Busking, or performing on the street, is an enjoyable way to share your music with others. Here are 3 tips to make sure you have a successful and fun experience.
Busking (the profession of playing music or performing in public places for donations) is a popular way to earn money for musicians.
It might seem like a great alternative to the traditional 9-5 job, but it’s not for everyone!
Like any other career choice, it has its pros and cons.
We’ve compiled some tips for you to consider before you hit the streets and start busking.
1. Be prepared!
It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people just head out there with no preparation. You need to consider your audience. What kind of music will suit the place? What time will get you the most foot traffic? Being prepared means that you are aware of all these factors, and know how to deal with them if things go wrong.
2. Play what you love!
The last thing anyone wants to see is someone who is bored with their performance! The whole point of busking is to enjoy what you do, so make sure it brings a smile to your face as well as passersby! If you’re having fun while performing then it shows, and that’s when you’ll attract more attention.
3. Keep it light!
For those of you who are not familiar with the term, “busking” is the practice of playing music in public places for voluntary donations. Buskers can be found in any place where there is a concentration of people: train stations, subway platforms, shopping centers, street corners.
In fact, buskers were some of the first performers to use public spaces for their art. In ancient times, Greek and Roman actors performed in public spaces called forums. These open spaces made it possible for audiences to see and hear the action on stage; they also allowed performers to interact with their audience. Shakespeare too appreciated the value of performing in public forums: his plays were first performed outside on a stage set up in London’s Globe Theatre. Though today we may think of Shakespeare as a “serious” playwright who wrote for educated audiences, many of his plays were written as entertainment for ordinary Londoners who paid a penny to stand in the open-air pit or two pennies to sit in the covered sections of the theatre.
But getting back to buskers…
I’ve been a street performer for the past 12 years. I wanted to share some of my experience with you. If you have ever thought about busking, but don’t know how to get started, hopefully this can help.
Busking is the art of playing music and/or performing other artistic acts in a public place for tips. A busker is a person who performs in this way.
Busk with a buddy.
This is my number one tip! Busking solo is tough, but busking with a friend or two makes it much easier. When you have someone else with you, you can take turns taking bathroom breaks, getting food/drinks, practicing new material, etc. It’s also just more fun to busk with someone else. Having another person there makes it much less likely that you’ll get robbed or harassed.
When people are walking by, they’re more inclined to stop and listen if there are two (or more) of you because a group of people performing always looks like more of an event than just one person standing there alone. Plus, when you have friends along for the ride, it’s easier to get someone to record your performance so that you can post videos later!
Busking is a deeply rewarding street performance art and if you’re reading this blog, you’re probably interested in busking.
Perhaps you’ve been busking for a while and you want to improve your performances or perhaps you want to get started busking, but you don’t know how.
Busking can be difficult, but the rewards are many: money, fame, and most importantly: the ability to express yourself creatively.
In either case, this blog will help you become a better busker.
1.) Play where there are lots of people.
2.) Play what people like to hear.
3.) Have some sort of gimmick or ‘big hit’ to draw a crowd.
There are many more rules and tips in the article, but the main point is that the success of most buskers comes from being at the right place at the right time with a good song that attracts a crowd.
