tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45016330601509921672024-02-07T22:31:00.545-08:00The Busker BlogONE WOMAN'S GUIDE TO BUSKING IN AMERICAUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501633060150992167.post-60038711652594174802013-06-14T15:32:00.001-07:002013-06-14T15:32:10.813-07:00Denée Documentary Chronicles Charlotte's Busking Movement"<i>The primary
drive is just to perform</i>."
~Chris Hannibal, Magician<br />
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April Denée and March Blake Media have produced <a href="http://buskmovie.com/">a heart-warming and compelling documentary about busking</a>. Through a series of profiles of sketch artists, muralists,
illusionists and musicians in North Carolina, the film frames busking as a
community and cultural issue. Respectful of the uninitiated, Denée begins by
defining busking and giving an inventory of all the performance types one finds
on the streets of Charlotte—dispelling the myth that all buskers are musicians.
The performers profiled discuss multiple perspectives on motivations to busk,
the satisfaction they derive from it, as well as obstacles to overcome, such as
city regulations and reactions from strangers. Whether you are a film aficionado,
a curious Charlottean or a busker yourself, you have much to gain from this 43-minute
movie.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The interviews in BUSK! reinforce my own impressions that onlookers
may seem puzzled as to why anyone would take to the streets to share a
particular talent. Spectators may assume money as the primary motivation, and
perhaps this is why many cities including Charlotte equate busking with begging.
Nevertheless, my own experience has taught me that money can be motivating as reinforcement
that someone has noticed you. Even if they toss a coin in while passing you by,
it's a subtle form of approval for street performance <i>writ large</i>, if not for your unique contribution. "Getting the first
penny…" beams singer James Lee Walker II in the film, "That first fifty cents
is awesome!"</div>
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Busking develops a performer's concentration, confidence and
stage presence. Others find that having "consumers" present (if not participating) in the act of
creation is essential. "It's very much about the art, whatever that is,
existing in the social sphere," argues performance artist Anthony Schrag.
"You can't really stage culture; it has to happen organically." </div>
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<b>Who Needs a Venue?</b><br />
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It's motivating to be out and about, creating in public
instead of in isolation. "It's a good outside office when it's not raining
and it's not too hot," says sketch artist Joe Williamson. True, the elements
can be the primary foe of a dedicated busker. Finding the right spot at the
right time of day can be tricky. Heavily used areas can be beneficial, but too
much foot traffic can turn a focused painter or a crooning guitarist into a
roadblock, which does not help with public acceptance. Areas near ATMs are frequently
off limits for street performers. One community in British Columbia has <a href="http://www.campbellrivermirror.com/news/210117951.html">banned</a>
buskers from setting up within two meters of any store entrance. </div>
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Buskers are often classified in municipal code as
panhandlers, or otherwise interrupting a normal flow of pedestrians. So
foreign to our consciousness is creating in public that Anthony Schrag was
asked by Charlotte police enforcement to dismantle his "Advice" stand
on grounds of solicitation, even though it was he who was giving out nickels.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckk_Ig2acXBsBf85R1qRfHZwm_XI4DhMCTZTmLvl0wycZSwf4IV8unA8BrmCa229HEy9Lbw_svsvT-qU_1pZAMXJamlnEhxlrFCz4FJSH1e87BtVdIsvrUgKEz3R6wzjkTpwFgNo7Nmyo/s1600/LukeAndMolly1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckk_Ig2acXBsBf85R1qRfHZwm_XI4DhMCTZTmLvl0wycZSwf4IV8unA8BrmCa229HEy9Lbw_svsvT-qU_1pZAMXJamlnEhxlrFCz4FJSH1e87BtVdIsvrUgKEz3R6wzjkTpwFgNo7Nmyo/s400/LukeAndMolly1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<i>Collaborative painters
<a href="http://lukeandmolly.com/">Luke Armstrong and Molly Nicklin</a> </i><i> perform outdoors in Omaha,<br />accompanied by
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bret-Vovk-Underwater-Dream-Machine/346328773384">Underwater Dream Machine</a></i><i>.</i> Photo by Eileen Can.</div>
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Besides having the public right-of-way zoned for
busking, the film addresses other
hurdles that performers must surpass to be recognized as legitimate. Navigating
a traditional hierarchy with agents, websites and contracts may seem outdated
for new millennium artists (or simply not worth it), especially for performers
who are not after a paycheck. "Busking just seems like a great way to cut
through all of that," says singer-songwriter John Cloer, who performs on the
streets of Charlotte with his partner Cate Cloer.<br />
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<b>Buskapalooza and Other Festivals: Busking or Bureaucracy?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Culture fans love live performance when it's planned and
they've paid admission or bought tickets, but how about when they're out for a
stroll or running an errand? What is the nature of the artist-audience interaction when the performer
is at eye level instead of high up on a stage, or the painting is being created
before your eyes, and not yet framed? Busking reaches people when they are
doing something else—not sitting down to hear music or see a show. It is also a
more energizing creative space for performers. I started this blog to
underscore how busking teaches us to learn by doing, the irony being that there
is no guide and no training, no handbook except the street itself on a
particular day. This spontaneity makes a performance <i>live</i> in more ways than one—for me, as well as for anyone listening.
