JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Is Anyone Into Busking?

I'm looking for people to discuss experiences and exchange information.

Thanks.

Could you please give a specific explanation about what "busking" actually is? A lot of folks here would probably be interested in knowing what it is....myself included...I think it means singing/performing on the streets??

Emily

I think this was covered in another thread some months ago. You might want to search it out.

For some reason, the search feature isn't working for me. Nothing loads. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

Busking is what you normally think of as street performing, whether it be juggling, miming, dance, music, whatever.

I like busking. Income depends more on location than anything else. Gotta play the kind of music that they want to hear.

Are you thinking of amplified busking? Solo, duo or group?

Solo, acoustic. Not in it for the money - I have a job. I need experience performing, so I can quit my day job and do music full-time.

Hi Emily re definition of busking. I have two meanings both unnoficial.

1. Playing a musical instrument in the streets to passers by for loose change thrown into a hat.
2. A band playing a popular song that they do not really know and perhaps have not practiced to a live audience during a gig. this is usually a request for a happy birthday or wedding anniversary etc. "Oh I do not really know the song but will busk it" is a common expression amongst bands I know. He is a good busker in our parts means he can play songs by ear without practice and just go with the flow.

Hi Richard:

Big Bob is correct. There was a discussion on "busking" here several months ago. Pretty extensive as I remember it. Nothing wrong in bringing it up again, though.

Busking takes a special kind of musician and it appears (to me) to be a tough way to make a living when considering all the variables involved. I suppose it comes down to mainly two things:
1. Talent
2. Location, location... location.

If you have a good spot with lots of friendly traffic and your songs fill a need with the drifting listeners... it just might be rewarding both monetarily and personally.

Wish I had the talent and courage to attempt busking. Thanks for bringing it up again for us.

All my best,

Dave Rice

I was able to search busking threads on this forum and turned up several. No one has written anything since May of last year though, which I find surprising. There always seem to be people looking for a place to play when they could just as easily go out and do it.

I've been busking the Post Office it for a couple months now, after hours, and no one has ever thrown me out. Someone called the police once, but the officer who came out didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with what I was doing. He even hung out for a while. I suppose it was more exciting than driving around in his car.

Several people have said they wish they had the guts to try it, or that it's a tough way to get your feet wet. I don't find that at all. Maybe mine is a unique situation. I don't accept money which, I realize, is unique. But soliciting is prohibited on Postal Property while public access is not, and I need exposure more than I need money. I think the exposure will lead to money.

Busking the Post Office has enabled me to learn and improve. I've gotten over my fear of playing in front of people. I've built a small repertoire. A lot of people recognize me. I play, sing, and perform better than I ever have. I've gained the self-confidence to take a song and make it my own. On the whole, it's been a very positive experience.

I've never had a crowd. People come in to check their PO Boxes, trash their junk mail, and leave. Or they spend time using the Automated Postal Center. But I've never had an audience larger than 1. I'd say about one out of a hundred people stop to talk or to listen for any length of time.
I usually have a Zoom H2 set up on a stand in front of me, and maybe people are intimidated by that. Maybe they think I don't want to be interrupted. But I say hello to those who come within speaking distance, so I don't know why any of them would think that.

I would love to see a Busking category under New JPF Programs. A lot of songwriter/performers would benefit from a roundtable discussion of busking experiences. It would be a great resource. Just because busking isn't a part of America's heritage doesn't mean it shouldn't figure into America's future. It's a great opportunity overlooked. A sleeping giant, in my opinion. Benjamin Franklin, Bob Hope, George Allen, Jimmy Buffett, and Damien Rice were all buskers. That's not bad company.

Busking isn't a part of American heritage? Where have you been? We may not have used the same term for it at one time, but it has been here as along as people have played music here. I don't do it anymore, because I don't enjoy as much as I once did, but I can tell you it is a daily activity for hundreds of people on any given day in Chicago, and maybe even thousands. You have to get a permit to busk, but during the summer the streets are full of buskers, and in the winter you find fewer of them on the streets, but there are some hardy souls still out there. Many of them try for permits to play in the subways where it is warm and out of the weather and the echo sounds great.

Richard Busking in the context we are talking is a huge part of life worldwide. Most places that have beggars and charity tin rattlers have street performers jugglers acrobats and musicians plying for coppers from passers by.

It may be a part of America's heritage, but it isn't prominent in today's culture.

It's my understanding that busking is Constitutionally protected as free speech. And that laws limiting busking for anything other than safety concerns ultimately do not survive litigation. Maybe larger cities have a problem with busking and smaller towns don't. My personal experience is as I have described. Certainly, Bloomington, IN is not Chicago, IL.

Be that as it may, many future songwriters live in small towns, and I would encourage them to take advantage of the public buildings they pay for.

Any shop that owns its frontage is a good target for busking.
Music shops especially.
Just have to get the shop owner's consent and not worry about council bylaws.
Our local music shop encourages the practice, as some of the jams that have eventuated out of them have sold a few instruments for them over time.
And brought new music students along too.
It is something I am working on doing more of at the moment too by the way.
Have fun at it Richard.
Walter Torres on soundclick does a lot of it with his spontablues one man band thing, and he has played with some legends over the years.
Currently based in Newark Ohio, but he has been all over doing the same thing for a lot of years and done alright at it it seems.
Graham

Anyone in Nashville?

If not, come on down, I can show you where to set up, tell you when to play (if tips are your sole motivation), and introduce you to some really killer players, too.....

Here in TO its a time honoured tradition...in fact, our transit authority has auditions, then gives out licenses to busk in particular subway locations....

We also have an annual street festival that brings in buskers of all types from all over....

Then of course you have the "guerillas"...they'll play where they think they can grab a few bucks...not a lot of them mind you....

In Santa Monica...the performers at a popular outdoor mall have to get a license to performn there at pre-slected locations. They get a huge crowd and what looks like some good money

Emily

I have a feeling a lot of people may be doing the same thing on search and that is why it is why it is not working for them.

On the Date Range boxes, make sure to set the top boxes,
Newer Than (I use 1 year)

And then you can leave the bottom box empty or put
Older Than (I use 1 day)

I believe a lot of people are reversing the dates. And that's why the search isn't working for them.

Hey Richard

Well my dad was a street performer (Busker) for years as a ventriloquist on the streets of San Francisco. There were litteraly hundreds of them all over the warf during summertime. When wenter time hit a lot bussiness moved to the square as shopping was the big thing that time of year. Its slowed considerably since those days. But I know from watching that one busker (A street magician) Made like 100 dollars a show and put on 5 to 10 shows a day! Now that's big money! So I don' think its an entirely dead art. The best one I think I ever so was a guy who was camouflaged as a bush. He'd jump up and scared people (though I am not sure he ever got tips lol).
Derek

You're absolutely right. I wasn't SEARCHing correctly. Thanks for the tip.

Uhhh, I failed to mention that if you were to come down to Nashville and play on the Strip, then the Sandwich Fairies would be more than happy to come and dance for you!!!

Uhhh, for you married men, this might be a real scary issue, especially if you bring the wife to watch you play.....

However, for the young, single musician, this might be the most fun you've had for a long time....

thanks Big Jim... was wondering what in the WORLD... LOL ok, word of the day is: busking.

=)

There seems to be a lot of these performers at Venice Beach (near Santa Monica) any weekend that doesn't have rain, which is most. I don't know if they have permits or not.