The busker, the street performers, the troubadours are a strange and mysterious breed.
We look up to the buskers on the street, mesmerized by their talent and wondering what it would be like to make money doing what you love. We have all had that moment when we pass a street performer and think to ourselves, “I wish I could do that.”
Busking is a tough life, long hours and low pay. The best of them can earn as much as $200/hour, but most will take home around $20 per hour. But there is one thing about most buskers that sets them apart from most people: they are not motivated by money. They just want to do what they love – play music or juggle or make balloon animals for a living.
Here are 5 tips from some of the top buskers in the world on how to attract a following with your street performances:
Street musicians who put on a great show get big crowds.
Street music has been around for centuries but there are a few performers that are clearly better than the rest.
They all have a few things in common and know the top 5 tips to street music success.
Most of these performances happen in major cities like New York and Boston.
Here are the tips:
1) Find a busy location with lots of foot traffic and stay there for at least an hour.
This way you can get the attention of passersby without moving too much which is tiring.
2) Have high quality equipment, including but not limited to your instrument, microphone, speakers and any other accessories you might use during your performance such as costumes or props.
You want people passing by to see that you take yourself seriously because they will take you more seriously if they think of themselves as professionals too!
3) Be upbeat, energetic and smiling always helps attract more attention because people will recognize this behavior as positive emotions which makes them feel good about watching what’s going on around them while they’re walking by!
4) Have some sort of prop or costume that sets you apart from other street performers – maybe it’s just wearing sunglasses so others
There are many famous street musicians. These individuals have perfected their art and some of them have gotten to the point where they are actually making a living from busking. In fact, the most popular street entertainers in the world make more than $1 million dollars a year from busking alone.
Here are five tips for street musician’s who would like to make it big:
1. Focus on one musical style and become very good at it.
2. Wear professional clothes and keep your instrument in good condition so you look like you are serious about your craft.
3) Play for a minimum of three hours per day in high-traffic areas such as train stations and busy streets where pedestrians will walk by you when they pass through these locations on their way from work or school to home at night time during weekends or holidays when they have free time available to spend with family members visiting friends etcetera…
To create a following, you must first be seen. Street musicians often take their art to the streets because they enjoy reaching new people and collaborating with other musicians. Artists may find themselves performing in front of packed audiences in big cities or competing for attention on crowded sidewalks. Learning how to attract listeners can help musicians to make more moneyn”+
“5 Ways to Attract an Audience:
1. Location, location, location! Choose a spot where you will have the most exposure and opportunity for interaction with potential audience members. A place that is too far from pedestrian traffic will not allow you to attract listeners. Similarly, a place where there is too much noise or distraction will also fail to draw people in your direction.
2. Start with a crowd-pleaser. Playing something familiar will help to attract listeners because it encourages them to stop and listen for a moment, instead of walking by without notice. When the audience grows, switch to less familiar songs that are more representative of your style to keep them interested and engaged.
3. Be comfortable, but don’t be invisible! Perform with enthusiasm and confidence so that people will want to join in the fun. But don’t sit downn”+
“! Remember that your goal is not only to
If you’re a street musician in New York City, you must have a certain essence to attract a following. The same is true if you perform on the streets of New Orleans, Nashville or elsewhere.
Norwegian musician Ole Morten Vagan is one of those buskers who has built up a following and a reputation with his guitar and his voice. He performs with an easygoing style that attracts people to stop and listen. And he mixes his performance with humor, so even though he’s playing for donations, he never seems to beg for money.
The video above will give you some tips from Vagan on how to attract an audience when you’re performing on the street. Vagan made it for the folks over at Streetmusician.co, a Norwegian website that offers information about street musicians from around the world.
Here are five of his tips:%%
Street performers have been a staple of American culture since the first settlers in Jamestown were treated to drum circles and acrobats on their way to the market. Today, street musicians are still a prominent part of our culture, with buskers performing in and around New York City subways, Boston’s Quincy Market, San Francisco’s Embarcadero Center, Seattle’s Pike Place Market, and many other cities across the country.
Here are five tips for musicians who want to become a successful street performer:
1. Play what people want to hear.
2. Don’t forget to practice.
3. Find a great place to perform.
4. Have a sound system that is adequate for the environment you will be performing in; this includes having an instrument or voice that can compete with city noise pollution.
5. Be prepared for long hours of standing still while playing your instrument(s).
1. Find the right spot
This one is less about the music and more about the business side of busking. Find a popular area with lots of foot traffic, or a place where people commonly stop to wait, like outside a bus station or a local bank. If you’re looking to make money as a street musician, you’ll need an audience!