Among the area’s busking street performers, “Flugelhorn” Phil Eherenman made such a name for himself over the years that he won first place in this year’s Readers’ Choice awards for local buskers, even though he moved out of Port Townsend shortly after the start of the year.

On this year’s “Leap Day” of Feb. 29, Eherenman leaped from Port Townsend to Phoenix, Arizona, but he still placed first in the Readers’ Choice category for buskers, with Johnny Bryant and Ralph Baker coming in second and third place, respectively.

“I definitely put my time in playing on Water Street, especially during COVID, when I played during the winter to keep the music alive in Port Townsend,” Eherenman said.

As much as he loved living in Port Townsend, though, Eherenman moved to Phoenix after determining that it has more venues to play, “especially senior homes, where I love performing.”

Eherenman also doesn’t mind the lower cost of living and “waking up everyday to blue skies and the sun, especially during November to April.”

Eherenman remembers the Port Townsend busking scene fondly, as he named not only Bryant and Baker but Bruce Hooke, as “gifted souls with extensive repertoires.” He also praised Jonathan Doyle as someone “who adds a lot of class to Water Street.”

When asked if he had any advice for veteran or aspiring buskers, Eherenman said, “Please inspire and encourage young people in music, because their numbers are diminishing. They are the young creative minds of our melodic future.” He added that he sought the input and participation of “every young person I could ask.”

Those who take in performances by Bryant are likely to meet his two dogs, Romeo and Juliet, whom he calls “Romy and Julie,” but just as apparent when one speaks to him, is how much he wears his heart on his sleeve.

Bryant got his start with a guitar in Georgia at the age of 19, and now, 50 years later, he has 15 years under his belt of living and playing in Port Townsend.

While Bryant has played everything from formal events at established venues to spontaneous shows on the street, what he’s found to be key in connecting with audiences is actively listening, and living in the moment.

Bryant recalled an evening in Nashville, where some spectators to his street performances would go so far as to “share their hopes and dreams” with him, and “one gentleman, who’d had a bit to drink,” passed by, accompanied by his teenage children.

The man struck up a conversation with Bryant, who soon learned the father had recently lost his wife, so Bryant played the song “All Good Gifts,” from the musical “Godspell,” as he told the man, “I’m sure your wife was a good gift.”

The man responded by handing Bryant a $20 bill, and asking the busker if he had a place to sleep that night. When Bryant casually shrugged off the question by insisting he had friends he could crash with, the man traded the $20 for a $50.

“Music can open people’s hearts,” said Bryant, who’s appreciated how much Port Townsend is a “busker-friendly” city. “It’s had a powerful effect on me. You need to be sensitive to others, to hear them and learn from them.”

Bryant admitted that Romy and Julie help him make such connections, since “they draw people in,” but he also focuses on playing songs of “healing, joy and comfort,” paying attention to his audiences’ stories even as he offers stories of his own through his music.

“I try to make a difference by touching people’s hearts,” Bryant said. “I just think we should all love each other unconditionally.”

Baker could not be reached for comment as of press time.