Those would have to be some damn good sandwiches to outweigh the annoyance. If I were in your spot, that is.

You'd certainly need to develop an escape strategy if you know he'll be a regular in the area.

And, as the sandwiches were free, did you still tip the waitress?

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Originally posted by tpquinn

You'd certainly need to develop an escape strategy if you know he'll be a regular in the area.

And, as the sandwiches were free, did you still tip the waitress?

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Here is what happened.. The GUY insisted on tipping the waitress a dollar..She took it and gave it to me, saying that she'd seen me busking a lot and never got around to tipping..!!  Can't get better than that!!.

Karma giving you a wink?

Encountering people like him is part of what I like about Busking...Never a dull moment...For instance today at the farmers market I met an old friend and his wife, who I hadn't seen in about 30 years.....Little 3 years old LEO played (tried) his fiddle with me for about ten minutes..The crowd loved it..I offered to give $5 for his participation but his parents adamantly refused to take it. I joked that someday when Leo is old enough to understand money, he'll be fit to be tied when he recalls all the busking he did with me and didn't get the tips...
Another thing that occured today was that a young girl of about 11 came up and showed me a video of me letting her play my fiddle LAST YEAR...Yesterday a lady took a video and said that her grandson saw Harry and me busking LAST YEAR and still talks about it...These events warm my heart. Sure I love the tips, but money can't buy that loving feeling!!! Tonight I'm going to be busking at a local Music Festival and expect to hook up with a visiting Cello/viola player..That ought to be fun.

Try this: I have been asked to busk for a while to support a local Salvation Army Unit. The nice young Salvation Army Officer (SAO), named Neil was trying to arrange the little event.
SAO: Hi, My name is Neil, what is yours?
ME: My name is Lee.
SAO: What is your last name, Lee?
ME: My last name is Polish and hard to say, so call me just LEE.
SAO:..Hey that is a lot like my own middle name.. JUST LEE.
Me.. Your middle name is Lee?
SAO: No. My middle name is JUD-LEE, a lot like JUST LEE.
Me:.. Nobody has a middle name of JUD-LEE...
At this point the Officer pulled out his driver's license and showed me.. His middle name is, indeed, JUDLEE...whoda' guessed?

Some of you may be tiring of "Lee's Busking Diary", but other are encouraging me..and I must admit that I look forward to relating to you the fun (and NOT fun) things that I see on the street..
Today I went out for my second busking event..After a while a guy who was juggling three soft balls came up and introduced himself.. Apparently he juggles often but this was his first time doing it out on the street and not just in his home.. I encouraged him to busk, juggling, more..He joined me juggled while I played my fiddle with Harry Hare and we did seem to bring about a little more excitement to the street corner..I suggested that he work up a little act and include kids in his juggling. The guy has a great presence about him and I think he will be a great addition to the streets of Bloomington..

If people are tired of it they can just not read. I've enjoyed reading about your adventures.

I certainly enjoy them, Lee. And they'll probably help me one day to screw up my courage and try it myself.

quote:

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Originally posted by tpquinn

I certainly enjoy them, Lee. And they'll probably help me one day to screw up my courage and try it myself.

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Personally, I find busking to be less  intimidating than getting into some of the Hangout Discussions!!!

I too enjoy them, and appreciate you taking the time to put them on.

Al

Lol. I post with trepidation, so maybe busking wouldn't be too bad by comparison.

quote:

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Originally posted by tpquinn

Lol. I post with trepidation, so maybe busking wouldn't be too bad by comparison.

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Think of it like this:  You can spend hours, days, weeks, months and years  being afraid while trying to get up the nerve to busk..but in just 5 minutes of busking you'll see that you have just spent hours, days, weeks, months and years being afraid of something WONDERFUL. Now, get out there and report back..  We can hardly wait!!

99.9999% of the people passing you on the street can't begin to do what you do (no matter what level of competence you have).....

PS... Your profile says that you were born at an early age and were so surprised that you couldn't speak for a year... Now,  you can be surprised to find that you have a musical 'voice'..Use it..

Although technically not busking, I played for about 4 hours this afternoon at an orchard. Me and a guitar player sitting in a bay window playing tunes while patrons come in out of the chill to unwind with a cider and a snack. Basically busking, though we didn't ask for tips (the orchard feeds us and pay us a little, but I tell them I'd do it for a bag of apples). It felt exactly like sitting in my living room except for the occasional applause, which felt weird due to the casual living room feel. Busking is as simple as... playing a tune in your living room or back yard.

Do it.
Do it.
No, seriously, do it.

Doooo it.

quote:

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Originally posted by ChickenMan

Although technically not busking, I played for about 4 hours this afternoon at an orchard. Me and a guitar player sitting in a bay window playing tunes while patrons come in out of the chill to unwind with a cider and a snack. Basically busking, though we didn't ask for tips (the orchard feeds us and pay us a little, but I tell them I'd do it for a bag of apples). It felt exactly like sitting in my living room except for the occasional applause, which felt weird due to the casual living room feel. Busking is as simple as... playing a tune in your living room or back yard.

Do it.
Do it.
No, seriously, do it.

Doooo it.

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Yeah, What he said!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, Billy.. are we going to busk when I visit???? Hmm?

Might be cold, but we could give it a go in Ames; there is a Cyclone football game that weekend.

