I Write Songs All Day is a site about songwriting and music. Get songwriting tips, song writing advice and learn how to write songs.

“Somewhere down the road

I’m gonna find me a better way

To make my life my own

But until I do I’m keeping on my feet

And dancing to the beat

Just like a fool in the crowd today

I’ll find myself tomorrow

If I can survive today”

I’ve been writing songs and music for over ten years. I got my first guitar when I was 15, and then started writing songs almost immediately. I love to write songs and have written hundreds since then. I also have a passion for helping others learn how to write their own songs as well, through a songwriting course I’ve taught since 2005. This blog is a way to share tips, ideas and thoughts about songwriting and music in general.

I have a degree in music composition and theory from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where I studied composition with the late Dr. Robert Fay (1928-2005), who was one of the best teachers I ever had. He was also a brilliant composer, who wrote many pieces for orchestra, wind ensemble, chamber ensembles, piano and organ. His students went on to win numerous awards for their compositions, including one Grammy award (see Wikipedia).

I’m also very active with my local songwriter’s group, where we get together once a month to listen to each other perform our songs and give each other feedback on them. It’s always rewarding to hear what everyone else has written and offer suggestions for how the song might be improved or made more interesting or better.

Some of my friends have asked for an update on my busking adventures. It’s been a while, so I thought I’d write up a quick post on the subject.

As you might remember, back in May, I decided to take on a new challenge and try playing some shows on the streets of San Francisco. After doing a little research online, trying to figure out how this whole thing worked, I found that there were two main approaches. One is to play solo with just a guitar and your voice (this is what I ended up doing). The other is to play as part of a band. Since that’s not really my style, I stuck with the solo approach, but it’s good to know that it’s an option if you’re into that kind of thing.

The first step was figuring out where exactly to busk in San Francisco. As it turns out, there are tons of great options all around town: Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 are popular tourist attractions where people are always walking around; The Ferry Building Marketplace has a lively atmosphere; and outside of AT&T Park during baseball games is another great spot (even if the Giants aren’t playing).

I tried a few different spots around town before settling on Fisherman’s Wh

The great thing about being a musician is that you get to do what you love for a living. It’s a dream job, except for one thing: it’s not stable. Paychecks are inconsistent, and they can be small. If you want to be a full-time musician, you’re going to have to hustle.

Here are 8 tips for making money as a musician:

1. Busk on the Street

This is an obvious way to make money, but it’s also a great way to connect with your audience and make new fans. All you need is an instrument and a good spot in town. And if you don’t want to do it alone, ask other musicians if they want to busk with you! You can also record yourself busking and put the video up on YouTube, which brings me to my next tip…

I have been playing music for over a decade. I have had the opportunity to play in many different contexts. From churches to coffee shops, bars and restaurants to weddings, and even on the streets. I have been involved with street performances as a busker on several occasions in both Nashville and Savannah, GA.

I love playing as a busker. It is a great way to gain experience in front of an audience. It is also fun because you never know when someone might drop some change in your guitar case or when someone may walk up and start dancing right in front of you. You just never know what might happen when you are out there on the streets playing music.

The following are tips that I have learned from being a street performer. These tips can be applied not only to street performers but also for people who perform in other situations such as at parties or open mic nights at coffee shops.

What is busking? Well simply put, busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. There are all types of performers who do this. My personal favorite type of busker is the musician.

So what makes a good busker? Well there really isn’t any set formula that I have found yet to make a good busker, but there are some characteristics which seem to be common among those who succeed at it. One characteristic they all seem to have is a good relationship with their audience. They interact with them, joke with them and make them feel like they are part of the show.

Another quality many successful buskers have is solid stage presence. They look comfortable on stage and confident in their performance. Even if they are nervous at first, most people can’t tell because they hide it so well.

The last thing which seems to be essential for a good busker is a great attitude! You will hear lots of no’s and even some nasty remarks from those passing by, but the ones that are successful seem to brush these off easily and just keep smiling.

It is often said that the most difficult part of being a musician is not the learning, not the practicing, not the living out of a suitcase while on tour, but the business side of things: marketing and promoting yourself. In a way it’s true; you need to get your name out there enough to get noticed.

But sometimes, it’s more than just self-promotion. Sometimes you need to put in some hard work and create a buzz. That is exactly what this group of buskers (street performers) did when they took their music to the streets of New York City. The costumed quartet known as “The Red Trouser Show” decided to take advantage of one of New York City’s busiest locations: Times Square! They set up their equipment and began their performance in hopes that passersby would notice them and join in their impromptu dance party.

And join they did; you can see from the video that within minutes, people from all around were joining in on the fun. In fact, during the course of their performance over 100 people got up and danced with them! Now that is how you promote your act.