Here’s what happened:
Sunday morning before church, I was sitting on a park bench (please, no Tull references) in the lovely garden outside my church. I had my guitar with me (I am the director of the “Cantus Choir” - a group of pre-reading age kids, and we have rehearsal after church every Sunday). Since it was so nice, I was just sitting in the sun, playing my guitar. I also had my El Cheapo whistle with me, and had retired the guitar for a moment, whilst banging out a few jigs and reels on the whistle. It was echoing nicely through the garden, as there was no wind to speak of. An older lady was out power-walking, and made a beeline in my direction, and dropped a dollar in my open guitar case. I tried to tell her that I wasn’t looking for ‘donations’ (I didn’t think it was appropriate being on Church property, and all), but she simply said, “Isn’t that why you’re here?” to which I replied no, but thank you anyway.
I put the dollar in the collection plate.
What’s so funny about this, is I’ve never intentionally busked before. Perhaps it’s time to start??
I agree that it may be a good time to try your hand at busking for real.
With regard to the IRS, I am almost afraid to say anything negative about this illustrious organization. The federal computers may be scanning the internet for such comments, and the next time I try to board an airplane, I may find myself on a blacklist and end up in a quarantine booth like my brother on his last flight. As a high school teacher in a survival math class with a lesson on paying taxes, I mentioned to my students some of the reports that I had heard about the strong-arm tactics of the IRS agents to collect taxes. I think that it was the next day that the local IRS agent called me at home to complain about my comments to the students. He informed me that I was wrong and that the IRS would never stoop to such tactics. He didn’t make a convert out of me, but I was more careful about what I said in the classroom, which was bugged with about sixty human ears ready to report to their parents about their radical teacher at school..
While living in DC one of my friends was sitting on a retention wall/fence after finishing his McSoda. After finishing his drink and taking off the top to finish off the ice, he had sat there for about 5 minutes watching the birds when someone threw change in his cup.
He was so surprised that he just looked at the change in the bottom of the cup.
You’ll be surprised. People who don’t play instruments professionally (that is, the great majority of people) don’t care if your playing isn’t spot-on. Live music is live music, and most appreciate it.
Absolutely! People are invariably surprised and pleased to hear impromptu live music. They love it and it’s great fun for the player. Plus, if you have any idea of ever playing for an audience, this is a great way to start to get over stage fright. Bring your whistle to any park and start playing-- you’ll have a blast.
The funny thing about that is I’ve played professionally for many years (though not in a while), and it’s quite a different thing. For one, when you play professionally, people expect to hear music, so often they don’t even notice you’re there. When you’re playing somewhere where ostensibly you’re not supposed to be, people may notice more because it’s out of place. I really have no problem AFA stage fright or anything like that, but the biggest roadblock to this type of ‘entertainment’ is my feeling of possibly being obtrusive or worse INtrusive. Note that my outdoor instrument of choice is the fife. You can’t be at all shy and be a fifer.
Anyway, it was just a funny story, and I wanted to share.
It’s good to have a place to go to perform when you’re bad–not
you, of course, or all buskers, but me. Mostly I’m
ignored, it’s hot as blazes often, sometimes people
run off with my tip jar, but, hey, give up
Show Biz?
I have done some sidewalk busking over the years, and the desire to be non-intrusive is also one of the things that keeps me from feeling comfortable about doing it more often. I have found that when you are playing on the street most people who past by are appreciative of what you are trying to do, but some are not. They might point, giggle, or frown. I think that if you want to be a successful street busker you need to let go of this need to be completely non-intrusive, because your presence is, inded, an intrusion that most people accept gladly. Along with the affirmation, “I don’t have to be perfect to enjoy my life”, I might add, “I don’t have to please everyone to feel relaxed and be content”. The affirmations remind me of a good mental attitude to be a successful busker. Who knows, if times get rough and money gets short, I may need to implement this skill in the near future. Where’s my Colts hat?
i’m in the beginning stages of the disease that compels a person to busk. i don’t know if this disease has been named yet. i don’t like wearing hats so if anyone has any idea of something else convenient that i could use, i’m taking ideas.
we often “busk” at out local farmer’s market. I put the “busk” in quotes because we are asked to play by the venu, but we don’t get paid (usually), we just get to put a tip jar out and have CDs to sell.
We do get a tent, and power for the sound system, and they chase off the guy that knows only 3 songs on the sax and the kids that play plastic buckets.
We have a lot of fun, but also wind up doing quite a bit of talking - “What is that instrument?”, “What song are you playing?”, “Do you know so and so?”.
We’ve made as little as $8 and as much as $50 - usually over a 2 hour period.
