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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Every September weekend in Yellowknife is precious.

One of the joys of the mild weather is the chance of hearing spontaneous serenades by musicians who bring their songs into the streets. Sometimes it's buskers playing for toonies on Franklin Ave.

Guitarist Chris Hagen of Yellowknife - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

Sometimes it's a bagpiper projecting from Pilot's Monument in Old Town. Sometimes it's a drum circle in Sombe K'e Park.

On Saturday Chris Hagen strummed his guitar as he strolled down 50 Avenue, stopping to chat with music lovers.

"I just do it for recreation," he said in between chords. "I play at Javaroma or After 8 or just wander around the street and play with people who want to play guitar."

Hagen started playing guitar at age 15 in Inuvik.

He covers Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins among other classic country artists. He has also written a few originals, including a song titled I Love You More Than You Know that he dedicated to his daughter and a chord arrangement to accompany the Lord's Prayer.

"To play music is to express oneself in an emotional way," he said. "You can tell a story and bring it out like that."

Hagen hasn't played a lot since a close friend passed away last year. "He taught me a lot of songs and how to play them," he said. "After he died I quit playing for a while."

Hagen picked up his guitar again because it makes him feel good and he enjoys meeting other guitarists on his musical walks.

"I'm mostly self-taught," he said. "I don't believe I'm that good. There's a lot better guitarists than me. I don't plan on making anything big (with my music). If I can learn more, maybe. But that takes time and how many years do you got?"