Great story, Lee. And maybe you'll get some good (and profitable) press out of it. You should consider yourself a busking renaissance man.

My home town supports busking, can't wait till I got enough time.

http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/arts-and-culture/film-music-busking/street-entertainment-busking/Pages/street-entertainment-busking.aspx

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Originally posted by buckhenry

My home town supports busking, can't wait till I got enough time.

 

 

 

 

http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/arts-and-culture/film-music-busking/street-entertainment-busking/Pages/street-entertainment-busking.aspx

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Interesting article, Henry.., however I had to go to a dictionary before I could understand the word SPRUIKING..!!

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Originally posted by quietglow

I've always associated busking with the actual process of leaving the case open for money, not just playing. If that counts, then I actually have a funny busking story! I like to play outside during the summer whenever I can, backyard, parks, whatever. I have a corner of a park near my work that I visit at lunch time to get in a little playing sometimes. It's the least trafficked area of the park so I am usually alone. This day, I was working on jig bowing, and I looked up to see the homeless guy who lives in the park dancing about 50 ft away. I figured I'd better stop screwing around with practicing bowing and just play a couple tunes. He danced for about 2.5 of them, then walked off. First time I ever played for dancers (okay dancer). I see the guy every few days when walking into work and he always smiles and waves.

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You may have changed his life.. I'd suggest that you find out his name.. Name recognition of homeless people is very important in that it gives them a sense of 'belonging' that the often do not have.   'Good On You!!"

I had to laugh. Today I did a David Blaine impersonation for an 8 year old girl. She didn't know who David Blaine was but her father did. (He is a Street Magician ..not mUsician), I told the two of them that I would impersonate his ability to 'levitate'. I had them watch my feet and I slowly rose up into the air. The girl was amazed and her father laughed. She hadn't caught onto the fact that I was sitting on a stool and just lifted my legs.. Then, I challenged her to levitate like me.   First, I asked her to try to slowly life her Left foot  and put it back down. She could do that. Then, I asked her to lift her Right foot and put it back down. She could do that also. THEN, I asked her to lift BOTH feet ... It was hilarious watching her try to duplicate that movement.. I don't think she ever caught on. Yep. Busking is the best. Unfortunately, they didn't leave a tip, but her reaction to my impersonation was really priceless. I'm going to be sure to do that again in the future.  !!!

Yesterday, I was really feeling popular.. It seemed that a large number of people just wanted my photograph..I smiled, posed, and played my fiddle like I was a STAR.. Eventually, little by little, I began to notice that people were pointing their cameras/phones just off to the side of me. Eventually, I became suspicious. I turned.. I looked behind me..Loe and behold, they were not taking award winning photographs of ME, but rather of the amazing, blooming, Wisteria bush just behind me... I'm so humbled..by nature....as it should be.

That's like one time when this gorgeous young woman was talking to me - she seemed to want to keep the conversation going and going - till I got feeling a little flattered, and thinking that there might be a little life in the old dog yet. But then I started noticing that she was stealing little glances past my shoulder - I managed to nonchalantly take a look around - and sure enough, there was some studly young hunk of a guy lounging around about five feet behind me .... Life is cruel, I'm tellin' ya!

And another time: doing a gig with my sons, and a young guy was standing in front of the stage, mouth agape, staring, utterly transfixed. I got thinking, "Finally - a generation has come along that appreciates the good ol' stuff!" When I came off the stage at the end of our set, I looked back - and saw the guy still standing there staring - and the big screen TV at the back of the stage showing the hockey game ... !

I guess the take-home story here is, when busking, never turn around. Then you'll keep the dream alive.

It seems as if there is never a dull moment. I arrived at a good intersection to busk. Across the street was a busker friend, Andy, playing his heart out on his guitar. We waved to each other. Just as I got set up, a guy with a "homeless Vet, God Bless" sign started approaching passersby in front of me and asking them for money.. clearly against City code.. A sign is allowed but approaching people and verbally asking for money of not allowed.. Then he proceeded to go down the block and approach people sitting in the outdoor seating area of a restaurant. That is when I called the police on the non-emergency line.
An officer soon arrived and was able to witnessed the guy's actions and told him to leave the area. The guy proceeded to cross the street and Immediately approached people in an outdoor seating area of a restaurant over there.. The policeman again had to tell him to LEAVE... Finally, the guy walked down the street. The policeman and I chatted a while. That guy has been around for years, literally, and is one of their biggest side thorns because of his aggressive panhandling .
After about 15 minutes I decided that it might be better for me if I were to go to a different location. My spot of choice was in front of a drug store about a block away. As I neared the spot, guess who was there holding out his sign..yep.. THAT guy..and yes he was asking people for money verbally.....Time to go home.

