10 Tips for Becoming an Amazing Busker
By Kevin Pritchard
Busking is the art of performing music or some other act in public, usually for money. Buskers come in all shapes and sizes, from a single man with a guitar to 15 people playing violins, drums and singing. Some buskers are amazingly talented, others, not so much. If you’re thinking about becoming a busker or have already started but aren’t sure how to improve your act, keep reading for 10 tips for becoming an amazing busker!
1. Set Goals
A great way to start is to set goals. This can be as simple as deciding where you want to busk (different places will attract different crowds) or how much money you want to make every day/week/month. Having goals will help you focus on improving your show and making more money.
2. Where do I start?
If this is your first time busking it’s good to start small. Find a place that attracts a lot of people and has plenty of foot traffic (not in the middle of nowhere). You’ve probably seen many street performers when walking around town or visiting a touristy area and have seen that many of them have hat boxes or jars out and encourage
The best buskers and street performers in the world are often very successful. They are able to make a living from their performances, or at least earn enough money to travel to the next city. If you want to become a full-time busker, follow these 10 tips for becoming an amazing busker:
1. Find your own style and act
2. Choose a good spot
3. Perfect your act
4. Take care of your appearance
5. Keep practicing
6. Make sure people can see you (and hear you)
7. Hand out flyers at the end of your act
8. Ask for donations at the end of your act – don’t ask during it!
9. Collect email addresses from curious fans (important!)
10. Perform as often as possible!
What is busking? Busking is street performing, and it’s one of the most fun ways to make money you’ll ever experience. There is no better way to see the world than as a traveling (or stay-at-home) street performer.
There are many kinds of street performers. Some are magicians, some are clowns, some sing songs and play instruments, others juggle, dance or perform acrobatics. The possibilities are endless! For me, busking is one of the greatest things I’ve ever done.
I’ve been traveling and performing on the streets since 2008, so I’ve gotten a lot of experience in how to go about it more effectively. Here are my top ten tips for becoming an amazing busker:
I’m sure you have all seen an amazing busker on the street. You know, the one that gets a huge crowd and makes you stop in your tracks to watch them. These buskers are the ones that make money and keep coming back. They are the street performers that have made it!
I’ve been busking for 3 years now, and I’ve had my ups and downs. I’ve learned so much through trial and error, and am constantly learning more! That’s why I decided to write this post with some tips for becoming an amazing busker!
First of all, if you’re just getting started as a busker or street performer, check out my other blog post about how to get started with busking. It goes over everything from what gear to use to where to start out.
In this post we’ll go over some tips for when you’re ready to take your busking performance to the next level!
Perhaps the most famous busker in history is Charlie Chaplin, who started out as a child busker in England before moving over to vaudeville where he made his name.
Here are ten tips for becoming an amazing busker.
1. Make it your own – Don’t try and copy other people, find your own style and niche and you will be remembered for it.
2. Stay positive – Even if times are tough make sure to keep your spirits up, this will help you attract more people to your performance and give them a good time!
3. Watch other performers – Spend time watching other performers, what makes them successful? What could be improved? How can you take these ideas and improve them?
4. Learn from others – Don’t always assume you know everything, ask other performers for their advice, they might have moved on from the spot or been busking longer than you!
5. Never give up – Busking can be tough at the start but don’t let that put you off! Look at it as a long term investment and make sure to work on your act every day to improve it. The more you practice the better you become!
6.
1. What’s a busker?
A busker is someone who performs in a public place for the enjoyment and entertainment of an audience, asking for tips from that audience.
2. What’s the difference between a street performer and a busker?
A street performer is primarily interested in performing for an audience, buskers are primarily interested in getting paid for their performance. There are plenty of people out there who call themselves “street performers” but have no interest in being paid for what they do; these are not buskers.
3. How can I get started?
The most important thing you need to do is find an audience that is willing to support you in your career as a performer! You want to find out if there are people who will pay you money to watch you perform. The best way to do this is to go outside and try it! Go stand on the sidewalk and sing, dance, or play an instrument. You don’t need to be very good at first – just keep practicing so you improve over time!
1. Practice, practice, practice.
2. Find your audience.
3. Find the right pitch/location.
4. Choose a good act (and stick with it).
5. Dress appropriately – (for example, if you are a singer/acoustic guitarist, a suit may be too formal).
6. Make sure you get permission from the local council or management of the place where you will perform.
7. Be punctual and reliable – if you’ve been given permission to perform for an hour, ensure that for that hour you are there playing!
8. Smile and enjoy yourself! People like to see a performer who is enjoying themselves on stage – this helps to attract more of a crowd (and consequently more money!).
9. Don’t drink alcohol or take drugs before your performance! This may affect your singing/playing ability as well as your confidence levels on stage (which people can pick up on very easily).
10. Have fun!!