I’m a Busking Magician…But What Does That Really Mean?

It means that I perform on the street. It means that I earn my living from performing magic in public places. It means that I put on a show (usually an hour to an hour and a half long) with little or no advance notice for members of the general public (usually for free, although most people will give me money after seeing my show).

And it also means that I get to do what I love for a living.

The term busking is short for “busker” which comes from “busk” which is derived from the Spanish “buscar” meaning “to seek”. It has its roots in the time when troubadours would roam the countryside looking for work by performing in exchange for whatever they could get.

I like this definition because it is so broad. By focusing on the act of performance, as opposed to other aspects of what it means to be a busker, this definition truly points out the heart of busking: there is something about performing that makes us feel alive. In fact, some would argue that this is all we are here for – to experience life and realize our full

I’m a Busking Magician…But What Does That Really Mean?

I was recently asked by a fellow magician that very question. He was curious as to what exactly busking meant and how long I had been doing it. So, in today’s post, I am going to go over some of the basics of this unique art and answer his question.

First, let me dive into what busking actually is? As defined by Merriam-Webster, busking is “to practice an art (such as music or dancing) for money in public places”. While there are many different types of buskers out there, I am going to focus on magic specifically. In my experience, busking has been practiced in two ways:

1.) Stationary – This is how I perform. I can be seen most days performing magic in the middle of Market Street in San Francisco at one of the street corner spaces allotted to artists and performers (also known as Art Spaces). It is pretty much what it sounds like: setting up at one spot and remaining there as people walk by you.

2.) Moving – This is a bit more challenging because it involves you being mobile with all your stuff while trying to put on a

I’m a busking magician, but what does that really mean? This is a question I have been thinking about for a long time.

I say I’m a busking magician, or a street magician or even sometimes just a magician. But how do you define what you are? What is the difference between a busking magician and a street magician? What is the difference between any of these and just being called a magician?

To be honest, I don’t know. These terms are all so broad and they are not something that has been defined by anyone. There is no real standard to say this is what someone who calls themselves each of these things should be doing.

So why do people call themselves certain things? For me, it’s because of my audience. You see, I perform out on the street in Fremantle for tourists. That means that my audience comes from all over the world and speak many different languages. So when I tell them what I am or what I do, I need to make sure that they understand me – as much as possible anyway!

I’m a magician. I am a busking magician, to be precise.

I’m sure you have many questions about what exactly that means, so let me start by answering the most obvious one: yes, my wife has left me because of it.

I was once a man with prospects and goals and a prospective future lawyer for a wife, but now I stand on street corners entertaining passersby for money. You can imagine how this went over with the woman I thought would be my lifetime companion. But it’s not like she left me without giving me several chances to change! She told me time and time again that she didn’t want to be married to “a busking magician guy,” but did I listen? No! In fact, I only doubled down on my dreams of becoming a magician for strangers who walk past me in the street! You can see why our relationship didn’t last long after that point.

But enough about my personal life. Let’s focus on the topic at hand: being a busking magician. It sounds like an easy gig, right? Just stand on a street corner and entertain people as they pass by! What could be easier than that? And in some ways it is

Recently I’ve been asked a few times about what it means to be a busking magician. Is it like being an amateur magician? Is it like being a beggar? Are there specific tricks you do to get attention? Do you just make money disappear?

So here’s the deal: Busking is performance for money (typically in public). A busker does not have to be a magician, but can be any type of performer. Around the world some of the most popular buskers are street musicians, fire dancers, acrobats, and magicians (to name a few).

I am a busking magician. I perform magic on the street for money. I do not have a set time or location that I perform at (although I do have favorite spots). The majority of my performances happen in an urban environment, like downtown Denver. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t pop up at conventions or other events.

So what does that all mean? My goal as a busker is to entertain people with magic. Unfortunately many people don’t know what that means either (and I don’t blame them), so let me explain further.

My show is designed for the streets and is

What is a busking magician?

Well, a “busker” is the more common term for what is also called a street performer. It comes from the practice of getting on and off a bus as part of your act. The idea was to get on a bus, do an act, then get off the bus at the next stop and start all over again. (I think it’s better to stay in one place instead of moving around like this.)

A “magician” is someone who performs magic; usually illusions that are quite impossible.

Busking magicians have been around for centuries. There are references to them in ancient Greek plays, but I think they go back much further than that.

My name is Justin Willman and I’m a busker.

I perform magic on the Santa Monica Promenade in Santa Monica, California. It’s an outdoor mall that’s filled with shoppers, street performers and tourists.

I’m not your typical street performer. I don’t juggle, eat fire or play the accordion. I usually wear a suit and tie, and when people ask me what I do for a living, it’s hard to explain. Busking magic is different from any other type of magic performance out there. Busking is a combination of improv comedy, vaudeville and stand-up comedy. You have to be able to think on your feet and make good with whatever situation comes your way, whether it be an unruly audience member or just someone who has seen your act before.

It’s also tough because you’re performing for strangers. There are no birthday parties or corporate events where you know at least some of the guests will enjoy themselves because they’re being paid to be there (and they like cake).

You’re completely on your own when you start busking. But once you get into the flow of it, the crowd becomes more interesting than anything going on around you. You learn to read people’s personalities