Chris Saunders, known as "Dr. Moon", has been a street performer in Blacksburg, Virginia since 2012. He plays his guitar, which he purchased in 1976 and is the only guitar he has ever owned. Saunders has a background in music and graduated from Radford University with a degree in performing arts in 2012. As a street performer, he aims to bring live music to the community in an accessible way and make personal connections with listeners.

1. Addie Graves
Feature Story
May 1, 2016
Preaching the gospel of Moon
He spent $120 in 1976 for his first guitar, and it’s the only one he’s ever owned or
played.
“It was the best investment I’ve made,” said Chris Saunders. “All I have to do is
put new strings on it.”
Saunders – or Dr. Moon as he’s referred to when he’s performing on the street –
learned how to play the guitar when he was 15 years old. His mother, who only knew
three chords, taught him how to play the guitar.
The name “Dr. Moon” comes from his candle and incense company called
Waxing Moon.
“I’m Dr. Moon – like Dr. Pepper or Captain Kangaroo,” said Saunders. “It’s easy
to remember.”
Saunders is a busker, or more commonly referred to as a street performer, and has
been playing the streets of Blacksburg, Virginia since June 2012.
In the United States, there have been many court cases about regulations that
buskers face. Many of these regulations prove unconstitutional.
In Davenport v. the city of Alexandria, Virginia, a man challenged Ordinance No.
2609, which “prohibits performances and exhibitions on the sidewalks, walkways or
other public property of the central business district of Alexandria.”
The court decided in favor of Davenport, and ruled that Alexandria’s ban of
performances was in violation of the First Amendment.

2. It’s not uncommon for cities to try and regulate busking. City officials may argue
that busking can hamper traffic flow to local businesses, or that busking has the potential
to become obscene.
For most buskers, anyway, it’s about the art of performing.
Saunders donned a pair of black pants and a black, button-up shirt. The dark
colors he wore contrasted with his long, white hair and piercing blue eyes.
As he reminisced about his first gig, he smiled and laughed at how nervous he
was, because now, performing is second nature.
It has been 32 years since Saunders played his first gig at Squires Student Center
in Blacksburg.
“I worked up three songs to play: a Paul Simon song, a song called “Paradise” and
I can’t remember the third,” said Saunders.
The 57-year-old from Christiansburg, Virginia comes from a musical upbringing.
His mother plays the piano, guitar and autoharp; Saunders plays the fiddle, autoharp,
dulcimer and wooden flute.
Adding to his many instrumental talents, in high school, Saunders was a member
of the school choir, and the theater department where he was a double honor thespian.
After graduating from high school, Saunders tried his hand at higher education
and attended New River Community College; he did not graduate.
At the time, Saunders struggled with math and couldn’t understand why it wasn’t
clicking for him.
“I have a disability – attention deficit disorder (ADD) – so I have a real hard drop-
out when it comes to number and digit sequencing,” said Saunders.

3. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, ADD, also referred to as attention-
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is a “behavioral syndrome characterized by
inattention and distractibility, restlessness, inability to sit still and difficulty concentrating
on one thing for any period of time.”
It’s mostly diagnosed in children, but ADD is being diagnosed more commonly in
adults.
After he was diagnosed in his 40s with ADD, Saunders found motivation to go
back to college. He attended Radford University in 2010 and was given accommodations
for ADD.
Saunders graduated from Radford University in 2012 with a performance arts
degree.
He admits that there are many other degrees that would give him a better job, but
the theater and performing arts are his passion and what he wants to pursue.
“It’s always been a life-long dream of mine to go to college,” said Saunders. “I
had always joked with my kids that I’d make it through school before them.”
He graduated one week before his son Charlie graduated from Virginia Tech.
While at Radford, Saunders acted and participated in many stage productions. He
was the stage manager for the “Vagina Monologues” and played Friar Laurence in
“Romeo and Juliet.”
“They kept putting me in priestly roles and I kept thinking, ‘I’m finally in college,
don’t put me in this priestly role!’” said Saunders.
His laugh is contagious, and when he smiles, you can’t help but smile back.

4. After graduation, Saunders took to the streets to play his guitar and sing. Before
2012, most streets in Blacksburg were off-limits to buskers, and Saunders played a large
role in convincing the town government to lift the restrictions.
Before Saunders got involved, there were only four places in the town of
Blacksburg where buskers could perform. He wanted to be involved from the beginning
so he could create something from the ground up.
The lifted restrictions resulted in a program called Sidewalk Stage.
“My idea was to work with the town so you could have a moment in your day
where you get to experience live music or a live performance,” said Saunders. “You
didn’t know it was going to happen, and it didn’t cost you anything.”
Saunders’ mantra is that art and music shouldn’t be exclusive. Those who may not
have the ability to pay for a performance shouldn’t be excluded from the performance art
arena.
“Dr. Moon is definitely a Blacksburg staple,” said Lilly Potts of Blacksburg,
Virginia. “I see him outside of Food Lion and he always puts a smile on my face.”
While Saunders plays the guitar, he wears a tall, multi-colored hat that he bought
at Goodwill for 50 cents. He immediately noticed a reaction once he started wearing the
hat.
“People thought it was funny and they’d smile,” said Saunders. “I thought that
was really on point as far as what I’m trying to do.”
Human interaction, and making personal connections is something Saunders is
passionate about.

5. Saunders was working at Owens Hall, a dining hall on the Virginia Tech campus
when Seung-Hui Cho came through his line.
Cho was the man who shot and killed 32 people on Virginia Tech’s campus in
2007, and injured 17 others.
Saunders remembered how he could sense that Cho was upset, and how he
seemed isolated.
“I wanted to stop and have a moment that I could talk with him, or go out and
greet him,” said Saunders. “He was gone before I could stop him.”
Two weeks later on April 16, 2007, Cho committed mass murder.
This inspired Saunders to make connections with Virginia Tech students by
turning to the streets as his stage, and using his musical gift to get to know students on a
personal level.
“I’m going to give them advice from just a fellow human being on the street,”
said Saunders.
He would want the same for his children.
“I would have wanted them to have someone they could stop and talk to and make
sure they’re okay,” said Saunders.
Saunders leads a simple life, one where his most valued possessions are genuine
happiness and his family.
He can be found throughout Blacksburg, playing “Carolina on my mind” by
James Taylor, on his 40-year-old guitar.
Go up and introduce yourself – you won’t be sorry.