NEW YORK (PIX11) -- If music is the best medicine, then cellist Iain Forrest, an aspiring doctor, has it.
"It's striking when you play music; it's like night and day, their spirits are raised," Forrest said.
The DC area native has performed underground for eight years and recently made it to Radio City Music Hall's stage.
"It's a really powerful thing that keeps me motivated," Forrest explained.
When not in med school at Mt. Sinai, you'll find the 29-year-old trying to pay for it at subway stations and across the city. In the chaos of it all, he’s found it calming.
But it’s been a bit more chaotic in the past six months than he'd like. He was physically attacked not once but twice. Most recently, Tuesday night during a performance in Herald Square, captured on video by a few fans.
"I just feel this crashing pain in the back of my skull; I was out of it," he recalled.
The video shows a woman watching his rendition for a bit, then, without warning, picks up his metal water jug and pummels him in the back of the head. Forrest fears it’s a more common occurrence than most realize.
"Other performers you speak to, 50% will tell you they have harassment, attack, physical, emotional, theft," he said.
Some 300 subway performers are part of the MTA’s Music Under New York program. Its director, Sandy Bloodworth, celebrates the diverse artists while condemning any attack against them.
"I do hope all the musicians are safe because they're giving so much to the city," Bloodworth said.
The program relies on the help of the NYPD to watch over the artists, too.
"It's caused me to pause and reflect: Why am I doing this?" Forrest questioned.
While a suspect was arrested in his May 2023 attack, detectives are still searching for the woman in the most recent assault.
English (US) ·