It is always something you couldn't fully anticipate the moment you stepped out
the door, or unzipped your violin case, or sharpened your 6B pencil.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Given that most of the press I find about busking tends to
come from Canada and the U.K., it is unsurprising that a number of U.S.
communities like Charlotte are attempting to transition buskers to having the
backing of the establishment. This comes in the form of competitions, busking "festivals" and licensing programs. Sometimes these competitions are actually try-outs to
determine which performers will be issued licenses, <i>i.e. </i>permission. Artists who are used to performing on the street without
asking an authoritative entity if they can may bemoan the introduction of these
types of regulations. Last year in Washington, DC the issue <a href="http://dcist.com/2012/07/music_coalition_says_metros_auditio.php">became public and controversial</a> in the music community. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Denée's film is helping me articulate a spectrum of issues up
for further discussion in the busking community. From performing without a
license where there are no regulations, to managing buskers through simple and
reasonable rules (such as <i>no fire</i> in Denver), to unreasonable rules (<i>no
sidewalk chalk</i> in Charlotte comes to mind), to having a limited number of
licenses available, to trying to "mainstream" performers through city-sponsored
concerts. Competitions like New Zealand's <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/8746051/Tots-working-the-country-crowd">Freeze Ya Bits Off</a> contest or England's <a href="http://www.looklocal.org.uk/wordpress/?p=1657">Busk for Bucks</a> draw attention to buskers and could raise their profiles (if that's what they
want), and summer street festivals in cities from <a href="http://www.inlander.com/spokane/blog-8718-busking-downtown-and.html">Spokane</a> to <a href="http://thekey.xpn.org/2013/05/28/philly-local-busker-background-the-districts/">Philadelphia</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"> </span>to <a href="http://www.u.tv/Entertainment/Buskers-needed-for-Derrys-Music-City!/d88246ae-db9e-442f-b94b-2a404a861aac">Derry</a>
could be a happy medium. My question is, what happens to these performers when
the festival is over? Does the public legitimize them, or could they be ticketed
the very next day?</div>
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We have tolerance and institutionalized protection, for
political demonstrations, even extreme ones, in the name of supporting or
dismissing a particular piece of legislation, but for me to simply stand out on
the street, belting out Loudon Wainwright III's <i>The Swimming Song</i> I
need a license in some places. <a href="http://buskmovie.com/">BUSK!</a> makes
me want to go out and play even more, to protect this as a basic right in line
with free speech. I also came away from the film truly impressed by Charlotte's
cultural scene, and wanting to visit someday. Perhaps with my guitar in hand.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501633060150992167.post-42003007187078134432013-06-13T12:26:00.004-07:002013-06-14T11:09:42.514-07:00Omaha 2<div class="MsoNormal">
Nineteen seems to be the magic number of songs you can get
through in 75 minutes, and after that your fingertips will be shredded. Don’t
let a half-full water bottle tempt you to go on. Save your fingers for the
weekend.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before you even get there, remember that traffic is being
rerouted due to the College World Series. You won’t mind however, because a
sports event adjacent to the Old Market will bring more people to your corner.