My previous post reminds me that some of you may not know that generally, cities have rules for buskers..Different cities have different rules and Some cities require a license to busk in all/some parts of their city. Where I live, I can only busk more than 20 feet from a bank entrance or from an ATM. I must Not approach people or touch people or call out to people.. That changes if they approach ME or talk to me... Then we are having a discussion... I must be one block from a private event unless I have permission to be near that event. I can't block the sidewalk. I can't busk in restaurant seating areas or approach people waiting in their cars at intersections.
I will leave a spot if asked, but it has been established by the Supreme Court that busking is a free speech event and I don't Have to leave unless I'm violating a city code.

Today, some guy said that he played a banjo in a Bluegrass band..and suggested that I play any tune that he thought might be a 'crossover' tune..I played Whiskey Before Breakfast and he proceeded to SING about four verses.. That was fun. When I got home I looked on Google for the lyrics... I May learn a verse or two to sing at jams...

Excuse me for dominating this topic, but HEY, that's ME..!! This evening my lovely wife sent me to the market to buy some Organic Tofu... Outside the grocery store were 4 young men, all about 20 years old or so.. and one was playing a guitar. I threw down some change and told them about the Buskers day next Saturday and I encourage them to not wait until then to get out on the street .. I apologized for my enthusiasm and blamed it on having just finished a beer.. These were such NICE young men that I came away with a good feeling for our country's future.. I hope to see them all on the street soon.. I told them about my letter to the editor...

Typical guy......wife sends you to the store for something simple, and you come home with stories instead!

My tip basket is about 12 inches high and 6 inches wide and is made of mesh wire. From time to time as bill collect, I'll use the tip of my bow to push the money down so it won't blow out (which has happened)... So today, the little two year old boy who has been bringing his fiddle to the market weekly, was playing along nicely.. At some point, he stopped, put his bow tip into the tip basket and proceeded to push the bills down...(Monkey see, monkey do).. It was hilarious mostly because it was so unexpected..

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Originally posted by amwildman

Typical guy......wife sends you to the store for something simple, and you come home with stories instead!

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Did I mention that I while I was so busy promoting Busking that I forgot to buy the Tofu?? I realized my mistake when I got home...(not true, but it Does make for a better story). 

"it Does make for a better story"

It does indeed.

Also today, an 8 year old boy was holding a folded dollar bill. He looked into my tip basket which was 1/2 full of other dollar bills.. He asked, " Why do people put dollars into this basket.". I said, "If they like what I do, they leave me a tip. If they don't like what I do, the don't leave a tip. YOU don't need to put your dollar in there unless you like my act. You don't owe me a tip." A few minutes later my friend Roger, who was playing his banjo along with me and Harry Hare, overheard that boy say to his father, "They aren't very Funny!".. In the end, the father gave the boy Another dollar to put into the tip basket but the kid KEPT his own dollar for more exciting times... sigh!...

I was wondering if the boy thought.....''and if I don't like your act can I take a dollar''..Great stories....

     Moderators, be ready.. You MAY want to not let me post this.....

      I AIN'T MAKIN'  DIS UP.    You may recall that my fiddle playing rabbit, Harry Hare, has a companion named Leroy, the Skunk.  So.  Yesterday a lady left a tip and I said that since she left a tip she could pet Leroy the Skunk.. She said, "No thanks, I just pet a skunk already this morning."  as she glanced  at her rather embarrassed husband standing close by.. Several awkward chuckles came from the crowd of about ten people..Personally, I was left speechless... Fast forward to today.  This time I told a MAN that since he had left a tip, that he could pet the skunk...  He said, "Hm.. Pet the Skunk.. That isn't CODE for something, is it?"..  .

     Conclusion.. the term Pet The Skunk obviously has different meanings to different people.  From now on I'm only going us let KIDS pet the skunk.. Adult's minds obviously work differently  that those of kids.. 

If I DID make this stuff up and had  put it in a book, people would think that it was all fiction and couldn't possibly  be TRUE..

What I meant to says was, If I had told these stories in a book and said that they were TRUE, nobody would believe me..

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Originally posted by TuneWeaver

From now on I'm only going us let KIDS pet the skunk..

 

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Careful now....

 Thread followers might enjoy this video.. It is about Busker's day in BLoomington. It features me, my son and a dancing busker, Tamara.. Enjoy.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkmQ-oU4HiQ

You pay taxes...? Is busking a taxable income, not downunder.

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Originally posted by buckhenry

I was wondering if the boy thought.....''and if I don't like your act can I take a dollar''.. Great stories....

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My ukulele group has had more than a few little kids try that. Their parents, thankfully, stopped the pilfering.