Busking

Whistle
1

Anna’s city hall message reminded me that I had intended to ask about busking with a whistle. I’ve never done it. I can only recall one discussion on it on this board but I may have missed others. Are there any whistle buskers out there? If so maybe you’d share information about repetoire, experiences, etc. I have busked with a hammered dulcimer but only a couple of times. Actually, It’s quite a pain to lug a dulcmer, a stand and a stool around. I could stand and eliminate the stool except that my back will hurt in short order. Obviously, whistles would be much more portable. The dulcimer is unfamiliar enough to get a lot of “what in the world is that thing?” attention, though, and is a good instrument on that account.

Steve

2

Easy question time - what is busking?

3

Be warned that if it’s even slightly windy busking outdoors with a whistle is difficult.

If you’ve only got a short repetoire I’d recommend moving locations after you’ve played all the way through your material once or twice.

I much prefer busking with at least one other musician. It helps the confidence and makes for more interesting listening for the public.

4

On 2001-08-28 17:50, avanutria wrote:
Easy question time - what is busking?

Just playing for whatever money people will toss your way. Street performing is pretty well synonomous with busking. Busking implies more than just playing on the street though. A busker is hoping to get some money.

5

[quote]
On 2001-08-28 17:57, Champ wrote:
Be warned that if it’s even slightly windy busking outdoors with a whistle is difficult.

[quote]

Surprisingly it’s also difficult with a hammered dulcimer, at least with the hammers I was using. They can be easily blown sideways by the wind.

I have tried busking with another person-a button accordian player. Alas, this fairly well drowned out the dulcimer.

It’s not repetoire size that might be a problem with whistle busking. I busk in a market which is mainly indoor but has an outdoor part on Saturday during the summer. There are several buskers around and lots of people take them for granted so that it’s a question of getting your fair share of the attention. That’s the good thing about a dulcimer. I have a feeling that just playing reels and jigs is not going to be that effective. I’m not sure though, not having tried it.

Steve

6

Try the highland bagpipe, it’s definatly an attention getter.

7

I’ve done a lot of busking on the
street. There are good and less good
days. The best I ever did alone was
54 dollars in one hour. Sometimes
I play with other musicians, but I also
play alone. The whistle has the ability
to delight people, children find it
amazing. I often play a Susato C,
which carries well and sounds very good.
While the whistle isn’t as exotic as
the hammer dulcimer, it’s pretty surprising
to many people, it can be heard at
a considerable distance, and the music
one plays can really brighten people’s
day. If you go out and the fish don’t
bite, well, that’s the street–as you
probably know already. Each day is
different.

8

During an all-day layover in Chicago in June 2000, I wandered down to the waterfront. To pass the time, I sat down in a bunch of trees and began playing my whistle. I wasn’t playing for money, but I noticed that a lot of people looked interested but seemed afraid to stop and listen. So, I got nothing more than a lot of sidelong glances and half-smiles. This did not particularly bother me, since I was playing for my own amusement, but it was rather odd.

I’m led to one of three conclusions:

  1. People on the Chicago waterfront are too busy to stop and listen to music;
  2. People on the Chicago waterfront are afraid that musicians are going to beat them up and steal their money, or
  3. My playing needs a lot more work than I realized. :slight_smile:
    Either way, it seemed a bit sad. Perhaps I missed something, being a small-town person…

God bless–
Tom

[ This Message was edited by: WyoBadger on 2001-08-30 12:26 ]

9

I think attitudes towards busking tend to vary regionally (and culturally). In some places busking is viewed as an essential part of local culture whereas in others it may be viewed as a lowly form of “employment” that is only slightly more respectable than begging. For example, where I live (a very conservative city of 235,000 people in the Canadian prairies) busking is generally viewed in a negative light. Sadly, it has been my experience that many people here have a “Why don’t you get a real job?” attitude towards the few buskers that we do have :frowning: Perhaps things are similar in Chicago?

10

Hey, Tom, Chicago finally issued a $25.00 license to street muscians a few years ago, and then pretty much confined them to the subway! (A nasty place to play, even with the rats and the noise.) So seeing someone playing a whistle with no tip jar probably just blew them away! Here in Deadwood, they just ignore you and snatch their curious kids out of the whistle way! There’s a hearing on the 4th of Sept. to determine if musicians will be allowed to busk during the Dadwood Jam. Could be interesting. I’ve noticed that Street Muscians add atmosphere, but get ignored, and they certianly don’t keep people out of the casinos! Since I’m in the middle of all this, and the cops are keeping a very close eye on me to make sure I don’t play for money, or play jigs during funeral porcessions, I’m wordering! A friend of mine, that bearded, sister looking guy, plays a role in costume on the street and poses with tourists for their pictures. Last night, a cop walked up to him, after a couple of women asked him if he would pose with them, and he did. They handed him a couple of bucks. Five seconds later, a cop walked up to him and asked if he asked for the money. He said “No.” The cop went after the girls and dragged them back to ask them if he’s charged them. They said no and called the cop somehting unprintable. However, on the other hand, Calamity Jane was refusing to pose without charging a fee. Casino’s around here tend to use these images for promotions, and she had the wherewithall to stand up to them and tell them she charged a feel for it! Funny, a cops was standing right by and didn’t move, but then she’s six feet tall, and carried a whip and five pistols. With all this in mind, what’s a Deadwood whistler to do, besides sit and whistle and not accept poker chips for tips! After an entire summer, I’ve made all of a hundred dollar chip for Danny Boy, and thirty four cents from a Native American woman who decided she liked the music and shoved the small change money into my closed fist…just goes to show you why South Dakota needs something outrageous to draw the attention to the need for artists advocasy here!

11

On 2001-08-30 12:25, Tom wrote – absent numerous snips by me in the interests of brevity:

… I sat down in a bunch of trees and began playing my whistle. I wasn’t playing for money, but I noticed that a lot of people looked interested but seemed afraid to stop and listen.

I’m led to one of three conclusions:

  1. People on the Chicago waterfront are too busy to stop and listen to music;

Maybe, maybe not. I don’t spend a lot of time in Chicago, but, when I have, at least those driving seem pretty self-absorbed.

  1. People on the Chicago waterfront are afraid that musicians are going to beat them up and steal their money, or

This could be it. There are places in Chicago where one can get killed just for being there. Also, what you were doing would be considered very odd behavior – especially since you weren’t asking for donations – and odd behavior instantly makes one suspect.

Example: I went to the Art Museum in Chicago with my wife and daughter to see the Amarna Period exhibit when it was there, and got grilled pretty seriously because I had my fife in my hand ( where it always is ). I offered to play it, to demonstrate the truth of my assertion that it was a musical instrument, but that caused even greater consternation. I and my magic wand were eventually allowed in, but it was a near thing. Of course, the fact that I was wearing a grey cowboy hat, leather vest, Levis 501s ( the button-fly kind ), cowboy boots, and a full beard, probably had nothing to do with it … :wink:

  1. My playing needs a lot more work than I realized. > :slight_smile:

Nah. Under favorable conditions I can draw a crowd – that’s smiling, and doesn’t have any tar, feathers, or rails – and if I can you can.

Either way, it seemed a bit sad. Perhaps I missed something, being a small-town person…

The thing about small towns is that everyone knows everyone else, and one of the side effects is trust. That’s what’s missing in The Big City.