8 days busking so far this year. got my first $20 bill of the season today!

Dave, good for you.. I've only received ONE $20 ..ever...
Now, regular readers of this busking topic....Have any of you been inspired to BUSK? or maybe have you been scared off?

Okay, I'm doing a 'walkback' here - I hadn't picked up the connection between fujer's post about 'beggars' and Lee's previous post mentioning 'panhandlers' - so now I get what chickenman was trying to get into my thick head; i.e., that the talk had got sidetracked into panhandling/begging - but NOT with any implication that it was the same as busking. Apologies to fujers for ever having doubted him!

It is almost surreal... I've mentioned this in the past and now wonder if Dave Bluesmode or any of you others have  ever had this happen.. Just as I'm closing my case and getting ready to leave someone shows up with at tip..This happened 3 times this week.. Today I had just put the fiddle in the case and a guy gave me $10.. (Maybe he wanted to be sure I has gas money to leave town with)  What I think I'll do is from now on must open and close my case and see if I can get rich WITHOUT having to play my fiddle...

....I think my biggest 'putting my fiddle away tip' was a fiver.

but speaking of busking stories (and we are)....this happened a coupla years ago. this mid 20's girl came walking by at a fairly brisk pace and barely slowed down to toss a half folded, half sealed, rather beaten up envelope in my case. I finished the tune and took a look. to my considerable surprise there was a bunch of U.S and Canadian bills in it, along with a few large coins. it added up to exactly $99.00.

I had to wonder where the money came from and why she didn't want it. I half expected to see the cops, an irate boyfriend, or a drug dealer coming right behind her....but that didn't happen.

You might remember that in some tourist areas there are machines that will flatten a penny. Today a little tyke of about 6, gave me a penny as a tip. I happened to have one of those flattened pennies, so I put his penny into my hand with the flattened penny (which he couldn't see) and pretended to 'flatten" HIS penny with a feigned squeeze.. Worked like a charm.. He was very surprised........and now I have just one more trick to put into my arsenal of entertaining things to do while busking.
That, and the fact that my daughter bought me 4 small tambourines. I put them by my tip basket and basically, they paid for themselves with the tips that came when I let the kids "Join the band" and play a tambourine with me and Harry Hare... This is getting to be a much fun for me as it is for the spectators..Tomorrow is the BIG farmer's market in Bloomington.. Lots of people and lots of Kids.. This ought to be interesting!!! I'll report back, you can bet.

The next generation is getting ready... Little Leo brought his fiddle to the market to busk with me and Harry Hare.. Watch this..VERY CUTE....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JodNgeHKb1s

Never work with animals or children

W.C Fields

Between Leo and Harry, you've been relegated to supporting staff! If that doesn't bring in the tips, you need to move as those people have hearts of stone.

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Originally posted by tpquinn

Never work with animals or children

W.C Fields

Between Leo and Harry, you've been relegated to supporting staff! If that doesn't bring in the tips, you need to move as those people have hearts of stone.

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"Ain't that the truth.''  I must admit that when Leo was playing people stuck dollars into his pockets.. His parents want to wait until he is 4 to get him lessons.. I hope they find a teacher who is pro OT and not just classical.. Fortunately, Brad Leftwich (and Me)  live in town.. I'm gonna push to see if Brad will tutor this little tyke when the time comes..I was blown away with the stage presence that this little kid has a 2 years old..What is funny is that Little Leo actually still  thinks that Harry is a REAL Rabbit.. Leo hugs and kisses Harry . Sure wish I had those activities on tape.. The fact that kids under 4  believe that Harry is real simply 'blows me away'.. I didn't see that coming when I made him.......

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Originally posted by bluesmode

8 days busking so far this year. got my first $20 bill of the season today!

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I got two separate $20 bills today (that's rare) and one a coupla days ago. so that makes 4 in 13 days.

