO boss tells for the July edition of the music magazine “Rolling Stone” with her guitar in the pedestrian zones of southern Germany. Although this phase did not take long, it had a lasting impact on it: “It was very formative for me because it is a challenge for an 18- or 19-year-olds to put up with her twelve strings and dare to dare,” says ESKE.

She prefers to sang songs by her favorite artist Neil Young: “Heart of Gold”, “Helpless” or “Cowgirl in the Sand”. “You could also sing with friends in a multi -part voices,” she recalls. When asked which songs are safe money charms, in which the audience lets something jump reliably, ESKE ESKE: “It is everywhere that people are more like knowing the song and may even be able to humid.” It is similar in politics: “If you quote Willy Brandt, there is applause”.

There were different reactions on their performance, but in general people with children are more sponger, so the little ones would like to throw some money in the guitar case themselves: “For example, I remember a group of listeners in Stuttgart – not because they are so many, but because they want to be so far away. You only get money from those who have to approach each other, otherwise.”

In Tübingen, most of the students had listened to the “almost on their lap” and sang along. Esken sums up: “Every city has its peculiarities.” Could she live from street music as a young woman? “No, no,” waves ESKE.

Sources: July edition of the “Rolling Stone”;