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<\/a>Toronto\u2019s Rhythm Works are performing at this year\u2019s fest; led by Troy Sexton, they\u2019re a drumming group that uses a mixture of percussion, dancing, and comedy in their shows. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPrevious to doing a bunch of busking, I performed with the Broadway group Stomp for about 12 years,\u201d says Sexton. \u201cI toured the world playing with Stomp. Since 2010, I\u2019ve had my own company, which is Rhythm Works, and we do busker festivals all over Canada for the summertime, and then during the school year we perform in schools and do a bunch of outreach work all over the country within the youth prison system, and then up in reserves and in schools. We try to promote good mental health through the arts.\u201d<\/p>\n Sexton says that because he spent many years with Stomp, he was used to a theatre audience, but street performers always mesmerized him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an amazing form of theatre,\u201d says Sexton about busking. \u201cYou have to work a little bit harder as a performer to keep the audience, and keep them entertained, and hope they pay you at the end. I took it on to learn how to do it and just threw myself in the deep end a few years ago and put an act together. I watched the veterans and learned as much as I could. Also, with our show, we like to show that you can make music with everything… We use whatever\u2019s around us. If there\u2019s a street sign, we might jump on the pole if it sounds good. We use the space in different ways, and it makes it super fun.\u201d<\/p>\n Audience members should prepare to get involved\u2014Sexton says that drumming is a very contagious way of engaging young people, and the group sells drumsticks with hopes that people will keep playing after the show.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone loves to make noise,\u201d says Sexton, \u201cand I try to organize it so before they know it, it sounds good. It just goes to show that anybody can learn.\u201d<\/p>\n