...but whose counting  

DAMP today but I just couldn't sit at home.. so I went out to my favorite corner. In 45 minutes I crossed paths with three friends who I hadn't seen in a long time, met new friends and made enough in tips for a 6 pack of beer.. It doesn't get better than that..I realize that to some of you it may seem that to us buskers it is all about the money. Yes, the money is nice but really...it is about the people we see on the street (and the money..did I mention money?).....

Will passersby see the humour of this sign?

All I see is mixed up calligraphy fonts...

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Originally posted by buckhenry

All I see is mixed up calligraphy fonts...

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Hmm.. I can't explain that.. I see a photo of a busking sign..

I would get bumped right out of the Light Transit Stations by showing any form of solicitation, humorous or not.

Today's busking story is about a 9 year old boy. He was too bashful to approach me and Harry Hare, too bashful to pick up a little tambourine and play it, too bashful to put the dollar tip his father had given him, into the tip basket.. Finally, after much coaxing, his father took one of the tambourines and gave it to him...Then, the Magic happened. That little kid played that tambourine with a stage presence that ELVIS lacked.. I found it to be hilarious. My own son who is awkward off stage is a Savant ON STAGE and puts on a wonderful show.. This 9 year old was like that....a performer waiting for a stage...(aren't all buskers?)

Lee, a sign like that would actually sour my thoughts on tipping, almost like being shamed into doing something. I seriously think it's an ignorance thing, that people really don't quite realize what you're doing. My wife was out a couple of weeks ago and came across a busker playing an electric violin/fiddle (she didn't specify the genre), went over to him and said "oh, you're busking!", which she learned from me who learned from FHO. His response was a blank stare. Heck HE didn't even 'know' what he was doing until she explained it to him, after which she promptly tipped. She may not have done that a couple of years ago, because, like me, she was ignorant of what was actually happening. We have a lot of actual panhandlers down here, doing nothing but asking for money; we learn to ignore them, and people are probably equating it to the same thing, not knowing any different.

In one of my previous posts, I suggested a sign that's just definition-style of what a busker is. Couldn't hurt to try to enlighten the masses.

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Originally posted by tpquinn

Lee, a sign like that would actually sour my thoughts on tipping, almost like being shamed into doing something. I seriously think it's an ignorance thing, that people really don't quite realize what you're doing. My wife was out a couple of weeks ago and came across a busker playing an electric violin/fiddle (she didn't specify the genre), went over to him and said "oh, you're busking!", which she learned from me who learned from FHO. His response was a blank stare. Heck HE didn't even 'know' what he was doing until she explained it to him, after which she promptly tipped. She may not have done that a couple of years ago, because, like me, she was ignorant of what was actually happening. We have a lot of actual panhandlers down here, doing nothing but asking for money; we learn to ignore them, and people are probably equating it to the same thing, not knowing any different.

In one of my previous posts, I suggested a sign that's just definition-style of what a busker is. Couldn't hurt to try to enlighten the masses.

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I share your opinion.. I'd never actually use that sign, I just thought it would be funny...We DID however once have a sign that said "play more $1",  "Stop playing, $2.."  And, yes I've met people busking who didn't know what the word meant.. Thanks for the comments..The idea of a Busker definition sign is something I'm going to think about..

if I had a nickel for every time I've been asked to play the devil went down to Georgia, I'd have a lot of nickels.

this chicken aint pickin' up no do in that bread pan.

Harry Hare and I went busking at the Bloomington Bicentennial Street Fair. (I asked for, and received, permission to busk). The street was packed, the weather was wonderful. We had either nobody watching us or 15 people watching us. It seemed as if there was no in between.. I can't wait for the Tri Centennial...Harry should be about 150 years old then and I'll be 172. One must have goals in life.

Today, across the street by the intersection, I saw a middle aged woman was standing alone but having an animated conversation while she stood waiting for light to change..I figured that she was wearing phone ear buds like I see so often. However, once she got onto my side of the street she stopped, turned around and angrily yelled at someone behind her. There was nobody behind her. That was when I realized that she was seriously trying to work out some issue with a person and was putting them in their place. My heart goes out to people when they are in that state. I often find myself having an out loud one sided conversation while I'm driving but I REALIZE that I'm doing so. I'm wasn't too sure about this lady. Hope she finds resolution.