Park south of the market to avoid the hullabaloo, and calm yourself as you’re
walking to your spot. After all, you played this town only once, and someone else might be there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Someone else is. Guitarist on southeast corner, blues harmonica
on northwest corner. Northeast there is a shaded spot, but it’s right in front
of a shop. Go inside and ask the proprietress at Red Square if you can play out
front. You’re both entrepreneurs, after all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sing. Recover from your mediocre debut the other day. Start with <i>Wilder Than Her</i> because you are
superstitious, and changing that tradition last time didn’t do you any favors. For
maximum effect, Dylan and The 4 Non Blondes have to be covered early in the set
before your voice starts giving out. After that it’ll feel great to share <i>I Don’t Mind</i> for the first time,
especially when someone approaches with cash. Continue with originals and more
cash will arrive. Rest up with two Loudon Wainwright tunes because <i>Termites</i> is next and you really rock it
out, bringing more bills, and even some patrons who get what the rocks in your
case are for—they cover their donations to protect them from blowing away. "Very nice," the mailman will say.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A couple stops and stares, so shift toward them without
losing your concentration. The woman is speaking to you, and though she means
well, you play four measures of D major in the middle of <i>Don’t Wait Til Sunday</i> until you can recover the lyrics. “My name is
Eileen, too,” she says, noticing the cards in your case. Her mate gives you two
thumbs up, and you decide that a twelve-dollar business card kit from Staples
was worth it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s Thursday, which by no means matches Friday in terms of
dollar signs, but there’s enough to share the wealth with the harmonica player
across the street. And a bit more for the flautist who just showed up, started with that ‘pure
imagination’ song from <i>Willy Wonka</i>,
and made your day.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501633060150992167.post-55453611014012031692013-06-07T12:24:00.001-07:002013-06-13T07:45:50.414-07:00Omaha 1<div class="MsoNormal">
Busking is like riding a bike, but this bike has been in the
shed for a year. And although you have ridden it around the driveway,
you will find that this was not adequate preparation for the noon lunch-rush in
the Old Market. The generosity of Omahans, however, will surprise you just as
much as your faulty lyrical memory.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In a concert set list, the number three slot is critical—on albums,
too. Unfortunately it is on your number three that you falter, transposing and
even forgetting several pieces of <i>Fear of
Trains</i>. (<i>Fear of Trains</i>,
really?!) You didn’t pick a fixed spot to look at, you’ve never sung in this
town before and hey, who is that possibly sketchy guy who has taken up
residence on the corner? Either he is your number one fan or he is simply
ogling. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Be kind. You’ll come to find out that he is Paul, he works
around here, and he encourages you to play on a weekend as long as you are not
directly in front of a business establishment. He will tell you your voice is “pretty
enough” to make a killing here on a Saturday, and you will alternately focus on
either of those words--<i>pretty </i>or <i>enough</i>--as you stumble through sixteen more songs before your
fingers are raw and you run out of water.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Someone throws change and all of a sudden this is on. You
sail through a few more songs and even catch yourself dancing during one. The
spot you’d scoped out even before moving here is a gem—covered, with a backstop
for your stuff, in a high-traffic area, and on a
corner. Perfect, except it isn’t level, and at one point you kind of sway
sideways right into a lady walking down Howard Street. Plant your feet and sing
on. Play one of your originals because a mother and daughter team will like it
and throw a buck.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Keep singing. The dollars seem to come out of nowhere as
soon as your fingers have warmed up. And then, rather inconveniently, just as
you jump into <i>Friend of the Devil</i>, a
field trip of 30 six-year-olds will parade by with good intentions and puzzled
looks. While you’re up on Capo 7, try <i>Termites</i>
because it turns out to be highly buskable. Who knew?<o:p></o:p></div>
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You can always slow it down to rest when you feel your
energy is waning. <i>Good Feeling</i> plays
so well you are heartened to find that a second wind is coming. More money comes, too.
