Street performers know that in order to get attention they need to be entertaining and unique. They are not just competing with other street performers; they are competing with all the other distractions on the street, like shops and advertisements.
When you try to make a difference, you are also competing for attention. Your competition is everyone else who wants people’s attention: advertisers, celebrities, your friends and family.
So how do you make sure that your message is heard among all this noise? You can take a page from the book of street performers and use music to make people listen and care about what you have to say.
Here are 5 examples of street performers using music both as entertainment and as a way to draw attention to a cause:
One of the best ways to get people to listen and care about what you have to say is through music. People respond to music. It speaks to them, moves them, and gets them thinking about things in a way that just facts and figures can’t do. It’s not just the message that matters, it’s how you communicate it that really counts.
Here are 5 examples of how street musicians made people listen – and how you can too:
1. How Music Unites People: The video above shows how music can bring people together. It shows a street musician playing the saxophone on the streets of New York City, when suddenly another person joins in on drums. Then another person starts singing along, while someone else claps their hands and then dances along. By the end there are over 100 people who have joined in on this musical improvisation – including construction workers, police officers and even passersby who have stopped to check out what all the fuss is about.
2. How Music Makes You Care: There are many people who play music on the street for money but one man played his violin in order to get people to listen to what he had to say (see above). After performing an impromptu concert on the subway
You want to make a difference in the world. You want to get people talking about your cause. You want to change behavior and raise money for your organization.
You need to tell a story that connects with people on an emotional level.
A song has the power to do this. It can create a movement. It can inspire people.
Here are 5 street performers who were able to use music for social change:
1. Amanda Palmer – “Ukulele Anthem”
2. Andrew Huang – “Plastic Raincoats”
3. Steve Grand – “All-American Boy”
4. Son of Dave – “Give Me a Song”
5. The Roots – “Undun: The Story of Redford Stevens”
1. The Spine
The Spine is a band out of Boston, Massachusetts. They are a 5-piece band that plays and writes music on the street. All of them have day jobs, but they also play shows at night and on weekends. They have played in places like New Orleans, where they write a song about what they see while they are there. The point of their music is to tell stories about their travels and experiences. Some of their songs include “We’ll Be Gone”, “This is Our Home”, “When I’m Gone”, and “Nobody”.
Here are five videos that will make you smile and show you the power of music to amaze.
1. The Last Note by HAVASI Symphonic Concert Show
2. Malia Civetz- “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World” – The Voice 2016 Live Playoffs
3. Parisian busker plays Jessie J’s ‘Mamma Knows Best’
4. Sarah Tracey – “How I Learned To Love Myself” (Original)
5. How many instruments can he play?
1. The best street performer video – Violinist Robert Gulya
I have never seen so many people in one place, mesmerized by a street musician. He was a one man symphony with his violin, loop pedal and drum machine that got him the title of Best Street Performer in Europe. The number of people coming to listen to him play was incredible and his performance was amazing.
2. The most magical street performance – Magical violinist Robby Krieger (Doors)
There’s something special about a group of strangers being united by music on the streets. I love the way that this guy plays the violin, but when Robby Krieger from The Doors joins him for an impromptu jam session on the streets it becomes something really special.
3. The most talented street performers – Frédéric Leclercq’s dance band
This is a really creative concept for a street performance and it looks like it would make for an awesome live show at a club or venue too. I also love how they are using their talent to raise money for charity.
4. The Most Extreme Street Performance – Turf Acrobatics by Flip Fabrique
This has to be one
1. Mimes
The first time I saw them, I was on my way to work and the mimes were performing directly outside the entrance of the building I work in. I could see them as I got off the train station and walked for about 10 minutes towards my office.
They were so good that I didn’t even realize they were mimes at first. They dressed in full black with white face paint. There were two of them, a tall guy and a short guy. The tall guy was doing some pretty awesome stuff with his hands and legs but it was the short guy who really captured my attention. He had an amazing talent for contorting his body into all kinds of weird shapes!
He would bend his body backward, twist his head around 180 degrees, pull both of his feet over his head and then stand up, grab on to a lamp post with one arm and swing around it while holding on to the pole with only one hand! It was crazy!
It was as if he was made out of rubber or something! It’s hard to describe what he did exactly so here’s a short video of him:
This is not an easy trick to pull off! It requires countless hours of practice and dedication to achieve that kind of flexibility.