Another day, another  story.  Maybe I'll write a book:
CHAPTER ONE....The letter
Yesterday I wrote a letter to the editor of the local newspaper. It went like this:

Consider Buskers (Street Entertainers)
May 19th , here in Bloomington is Buskers Day. You’ll see buskers at the Farmer’s Market and around town. Please support them. A busker is typically an entertainer who has challenged himself/herself to be entertaining enough to elicit a tip from passersby. The percentage of people offering a tip for a performance is typically just 3 percent of passersby. Buskers aren’t getting rich for sure. No, you don’t OWE a busker a tip and they have no obligation to be on the street entertaining the public . In my opinion, buskers are an important part of the cultural makeup of a city. They give life to the streets and make a visit to the city FUN. Compare Bloomington’s downtown life to that of other cities in the area and you will see what I mean. The type of people you see on the sidewalks is largely dependent upon what type of people the pedestrians support.. If you want to see entertaining buskers then please support them. Again, you obviously don’t owe the busker a tip but please consider the value that they add to the cultural makeup of our lovely city..

CHAPTER TWO.. the film maker/interviewer

My son, Alex and daughter, Katie, are both buskers.  My son busks often and has a guitar playing puppet that he has named Corn Johnson the Third...  As part of the Buskers Day event a  local film maker had asked if she could film us busking and to do an interview on camera..No problem..Here is a little clip of Katie and Alex playing Yellow Rose of Texas.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnIdNy97UY8  The film maker had already made a long video of me and Harry Hare last weekend at the local Farmers Market and will make a video later of just my son busking.  He mostly plays Tex/Mex music...Katie was just going to be a spectator today until I coaxed her to get into this video..

CHAPTER THREE..The audience

Our motley crew of musicians and puppets drew a crowd of smiling spectators. It is college graduation day and many people are walking by wearing caps and gowns.  Lots of smiles all around.  A very good friend of my son and an acquaintance to me and Katie  was standing around holding a box of cheese (Not makin' this up)..for some unknown reason. His name is Ross.    Also among the audience  were five what I'll call Street guys.  I don't know if they are homeless but they virtually live on the street and have done so for a long time.  They are regular fans of Harry Hare and are always nice to me..As we were busking one of the Street guys sat on a nearby planter and displayed his "Homeless, hungry, anything helps" sign. Ross walked over and politely offered three packages of cheese to him.  Soon two of the other street guys  joined the guy with the sign.  The two without signs had obviously been drinking and were very 'happy' to say the least ....and noisy.. At one point I asked them to "HOLD THE APPLAUSE " until the show was over because it was distracting for us musicians as well as for the film maker. They quieted politely.......When the filming was over I put down my fiddle and went to give a hug to the street guys because I was truly happy to see them.. Two accepted a hug joyfully but the guy holding the sign said, "No hug"..That was that..

CHAPTER FOUR..The interview

After the filming of the actual busking the filmmaker asked my son and me to sit on a planter near to the one that the Street guys were sitting on. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.......just as she asked, "How do you feel that your busking fits into the community here on the street?", the guy who had been holding the sign tried to stand up and walk..He promptly fell to the sidewalk because his legs were so wobbly, probably from drink.  My daughter was standing right nearby and helped him to his feet and he proceeded to navigate down the sidewalk..I looked into the camera and said, 'THAT is how we fit into the community. We are part of it.".........The guy returned soon and as he passed by  us he said, "Hey, you guys were great."  Maybe the next time he is offered a hug he'll be more receptive???

CHAPTER FIVE... conclusion

I love busking.

And i love Buskers

"At the age of 15, Grappelli began busking full-time to support himself." (Wiki)

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Originally posted by pete_fiddle

And i love Buskers

"At the age of 15, Grappelli began busking full-time to support himself." (Wiki)

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Your comment inspired me to look up Stehpane Grappelli on Wikipedia..Both his personal and musical life are fascinating.!!!