For centuries, street performance has been an important way for artists to make money. It is now a popular way for musicians to earn a livelihood, and in many cases it is their primary source of income.
While busking has become more common in recent years, the origins of street performance can be traced back to ancient cultures. It was common for actors and musicians-who often performed for the public rather than for kings and queens-to beg for food or money in exchange for their work.
In the Middle Ages, performers were known as troubadours and jongleurs. They used their talents to entertain people on the streets. During that period, street performers typically sang songs or performed plays that depicted a moral message or mythological story.
Street performance began to flourish in Europe during the Renaissance, especially in Italy. The commedia dell’arte was an example of Renaissance-era street theater that was performed by commedia dell’arte troupes, who were made up of masked players who traveled from town to town with their portable stages.
The tradition of busking continues today, both in cities and small towns across the world.
Busking is the practice of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given.
Busking is a significant part of the history of music, and in recent years has become an important component of tourism in cities around the world.
The English word “busk”, dating to approximately 1780, comes from the Spanish root word buscar, with the meaning “to seek”. The verb to busk, from the word busker, comes from the Spanish root word buscar. The Spanish word buscar in turn evolved from the Indo-European word *bhudh-skō (“to win, conquer”).
It is believed that the custom started when people began to follow traveling musicians and dancers on their journeys through towns and cities, offering small amounts of money for their performances. Buskers provide entertainment ranging from performance artists such as fire eaters, acrobats, and magicians to classical musicians, opera singers, comedians and jugglers.
Street performance or “busking” is practiced all over the world and dates back thousands of years. People engaging in this practice are called street musicians or street performers in
If you have found your way here, you are likely someone who loves live music. Perhaps you love street performance. Maybe you’re a musician, or have been thinking about becoming a street performer. I’d like to welcome you to this blog and hope that the content will inspire and help you in some way – even if just to introduce you to some amazing artists and their stories.
Street performance, busking, is the modern-day equivalent of the old travelling troubadours that roamed the land many hundreds of years ago. If you perform on the streets today, chances are, someone will stop to listen. If your talent is good enough, they may even stop and pay you for it.
I started exploring this topic by looking into how street performers got started – how they made the decision to become one! And I found some incredible stories along the way! Check out some of my favourite inspiring street performance videos below:
As the name suggests, busking is the art of performing music (or dance or theatre) in public places for money. Usually this means street corners and subway stations, but parks and cafes are also popular venues.
Busking was born out of necessity: it arose as a way to make money when work at home was not available. This made it a profession of the poor and disadvantaged, and it has retained that character to this day. Buskers are not generally wealthy. Many are homeless, or close to it; they live in squats or vans or group houses, and only busk when they need money for food or rent. Others may be living on a pension or disability check, supplementing it with what they can earn on the street. According to an informal survey I did in 1997, the median income for a full-time busker is about $10,000 per year.
My earliest memory of busking was in downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Yonge and Gould Streets. I was about six years old and my father was playing a violin piece that I can only recall as being beautiful, evoking an image of a sad clown. The first time I remember seeing him perform he made $32 in one day. It may not sound like much, but that was a lot of money back then! My father told me it took him 25 minutes to earn his first dollar.
I continued to watch my dad busk over the years and eventually got involved myself. He taught me how to play various instruments, including the guitar. At thirteen I started busking with my dad at Yonge and Dundas Square for the summer. It was an interesting experience for me because I was such a shy kid. Busking forced me to open up and learn how to be more social. I remember being so nervous when people would walk by; it felt like everyone in the world was watching me. It took time for me to get used to people looking at me while I played music.
Sometimes people would stop and listen, other times they would throw coins or bills into our case, and sometimes people would just walk right by without even glancing in our
The following is a list of the top ten reasons for having a busking career. I’ve been busking since I was thirteen, and it has been my primary source of income since I was sixteen. I’m going to try to be as objective as possible, but I’m sure some of my bias will leak through. If you disagree with something, or if you have anything you’d like to add, please leave a comment.
1. Busking is fun! It’s a great way to make money while doing what you love.
2. You get to meet people from all over the world and share your art with them.
3. You can make enough money to pay your rent and buy food, without having to work full-time at a boring job that doesn’t allow you any creative freedom.*