Greetings from Boston. No not Boston USA but Boston UK, the original. I really enjoy reading your busking stories. I am 73 years old, and took up the fiddle 3 years ago. I used to busk back in the 1980s, on guitar and vocals. I now busk as a fiddle player. As I am now blind in one eye, I no longer drive. My busking vehicle is an ancient pedal tricycle, with a cage on the back for my dog Poppy, a small west Highland terrier. On the street, the tunes I play cover a wide range, English Traditional, some Irish, and some American tunes for good measure. I often play "The Star Spangled Banner," and it seems popular. Yes, I know it is the American National Anthem, but after all, the tune started life as as an English Drinking song, so I feel I have the right to play it! I have many busking stories to tell, and I will in due course.

Welcome to the Hangout, Ken.. and I look forward to hearing your busking stories..and that is interesting about the Star Spangled Banner history.. Got a link of the drinking version??

   WAIT>> I FOUNT THIS:     The melody that would be borrowed for the Star Spangled Banner was extremely popular and well known at the time the future U.S. national anthem was penned.  It is known to have been used for at least 84 popular songs in the United States alone, including Adams and Liberty – The Boston Patriotic Song and the subsequent tune Jefferson and Liberty, written after Jefferson was elected President.

The original song that used the melody was To Anacreon in Heaven, written sometime between 1760 and the late 1770s, expounding on the virtues of wine.  The song itself was first publicly published in The Vocal Magazine in 1778 in London.  The music was composed by John Stafford Smith and the lyrics are thought to have been written by Ralph Tomlinson, president of the Anacreon Society, which was a popular gentleman’s club in London whose membership were dedicated to “wit, harmony, and the god of wine”.  The society chose the famed Greek poet Anacreon as their “patron saint” as he was particularly known for composing odes to merrymaking, women, and wine- among the Anacreon Society’s favorite things.

Tuneweaver, thanks for posting your research on Star Spangled Banner. When I first played this tune, about a year after starting fiddle, I found it to be very challenging to get the intonation right. As a result, I played it every day, until I hopefully got it right. One thing I will say, is that no matter who it belongs to, it really is a majestic and evocative tune. I busk almost every day weather permitting. Today and yesterday have been brilliant, weather wise, blue skies, and sunshine. Yesterday I was playing an Irish hornpipe called "The boys of Blue Hill. " After I had finished, a rather upper class gent in a suit and tie stopped to talk to me. He insisted that the tune I had just played was some classical piece from an opera, I forget what he called it. He dropped me a couple of pounds [ about $]. I thought for that price, it can be called anything you like! I like hornpipes and I often follow this tune with another called The Harvest Home hornpipe. The fiddle I play is a chinese one costing about$250. and finished to look antique. I am very fond of it, but keep thinking about uprating to something costing maybe $1,000. Thye thing that makes me reluctant is that in Busking, your fiddle risks getting damp, broken, or even stolen. Any thoughts on this?

Ken, personally, I never busk with my best fiddle...You may have read my comment about traveling by air. When I go to the UK (lovely wife was raised near London) I busk but take a cheap Ebay fiddle..That way I don't fear water, theft, luggage handlers or even my own two clumsy feet. I have been known to actually FORGET to bring my fiddle home from busking..

I was going to say the same as Lee - use a “beater” fiddle when playing in the street. Fortunately for me, I have 3 beaters - meaning $200 or less invested (not including strings and general maintenance).

Lee, it has turned chilly here, nights in the 30s, days in mid 50s. I’ll scout out campus and downtown this weekend (West Virginia! at Iowa State) to see what the vibe might be for buskers, maybe try and fiddle some if it’s not raining.

Also, I have been playing “Indian Corn” a lot, such a great tune! 

I can busk anytime it is over 50 degrees...F........but we don't have to.. lets play it by ear..!!!

Over the years, I have tried to analyse busking. The busiest days in town here are Wednesdays and Saturdays, both market days. Logic suggests that more people equals more money. But in practice, that isn`t so. One would think that an "advanced" tune that is intricate and needs months to perfect, would be the best money spinner. Not necessarily so. Some days I can make money on a virtually deserted street. A simple tune, like The Tenessee Waltz almost always makes money. The only rule about busking seems to be that there aint no rules. I take my dog with me most days. A cute , well behaved dog encourages people to stop and admire the dog, and they often tip me. Some days I feel that the dog earns more than I do. Perhaps it is the randomness of busking that I find appealing.

quote:

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Originally posted by neptune

Over the years, I have tried to analyse busking. The busiest days in town here are Wednesdays and Saturdays, both market days. Logic suggests that more people equals more money. But in practice, that isn`t so. One would think that an "advanced" tune that is intricate and needs months to perfect, would be the best money spinner. Not necessarily so. Some days I can make money on a virtually deserted street. A simple tune, like The Tenessee Waltz almost always makes money. The only rule about busking seems to be that there aint no rules. I take my dog with me most days. A cute , well behaved dog encourages people to stop and admire the dog, and they often tip me. Some days I feel that the dog earns more than I do. Perhaps it is the randomness of busking that I find appealing.

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My good friend Larry, compares busking to fishing.. No matter how you study it, in the end it surprises you. One needs to be in the right place at the right time but the right place and right time seem to be in flux......One of my busker friends is not a very skilled musician, but on any given day, she makes as much money as I do...(hey, maybe I'm not skilled either)...