What is success?
Sometimes the first step towards it, is defining it for yourself.
" Excellent documentary on trying to 'make it' as a street performer. … "
Trailer features "Just When" by Whitney Mongé
Stream or rent Find Your Way on your favorite platform
Five street performers. Three years. One question: what does it mean to make it?
Americana Soul singer-songwriter who built her career as a prolific street performer before gracing stages alongside Ziggy Marley, KT Tunstall, and the Seattle Symphony.
Website →
A musician and artist for over 35 years working in various genres, Gregory Paul is a staple of the Seattle music scene and Pike Place Market busking community.
Music →
Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist blurring the lines between rock, pop, and R&B. Frontwoman of Sundries, performing alongside acts like Thunderpussy and Deerhunter.
Website →
A seasoned street performer and live wire with an organic multi-media show. One of the founding members of the Pike Market Buskers Guild, pumping out real, raw, improvised acoustic rock.
Music →
Singer-songwriter whose journey has taken him from Seattle to Vegas, Venice, and beyond. Toured the country extensively, creating folk-infused indie rock with Morgan's Orange.
Music →
Grammy-Winning Violinist
One of the most celebrated violinists of his era, having recorded over 40 albums, won multiple Grammy Awards, and performed with virtually every major orchestra worldwide.
Website →
The Presidents of the USA
Frontman and founding member of The Presidents of the United States of America, known for global hits like "Peaches" and "Lump." Also creates children's music as Caspar Babypants.
Website →
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author
Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist at The Washington Post and author of multiple books. His 2007 feature "Pearls Before Breakfast" inspired the busking experiment central to this film.
Website →
Filmed over three years in the heart of Seattle's Pike Place Market, this documentary follows five street performers as they navigate art, ambition, and the meaning of making it.
Featuring Grammy-winning violinist Joshua Bell, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gene Weingarten, 90's rocker Chris Ballew (The Presidents of the United States of America), and some of Seattle's finest busking talent — this film will challenge the way you think about creativity in our culture.
The story behind "Pearls Before Breakfast" — Gene Weingarten's Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post article
On January 12, 2007, at 7:51 AM, one of the world's greatest violinists stood against a wall in the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station in Washington, D.C., playing Bach on a 1713 Stradivarius worth $3.5 million.
Dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and a Nationals baseball cap, Joshua Bell performed for 43 minutes during rush hour. Three days earlier, he had sold out Boston's Symphony Hall at $100 a seat. Here, he was just another street musician competing for the attention of commuters.
Of the 1,097 people who passed by, only seven stopped to listen for more than a minute. Twenty-seven dropped money in the case — a total of $32.17. Only one person recognized him.
Washington Post journalist Gene Weingarten orchestrated the experiment and wrote the feature "Pearls Before Breakfast," which won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. The piece posed a simple question: "In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?"
The answer — a resounding no — sparked a global conversation about context, perception, and how our surroundings shape our appreciation of art.
Find Your Way is the only documentary to explore this landmark experiment from the inside. Through interviews with Joshua Bell, Gene Weingarten, and the street performers who live this reality every day, the film examines the profound question at the heart of the experiment: why do we value beauty differently depending on where we find it?
"
If a great musician plays great music in a Metro station, do we stop and appreciate it — or do we walk on by?
— Gene Weingarten, The Washington Post
"Like a great street busker, Find Your Way gave me a smile and a fresh perspective. I found myself reflecting on what inspires me."
— Rotten Tomatoes
"Compelling, thoughtful film about how we define success — a heartfelt journey into the world of street musicians."
— Audience Review
"This beautifully shot film did a fantastic job of telling these musicians' stories. The editing was especially well done."
— Audience Review
Kennedy Center
Featured artist profile of Joshua Bell at the nation's premier performing arts center.
Read More →
The Seattle Times
In-depth feature on Whitney Mongé's journey from street performer to the Seattle Symphony stage.
Read More →
Acoustic Life
Video feature exploring the stories behind the street musicians of Find Your Way.
Watch Video →