Cover those bills with coins because it’s windy, but stop staring into your
case; you’ve already made three mistakes on <i>Venus
in Transit</i> and it’s showing in your confidence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The lunch crowd has cycled through 60 minutes, so it might
be time to repeat the old stand-bys you started with. After all, people keep
passing and throwing money, so don’t stop now even though your feet are
aching and your throat is sore. Pull out one more <i>Wilder Than Her</i> and one more <i>Love
Goes Home to Paris in the Spring</i>. “You never give me anything” in the chorus has a way of guilting people into paying for
your last song.</div>
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There’s more than enough for a record, so head down to Homer’s
or Imaginarium Back in the Day. After considering a Moody Blues album, you’ll
end up going with the Jethro Tull one only because it has your name on the back. When you get home, you’ll find that most of the songs skip. It’s as disappointing as your Omaha busking debut. But it’s yours now.<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501633060150992167.post-85341386264760560002012-06-17T13:39:00.002-07:002012-06-17T13:42:41.788-07:00Boulder 4<br />
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It’s the weekend. Dress up. People are walking the ped mall
as something to do, not to get to a destination, so be presentable and sing
out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Find a good spot. The piano players are out--as are many
buskers, so you might have to continue farther west toward the mountains, your
as-yet-uncharted block in this town. There is a payphone there, which you hope
is out of commission, and it will make a good backstop. Keep an extra eye on
your stuff today--since you went for the dress instead of jeans, you have no
pockets.<o:p></o:p></div>
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About the dress… It’s a nice touch since this is Sunday, and
so many people are out that this is like a real show. But be mindful each time
you stoop down for your water, or to protect your dollars from the wind.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And there will be wind. Although it batters your voice
for the first few numbers, it provides a bit of relief from the 80-something
heat. Stay in the shade. There is a bank of benches near that food cart, far
enough away from the payphone that you’re not technically interrupting the
cellphone users on the benches, but later your audience will assemble there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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They stand, the lean on trees, and one by one by one by one
they come forward with dollar bills that stack up and flutter at your feet.
Keep putting them back under the coins, but know that you might lose a few. You
have still broken your record.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Many people sit and listen for multiple songs, and it’s worth
way more than the bucks dropped by passers-by. At least four people will come
and talk with you. <i>Long-Forgotten
Fairytale</i> is going over well with families and young girls. They don’t know
how brilliantly Stephin Merritt can craft a screed to an ex; they know only
that you said ‘castle’ and ‘princess.’ One mom tells you that the small pink
child to her right wanted to thank you herself but was too shy. But that girl
is not too shy to stare and stare.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A photographer comes by on the second round of <i>Wilder Than Her</i>. You wish beyond wishing
that you had more water or breath or finger power, but you will have to tell
your audience that this is your last song. They don’t know that it was also
your first, over eighty minutes ago. Keep singing, and when you are packing up, be careful with that enormous pile of cash. People are watching.<o:p></o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501633060150992167.post-40868468201902809842012-06-13T13:42:00.001-07:002012-06-13T20:16:25.424-07:00Denver 4<br />
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It’s getting hotter. Busking season is almost over, unless
you get creative or start working the morning transit crunch. If you are
already sweaty by the time you get to your spot, you are going to need a new
spot by the summer solstice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Use your cardinal directions. If you choose well you will be
in the sun for only ten minutes, your case for only another ten. The earth is turning in an eastward direction,
so use this to your advantage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Zack from Children International agrees to let you share his
spot in front of Barnes & Noble, where you are both banking on some sort of
stereotype about book store customers. You will both be wrong, although you
fare better than Zack in the first five minutes. A quarter lands in your case
during the first verse of <i>Wilder Than Her</i>.
It always seems like people know that song, but you’re not conversing with the
coin-givers, so you wouldn’t know. You know only to keep singing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The free mall shuttle stops right in front of you every two
and a half minutes. The doors stay open for approximately ten seconds, during
which time you might catch someone’s eye or ear. People deboarding generally turn
one direction or the other, but don’t be surprised if someone gets right off
and comes forward with a dollar. It may be a child, and she will very carefully
place the dollar—enormous in her hand—beneath the rock in your case. Luckily,
you are at a break after the second verse of that Dylan song, so you can thank
her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But when a filmmaker comes and drops his card in your case,
and is trying to explain what he does, you are full throttle in the chorus of <i>Middle of the Night</i>. You feel lucky that
on its first time out busking this song has already garnered some change, a few
glances, and Big Jon Ian’s card, but you’ve forgotten the lyrics. Keep playing,
the words will come soon.<o:p></o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501633060150992167.post-11646558897794596882012-06-07T15:07:00.000-07:002012-06-07T15:07:37.356-07:00Boulder 3<br />
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Do not be afraid to stand right in the middle of the ped
mall, a few steps from the Beans & Co. food cart. It is overcast, and many
of Boulder's buskers are not out today. This could also mean fewer pedestrians,
but give it some time. Within the hour you will have a sweaty upper lip, a pile
of dollars in your case, and a guitar that's losing its tune in the afternoon
sun. The clouds in Colorado do not last long.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Notice the kids again. They are drawn to you, even if they
sometimes have a perplexed look. One will approach with a dollar and then shyly
run back behind his grandmother's knee. She is coaxing him closer and closer to
the case. Even after he drops the buck and runs, she sends him back—motioning to
put the bill under the rock so it will not blow away. And although he cannot be
more than five, you belt the chorus of <i>Teenagers
Kick Our Butts</i>, because one day he might remember it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Do not underestimate how lucrative an original song can be.
