Today was colder, with a 15MPH wind.sometimes it is a choice between a wind pitch with plenty of people, or a shady street with less people. For the first time this season, I found myself warming my hands between tunes. I have ways of coping when the weather turns colder. I always sit in a folding chair to play, in view of my age. When it is really cold, I wrap my legs in a blanket or rug. I wear a body warmer, and on really cold days, I place a hot water bottle inside my body warmer! I only have one hour to busk each day due to commitments. I was quite pleased with what I made in that hour today, plus I met some great people to chat to. Some days I feel I should quit fiddle playing, and just do counselling on the street! Here is a question for Tuneweaver. Do you find that the thread that "works" Harry interferes with your bowing at all, and if not, did you have to practice to achieve this ?

Ken, Neptune... Hot water bottle?/ Man, you are Tough..!!!
I just returned for driving  500 miles each way to Iowa to spend the weekend with Hangout member "Chickenman".. Billy.. . He arranged some Great jams and we go to buskin Ames, Iowa. There were not a lot of people on the streets but we still did well financially and we had a lot o f fun.

Hi Lee, I hope you enjoyed your road trip. Sometimes us Brits forget what a huge place the USA is, often with long distances between towns. The UK is more crowded, of course. I no longer drive due to eyesight issues, but spent much of my working life driving lorries {trucks] all over Europe. I still miss that sometimes. We seem to be getting a lot of rain showers lately, I have been "rained off" three times in the last three days. Today I only managed three tunes before it rained. Maybe the Almighty is trying to tell me something! A problem I have in common with all buskers is that strings take a hammering. In the past I always used Dominant strings, but the price has been creeping up. So I decided to try Pirastro Tonica strings. These are a similar synthetic cored string at about half the price. I have been so pleased with them that I have bought a second set ready for next time. I actually prefer the sound of these over Dominants. Hoping for a fine day tomorrow. I should not complain, as statistically, Lincolnshire is the driest county in England. As they say, tomorrow is another day.

I prefer the Tonicas to the Dominants in both price and tone as well. They're pretty loud too. Which means EVERYONE hears you. Whether they like it or not ;)

quote:

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Originally posted by Slide

I prefer the Tonicas to the Dominants in both price and tone as well. They're pretty loud too. Which means EVERYONE hears you. Whether they like it or not ;)

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In my case... "usually NOT."

Yesterday, we were busking and this guy came up to me and Harry Hare and Leroy the Wonder dog....He had a dog on a short leash. His dog was sure that little Leroy (4 inches tall) was a threat and his dog barked and barked.. Eventually, and I can't believe this happened, the guy gave his dog enough loose leash to be able to BITE Leroy and tried to carry him away.... I told the man to get his dog under control and get away...You would think that he'd at least have left at tip!!!..

It is amazing how little respect some people have for other people and their property. I think you did the best you could under the circumstances. I can`t recall having hassle on quite that level, but having said that, people sometimes do things that annoy me, Like standing almost opposite me with a noisy dog, or holding a very loud conversation with someone they just met on the street, and standing very close to me. I know that we do not own the street, but a little consideration would be nice. We talked about Tonica strings recently, and it must have tempted fate. An hour later, my "A" string failed, as in a broken winding. Still I got three months out of that set, and already had a similar spare set on stock, so I changed them all. These strings are indeed quite loud, a useful asset when busking. Talking of loud, what are your views on the use of amplification on the street? Personally, I am against it. If someone wants to hear you, they will stop and listen. You cannot force them. I know that if you play electric guitar, you need amplification, but it should be no louder than an acoustic instrument. I would like to hear other opinions on this.

NO AMPS. If I want to hear an electric instrument, I’ll put in my ear plugs and go to a show.

I think an amp would take a lot of the magic out of it. It would make it like a street show instead of just a man and his fiddle.

