On Tuesday afternoon sometime before 1 p.m., Daniel Niemann set up shop at the corner of 15th and K streets Northwest and began serenading passersby on his saxophone with the sultry tunes of Duke Ellington and other jazz greats.
What’s so unusual about that, you say? Well, for starters, he’s 11 years old. And he’s been playing the sax for just nine months but sounds as if he’s been playing it for years.
Wowed by his prowess, some downtown employees said they spent their whole lunch breaks just hanging out and listening. And Niemann was raking it in — for a good cause, of course. He said he’s trying to raise $5,000 to buy a professional-quality saxophone to replace his rental.
One woman, who declined to give her name, said she ended up emptying her wallet into Daniel’s saxophone case.
“I’m all cleared out — I’ve been here for the whole hour!” she said as she walked away.
Niemann, who’s entering the sixth grade at Oakview Elementary School in Fairfax County, said he picked up the sax because his mom plays jazz on the piano. The two of them are taking a music class together this fall at George Mason University.
Niemann’s mom, Katherine, said her son typically draws $100 over the course of an hour. Daniel also has played over the summer at other places in the city like L’Enfant Plaza Metro station or at the Old Post Office building. She was thinking of doing Georgetown this weekend or next week if Daniel wanted to.
Daniel said he typically plays until he gets tired and likes the audience. But just after 1:51 p.m. yesterday, he got one of the biggest audiences of his life when employees streamed out of their office buildings and filled McPherson Square following the 5.8 magnitude earthquake.
According to another Examiner reporter, Daniel was heard not long after that playing on like a pro. He and his mom left soon after, but keep an eye out for him around town — it’s a musical treat you won’t want to miss.