"Robert Pirsig" is like a beacon, and by the time you close your eyes
and sing the words "motorcycle maintenance" to the heavens, three
different potbellied white men have approached with money, their pony tails
blowing in the wind. One of them drops a wad and you know there are at least
two folded bills. Keep singing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You sing your originals differently, better perhaps, and you
are puzzled and thrilled when a family drops a dollar in during <i>General Things</i>. There is no better encouragement
for your songwriting. Don't overdo it, but know that when you say "Liz
Phair," at least one person will look back behind himself (even if he
doesn't toss in any cash).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Men give more than women, and the women who do give are all
much older or have babies in their arms. No one who looks like you will give
money. Young women in packs pass by, maybe even shouting
"Hippy!" but they need their dollars for other things. Businessmen
in pairs will walk past, but it is only the solo, maudlin entrepreneur, not
late for a meeting yet, who lifts the rock in your case to add his 100 cents.
People, after all, have places to go, things to do.<o:p></o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501633060150992167.post-39501371919642447532012-05-31T14:29:00.000-07:002012-05-31T14:29:28.342-07:00Boulder 2<br />
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Although you have come to predict certain aspects of the
busk, it will be different each time—like weather. And by the way, weather is
everything.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You need to wear sunscreen. Even if it is cold. Even if you
are going to stand in the shade. The sun is unrelenting here. Respect it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You will think you are too late for the lunch hour, but
think again. Some of these people are just leaving their offices at 12:45 for a
business lunch. And although they are not as generous as tourist families, they
hear you, so sing out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Kids will stop, or they will try to wrench their parents’
arms in your direction. It happened to Joshua Bell, and it will happen to you.
The kids seem to hear the music differently, and they are not yet jaded. They
may think you are a freak, but they do not think you are a beggar. All they know
is, you are making music outside. Two of them will convince their parents to
give them a few coins that are ultimately destined for your case. They approach
during <i>Fear of Trains</i> and you hope
the timing is just right so they do not have to hear you say “KKK.” They don’t,
but they and their parents linger and then try to dance. It may be the first
time they have heard a Stephin Merritt song. They do not know that his songs
are not for dancing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A young man calling himself Calem will come forward and tell you he is about to start on
the piano a block away, and that he is afraid he will drown you out. It is nice
of him to warn you, and you engage in polite conversation, leaning heavily on
what you assume to be a shared busker code or context. He is a fantastic
player, and you do end up moving around the tree to stand near Hip Consignment,
but Calem still has a lot of set-up to do by the time your voice is waning.
(Among other things, he has to go retrieve his piano bench from an adjacent
business where he stores it.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sheila from the consignment shop invites you to play right in
front of her store. You will serenade her with an original song because she is
a businesswoman and she understands the notion that <i>You Are What You Repeat</i>. She compliments your voice, which is
enough to refresh it for another thirty minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A group of young guys are eating on the steps nearby and
they want to know your story. You say just enough but are leery of them. They
request an Eagles song. (You will consider learning one for just such an
occasion, but note that that would be very unDude.) You give them Dylan
instead, and passers-by will drop a few more dollars in your case. The guys,
also, will give the change from their Qdoba lunch, and you’re in business. This
will give you the courage to play another original, and several more dollars
will end up at your feet as you rock your way through <i>General Things</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By this time your bag will be in the sun, so think about
putting less jelly on your sandwich next time. On second thought, skip the
jelly. Peanut butter has protein.<o:p></o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501633060150992167.post-74306386875618122282012-05-25T20:00:00.000-07:002012-05-30T10:41:06.862-07:00Denver 3<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
A spinach and black bean omelet is the breakfast of champion
buskers. After that eat a whole grapefruit so your vocal chords are hydrated
but your bladder will not be full. You will need water later, and plenty of it.
