10 Tips For A Successful Street Performer Holiday Season

Last week I wrote a post about how to be a good audience member. This week I decided to write one for the street performers. The most important thing that every street performer should do is to not think of themselves as “street performers”, but rather as entertainers. Being a street entertainer is different from being a stage entertainer because you don’t have the luxury of sound equipment, lighting, or a stage separating you from your audience. You are out there with no barriers and you are in direct contact with your audience. This can be very rewarding, but it also means that you need to be aware of the effect you’re having on everyone around you.

Crowds can form quickly in Mallory Square and space is limited. It’s important for everyone to share the space so that we can all enjoy our time at Mallory Square.

When performing at Mallory Square it’s important to remember that your job is to entertain, not just put on a show for yourself. Here are 10 Tips For A Successful Street Performer Holiday Season:

* Don’t hog space: If you have props or need more room than the average person, make sure that you’re allowing enough room for people to move past and around you comfortably.

* Keep It Clean

So you’re a street performer and you’re thinking about coming to Key West for the holidays. WELL, here are 10 tips to ensure a successful and fun holiday season:

1) Read, re-read and study the Code of Conduct. The City of Key West has put together this handy dandy guide to make sure all street performers are aware of the rules and regulations regarding street performing in Mallory Square. It includes information on where it’s okay to perform, how long you can do your act, how much space you need to take up, what kind of amplification is allowed (and at what volume), which props are okay…there’s even a section on how to apply for a permit!

2) Perform during Sunset Celebration hours only. Sunset Celebration hours are from approximately 2 hours before sunset until about 30 minutes after sunset. Please show up early enough to be set up by the time the crowds start arriving and leave as soon as possible after your performance is over. It’s not very fun for you or anyone else when there’s only a few people watching your act.

3) Keep it family friendly: Key West is a family destination so please keep your acts clean and appropriate for all ages. Make sure your performance is not offensive to any group or

As the holiday season is kicking into high gear here in Key West, so too are our street performers.

With the influx of visitors, the size of our crowds has grown exponentially. With such large crowds, comes a large responsibility for the crowd to be considerate and respectful of the performers and their fellow audience members.

There are some general common sense rules that should be followed to ensure a good experience for all.

1) If you are going to watch a show, please make an effort to stand carefully and respectfully next to your fellow audience members. Don’t push and shove people and don’t take up more room than you need.

Street performing is a very tough job and it is not for everyone. You must be able to handle rejection, thrive on the energy of the crowd and know how to work a group of people. Here is some advice for those brave souls who venture out onto the streets during holiday season:

1. Be nice to cops! Most cops are OK with street performers. The worst thing you can do is get in trouble with them. Police will enforce noise ordinances and pedestrian rules at the request of store owners or residents. Be courteous and you will have no problems.

2. Don’t curse too much or use profanity in your act – it is not appropriate on the streets, especially around kids.

3. Don’t play your music too loud! This one should be obvious but I see many acts that do this over and over. Some people think their act has more impact if they are really loud. Not true! People actually enjoy watching a quieter act because they can enjoy the music more and also hear what others are saying around them better (and give you more tips!). If you’re working a relatively quiet area like Frenchmen Street, keep it down even more since there is usually live jazz music coming from all directions in this area.

4. Keep your

In years past, street performers would typically migrate to Key West for the winter season. However, it seems that there are more and more performers from all over the country coming down and staying for months at a time. I think it’s great to see money filtering into the community from these folks who are doing their thing.

I’ve heard lots of conversations about the new folks not being prepared and not understanding the rules of engagement. I’m not sure if this is true or not, but I thought I’d write this post just in case and help make sure everyone has a good holiday season.

1. Make sure your stuff doesn’t get blown away.

2. Don’t block people in or out of a business with your things.

3. Don’t try to perform where another act is already performing unless you know that artist really well and they say it’s OK to share their spot with them (and they are actually willing to share).

4. Make sure it isn’t too windy before you start performing (see

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The holiday season is upon us and with it comes a new wave of performers to Mallory Square. If you are planning on making some extra cash for the holidays by playing music in Mallory Square, here are some tips to make your experience a positive one.

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1.) Be Cognizant Of Your Surroundings – There are people coming and going all over Mallory Square, whether it be from the boats, people leaving the sunset celebration, or even just tourists walking through to enjoy the atmosphere. Be aware of where you are performing so that you don’t accidentally block an exit or entrance. Also, be aware of nearby performers, and don’t stand directly in front of them. The crowds will flow around you as they see fit. Don’t force them to look at your act first by blocking their view of another performer.

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2.) Amplification – You may use amplification if you wish, but please keep it at a reasonable volume. There is no need to blast your music on full volume if you can sound just as good at half the volume. Many performers have different styles and sounds, so keep your volume down so that everyone can perform comfortably without overpowering anyone else’s performance. Also, remember

1. Arrive Early:

The best times to perform are from 5-7 pm. Try to be set up, ready to play, and performing by 4:45 pm. The earlier you arrive, the better chance you have of getting one of the prime spots.

2. Get a Good Spot:

The best spots are on the waterfront where the cruise ships docks or between the restaurants and souvenir shops on Duval Street. You want a spot that is well lit, where there is a natural bottleneck for pedestrians, such as an alleyway or a sidewalk that is only one person wide. There also needs to be plenty of pedestrian traffic so you have lots of people walking past your show. Additionally, it is important that you have an unobstructed view of your audience so they can’t sneak up and steal your money if you aren’t looking (yes this has happened).

3. Play with others:

If possible, play with other performers; not only will it be more fun to have company while performing but teams tend to draw in bigger crowds than individuals do. If you don’t know anyone else who plays music in Key West then try asking around at Mallory Square during sunset or at your hostel/campground

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