The only time that I would welcome an amp is if a busker was playing a lap dulcimer...Years ago we had a Texas state dulcimer champion attend our weekly jam and we allowed him to use a SMALL amp just soze we kud hear him.. He was fun to have around. Other than that, I'd agree that buskers should not use amps...especially for OT music on the streets...
BTW, this was THE weekend for busking ( the leaf colors are stunning).. When my friend Larry, and I arrived in Nashville, Indiana, there were already three other buskers in the area.. We picked spots that weren't taken and proceeded to busk. Surprisingly, we both did well. Larry plays a concertina and it is surprising how many people have never seen one.. That is his 'niche'...Mine is Harry Hare.. We both did well and had a great day. After next week it will be too cold to busk most days...

Today's busking story is a non-story.. We busked for 2 and 1/2 hours and were just about ready to go home when the tall guy came up from behind and dropped a one dollar bill into the tip basket.. I looked up.. It was a fellow busker, Roger. He took me to a local brewery, bought me a beer and I went home. Perfect ending to a perfect day....

It has been a pretty good day all round today. Since I retired several years ago, I always start my day with a bicycle ride of about 10 miles for exercise. It was a crisp autumn day, and my old mate Nigel joined me for the ride today, as he usually does, one day a week. It was a lovely crisp autumn day, with winter sunshine. After I returned home, It was sandwiches, a cup of tea, and time to go uptown for some busking. The wind was cold, but I did well money wise, including one tip of £10, about$10. This does not happen often, and it really cheered me up. Another thing that cheers me up, is to see little kids dancing as their mothers drag them down the street by the hand. Kids have few inhibitions, and will happily dance in the street. I have also managed to train my dog to wear a coat now. She wasn`t keen at first, but now happily realises that it is for her own benefit. I usually busk pretty well throughout the winter except on rainy days. I am gradually getting into my winter mindset.

This is another busking-related non busking story.. My wife and I were shopping in a local downtown store and I asked the manager how business was doing.. He said Great, they had a record month.. My snarky sense of humour made me replay that "That guy with be rabbit busking on the corner probably brought a lot of business to town."..His comeback was great. "Yeah, when you are NOT here, people walk around looking for you guys and they wind up shopping instead of tipping... So...Stay home, (wink)"...   Ya can't make dis stuff up.

Saturday was a notable day, with good news and bad news. The good news? I made £40 [about $45] including a single tip of £10. The bad news? I WAS ROBBED. Whilst I was playing, some little **** stole my electronic cigarette. This is something I rely on since I quit smoking, nearly six years ago. I usually park it in the end of my fiddle case, so I can have a puff between tunes. It is worth about £20, but the loss felt worse than that, and I also lost some of my sense of security. The kid was no older than ten. I have poor eyesight, and I want to enjoy playing, not watching my money All the time. It also makes me wonder if my money is also being stolen. I also had an incident last week where some drunk guy tried to steel my dog! luckily I was just packing up at the time, and managed to get away unscathed. Two passers by , Asian looking gents, asked if I was OK and threatened to punch the guy, but I told them I was fine, and the incident passed. I am determined not to let these kind of things stop me doing what I love. Perhaps I should keep taking money out of my case, so that I can`t loose much. I will have a think about it.

I'm saddened to hear your story.. Yes, take money out regularly..Not only does taking money out regularly keep it from being stolen, I've always thought that if passersby see that you are 'getting rich', they are less likely to tip. I could be wrong about that.
Fortunately, I've never been robbed...

Monday was too rainy to busk at all, although I did my daily bike ride wearing waterproofs. Today was more or less the same, but colder. Still got out cycling. I managed about 45 minutes busking between showers, and although it was very cold, I enjoyed getting out on the street, and made a few shillings as we say. The main thing is that I got my confidence back. It must have been cold because I met another local busker, Dean , who will play in virtually any weather, and he wasn`t playing today. The forecast is for milder dryer weather later in the week. Bring it on...

This may have been the last day to busk in our area for quite a while.. I chatted extensively with my busking friend Larry, who plays a concertina.....We've decided that busking is unlike any other way of playing an instrument....Busking is unlike playing for a dance, busking is unlike practise at home, busking is unlike solo performing, busking is unlike being in a band, and busking is ...well.. Unlike anything...
The thing that we (me and Larry) get from busking is an opportunity to perform in public without the pressures of 'performing', we get to stop playing and chat with people, we don't have to follow anyone else's lead, and most of all, we get an opportunity to play a tune until we OWN it..Sure, maybe some of you do those things in other areas but I think that any regular busker will agree that somehow, the experience is Different in a good way. Comments?