The wind will be whipping, and your spirits will be down from the jackhammer
construction at Union Station that is upstaging you. Consider moving down the
block. Again. Farther this time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is slow, even though it is Friday and you made a point of
coming even later into the lunch hour. It’s a chilly day and the lack of
response is both caused by and causing your lackluster performance. Sing for
someone else, someone who is not here. Sing to the wall across the street whose
edifice you will have memorized by the end of the summer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At some point, a guy coming out of the bookstore will throw
you a buck, so keep singing and just be patient. He also makes eye contact,
which is worth twice as much. You accept once again that <i>Friend of the Devil</i> is a more lucrative song than <i>Another Mystery</i>. So be it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The field trip is here. Are there weekly school trips to
downtown Denver from the suburbs, or are these the same kids from last month?
They are here to learn about historic Wynkoop Street, but probably not its
famous brewery. This group gets to go into the bookstore with their leader.
Maybe they are from out of town.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On their way out, two different kids will throw fives in
your case as they and their classmates are arranging their Velcro wallets and
bags of new books. You will hesitate, almost screw up the second verse of <i>Fear of Trains</i>, but by the time you get
your wits about you and think you should say something (…to them? To the
teacher? How far down 16<sup>th</sup> are they now?) , it is too late. You are
ten dollars richer but you feel the guilt. Those kids did not know they were
throwing fives.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or they did, but you still should have returned them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s too late. “She could have been the belle of the Ponderosa,”
you sing, and you are officially making money off middle schoolers. They wanted
to support the local arts movement, you rationalize. And they did. You will
keep singing, and never forget them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501633060150992167.post-91578193307900880392012-05-21T20:00:00.000-07:002012-05-30T10:39:06.356-07:00Denver 2<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, break your previous record. Sing 20 songs instead of
15. Earn more money. Endure the sun a moment longer. Skin cancer with busking
experience trumps skin cancer without. (You have to die of something, and you
may as well die happy.) Forget about the timed transfer on your light rail
ticket. You’ve already missed it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You may think that Mondays are just not good for busking.
After all, the last time you were here was a Friday and there seemed to be more
passers-by. There is, in fact, just as much foot traffic on a Monday at this
corner. However, you are 30 minutes too early. By the time you play <i>The Swimming Song</i>, you have used a lot
of your energy, but people from offices are just now making their way past the
book store to Noodles & Co. Be in their path.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Placement is everything. You want to be near a busy
intersection but not at the corner. Give people coming from either direction a
chance to hear you and decide if they want to bother to wonder whether they are
carrying any small bills. They do this between Wynkoop and the second set of
benches on 16<sup>th</sup>, heading East toward the entrance to the ped mall.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some of them have never seen a lady busker at the bookstore
before, much less one in a cowboy hat and boots. Some of them will laugh or
smile and you may have a moment between <i>Teenagers
Kick Our Butts</i> and the <i>Sons and
Daughters/When You’re Old and Lonely</i> mash-up to ask yourself whether they
think you are courageous and charming or
just ridiculous. Sing with such joy that it is hard for them to tell the
difference.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An odd man will stand directly in front of you during <i>Sweet Sweet Smile</i> and you will try to
make your sunglasses-clad face conjure the look of distant love so that this
guy releases himself from the notion that you are singing to him specifically.
You prepare for the worst, and are glad when he walks away. Later when you see
him on the bench across the street, be glad to realize that your voice cannot
possible carry that far, although you will then know that he is just watching,
and not listening at all. He will rifle through the trash can over there and
find a discarded smoothie cup—half-full—and you are glad for him, but you focus your
attention on making a real F chord on <i>Rox
in the Box</i>. You already know the MagFields songs don’t go over so well in
this state, but Colin Meloy is from Montana, so maybe another Decemberists tune
will catch the attention of one of those hipsters exiting the bookstore.
Perhaps the one who entered while you were singing an original, his expression
seeming to say, “What else you got?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After two more songs, the man across the street will not
bother you so much anymore. There is a woman on the adjacent bench reading and,
in your paranoid daymares, she could be a witness. She crosses and approaches.
