Ezra Poplove has been on the road throughout the month of August, travelling Western Canada and playing music on trains, street corners and at people's houses. 

It's a new experience for the Ottawa cellist, who has been playing for 17 years. 

"Playing music has always been a passion of mine and having the experience of playing on the streets of Ottawa inspired me to travel and meet the other great Canadians," Poplove said. "I've been playing solo for a while but I've never really put myself forward for solo concerts." 

Poplove says the intimacy of smaller shows was one of the driving forces behind this trip. 

"It's a bit more relaxed when you're doing these kinds of back yard shows," he said. "This brings something unique to the experience of playing itself. A lot of time in classical music you're in a practice room just sitting around or you're on stage and it's a very formal environment." 

"When you bring in all these new experiences and different locations and you meet new people along the way it puts another level into your playing," he continued. "I'm hoping to build off that and see how much I can integrate that into my style of playing and my future career." 

Poplove started his journey by taking the train directly from Ottawa to Vancouver. On his way back he's taken the train to stops in Edmonton, Winnipeg and will be in Toronto at the end of the month before returning home. 

The trip also allows him to exploring new cities and what they have to offer. 

"I had a chance to do some things like hiking in the mountains in B.C., exploring the Fringe Festival in Edmonton and now I'm in Winnipeg and I'm checking out the museums and Osborne Village and The Exchange and I can really get a feel for it," Poplove said. 

Poplove plans on staying in Ottawa for a bit after this trip is over. He hopes to do this again in the future in other western cities and the eastern provinces. 

"Being on this tour has solidified the idea that I'm not doing this to make money," said Poplove. "I'm doing this to share my passion with other people and seeing the enjoyment they get from it. That's been the biggest pleasure so far."