Los Angeles’s Skid Row has been stuck at the center of America’s epidemic of homelessness. It is also located right next to the Walt Disney Music Hall, home to the LA Philharmonic, one of the country’s top orchestras. Wanting to give back to his neighbors, the philharmonic’s first violinist, Vijay Gupta, has been taking his talents to the streets. To date, Gupta and his fellow musicians have played over 500 free concerts in Skid Row—for the violinist, it’s all about understanding and acknowledging the humanity in your neighbors.
