If you’ve been on Main Street on Thursday through Sunday between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., chances are you’ve heard the lively, intricate melodies of a fiddle weaving through the year-round hustle and bustle.
Behind those songs is self-taught musician Todd Saunders, 66, who has turned busking – the act of performing in public for gratuities – into both a celebration of his lifelong passion for music and a way to stay financially secure in retirement.
“I love all forms of music, but especially bluegrass, Celtic and old-time, so I couldn’t hardly resist the opportunity to share it on the streets,” Saunders said.
Since moving from the Midwest to Bozeman three years ago to be closer to his daughter, Saunders has become a fixture on Main Street, usually stationed in front of Schnee’s between Black