“I don’t have any cash,” she says, “But you have a beautiful voice. Will you be
here tomorrow?” <o:p></o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501633060150992167.post-73501194938050634532012-05-18T20:00:00.000-07:002012-05-30T10:37:09.254-07:00Boulder 1<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Appreciate that you are in a busker’s paradise. Arts
appreciation + pedestrian mall + disposable cash = Boulder, Colorado. Find free
parking even though paid lots are ample. It is a beautiful day so you will not
mind walking to your chosen spot. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Walk the length of the ped mall. You will pass many buskers,
but they are not all musicians. Some of them are mimes and contortionists. The
musicians are not all guitarists, either. There are mando players and banjoists
and there is even a piano on the block between 13<sup>th</sup> and 14<sup>th</sup>
where students from the College of Music play concertos. Put a buck in the hat
as you pass.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Keep a distance from the others, especially the musicians.
Observe busking etiquette. If you see an old man leaning on a brick planter
with his guitar case, ask him if he is going to play there before you set up a
few feet away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Be aware of lunch-goers. They are your prime customers, but
you are so close to the patio seating for Kasa Japanese Grill & Bar that
you do not want to ruin anyone’s lunch or get reprimanded by the sushi chef.
Center your case between Kasa and Illegal Pete’s, facing directly down Pearl
Street. The traffic picks up again here at the end of the ped mall, especially
on the cross street, but you are in a prime spot.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, there are not many female buskers in Boulder, if any.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You will learn here that the Magnetic Fields do not have a
huge following in Colorado. And you will accept that your one Dylan song and
your one Grateful Dead tune are the ones that garner the most attention and the
most cash. Still, you want to fill an hour before your sore fingers, dry and cracking
from the wind at 5328 feet elevation, give out and you start packing up. In the
meantime, sing your heart out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You may be approached by a strange woman. She is steadying
herself on the bricks just inches away from your water bottle, digging in her
purse. She is either looking for money or just oblivious to personal space
boundaries. Give her the benefit of the doubt.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you finish your current song, she will ask for your
card and say she needs a non-professional singer to play a role in the movie
she is making of her life. She will call herself Quantum Cow and you will be
glad you are not a professional. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Smile. Find any scrap you have to write down your email
address for her and graciously accept the one dollar she says is all she has.
It will be more than enough to get you started on <i>All the Umbrellas in London</i>, and while you are singing that,
although the opportunity to play a busker in a film is worth more than a
hundred gold coins in your case, you will be pleasantly surprised to see a man
approach and delicately place two folded bills securely under the rock at your
feet.<o:p></o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501633060150992167.post-73960042988385698522012-04-25T20:00:00.000-07:002012-05-30T10:34:34.198-07:00Denver 1<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Water. Fingers. Wind. Altitude. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Noise. (You are a part
of it now.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Song list. Parking meter. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Feet. Fingers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p>When you find your spot, the key is to act like you know
exactly what you’re doing, especially if there are people around or if you are
in front of a prestigious bookstore that might kick you away for loitering.
Look tough, act tough while you are setting up. It is best to have something at
knee or hip height to put your water bottle on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tune only if you are stalling. You arrive and there is no
pretense, no one to introduce you. It is just you and the first chord of <i>Wilder Than Her</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Know your songs. Know them really, really well because there
will be many distractions. People. People talking. People talking on cell
phones. The very people you are playing to. Firefighters right up in your face
asking if that Colin Meloy song is by Joan Baez.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some songs work better than others. Do not play a musical
interlude ever. Sing the chorus again. Do not sing a story song unless it’s a
well-known favorite. Songs with preachy imperative chorus taglines work best as
someone is walking by. And do not underestimate the rare person walking by
without earbuds. That person can hear you, so sing out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Save some for the end, though. Don’t spend it all on <i>Born on a Train</i> because there are nine
songs left and you are in the Mile-High City now and the elevation is getting
to you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The people who pause or stop on the adjacent bench or smile sometimes
mean more than the people who give money. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some do give money. You are sorry you did not interrupt the
line about the hurricane to say thank you. You are sorry, and thrilled, that
it’s lunchtime and the foot traffic is almost a constant flow. You are sorry
that after 50 minutes your fingers will give out, that is if you don’t run out
of water first, that is if your feet in their unsupportive-but-must-wear cowboy
boots do not give out first. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You are in the shade. That’s good, because across the street
people walk in the unrelenting sun in shorts and flip-flops—their gazes either
a permanent squint, or devilishly cool behind sunglasses.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A troupe of school kids files by. They think you are a freak
of nature, but in a good way, and their leader/teacher/docent person wishes
they were paying attention to the Colorado history lesson at this corner. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But
one of those kids is still watching as you pack up your guitar. And you feel
like the coolest person on earth.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0