Lee, I feel sorry that your busking appears to be "seasonal". I would find it very hard to get through the winter without busking. I have no doubt that our winters are milder than yours. Today felt very cold, but it was about 7 degrees C, about 44 degrees F. I am now wearing most of my winter gear except the hot water bottle. The fingerless gloves come out most days. In spite of the cold, there seemed to be a nice vibe on the street today. I made good money, and met some friends old and new. I met an old guy from Sheffield, who was a fiddler for a Morris Dance crew. I persuaded him to play a couple of tunes. I could tell my fiddle did not suit him, but nevertheless I could tell he was a great fiddler, and enjoyed his playing. I also met a young woman from London, who made a video of me playing and said that she had always wanted to play fiddle. I hope inspired her to give it a go. Regarding your theory that busking is a thing on its own, I quite agree. I sometimes play at Folk Music Clubs, but you are lucky if you get to play 3 tunes in an evening. When you are busking, it is always your turn! I also play the odd gig with a folk band, but on the whole, busking is my favourite thing. You start and finish when you want, and can always stop to chat, which is great. When the vibe is there and I get in the groove, the cold does not exist. We buskers are special, representing0.00001 % of the population.

"" When you are busking, it is always your turn." Now, THAT, pretty much sums it up, doesn't it... Neptune, you just made my day...

Winter is definitely with us now. Today was forecast as wet and very windy. I managed only 8 miles on my bicycle as opposed to my usual ten. I didnt get rained on, and although the wind was about 25 MPH, there were gusts of up to 48 MPH. It felt quite mild, about 10 degrees. I was undecided on busking, but decided to give it a try. Wind was southerly, so picked a street that runs East to West. It was well shaded down there. Punters were very thin on the ground, and I only managed half an hour before the rain came. I enjoyed it, but didn`t make much. I got my fiddle a bit damp, but I dried it with a towel and allowed it to slowly warm up at home. To me . Winter is about making the most of each day. We talked recently about being robbed. I have a friend, a black guy who busks occasionally. He plays a keyboard and sings. He tells me he once had all his money and his hat stolen in Nottingham city, and now is quite nervous about it. Instead of his hat for tips, he now uses a steel cash box with a slot in the top, and he keeps it locked and chained to his leg! A bit over the top, but it works for him. Question; What will happen to busking when the cashless society arrives?

Yesterday, the weather was beautiful, but I couldn't get out busking because of a jam session commitment.. so I took a pass. However, my two busking friends, Larry and Roger mosied over to Nashville, Indiana to busk because it is a tourist town. This being the buying season, would mean that the place would be packed.. I was SO jealous. I knew that they would "clean up". In the evening I gave Larry a call to see how well he had done....He said that the streets were deserted!!! Roger, who usually brings in 'tons' in tips only made $3 after two hours of busking. Larry did better... $9 for three hours of effort.
It is true.....the public is unpredictable.......Busking is like a crap shoot..!! Now I'm glad I didn't go out because I would have had my ego completely deflated... Good thing I have a sense of humour.... At least Larry and Roger got to spend some guy time having a beer and a few laughs..

Hi Lee. Not quite sure what you mean by the buying season. Buying what exactly? Rain seems to be a problem locally of late. I had to make a trip by bicycle this morning to see my sister [by bicycle] I stayed mainly dry, but all my gear got very wet. It fined up around noon, and I decided to busk. I managed four tunes before the rain started. I can`t complain, £2.50 is not bad for four tunes. I have been trying a new practice technique, using home made backing tracks. I use an online drum machine called Drumbit [google it] and play guitar chords over it. I then tape the result on a tape cassette player. A bit old school, I know, but results are OK. I may even use the idea on the street for some tunes. I have no plans to amplify the fiddle, but a discreet backing track might work. Tomorrow I have the chance of a lift to the town of Spalding, and plan to busk there for an hour or so. Forecast temperature is 42 degrees F, so plenty of clothes. Wish me luck.

Neptune GOOD LUCK playing in 42 Deg F.... My lower limit it 50.......with gloves on..
Buying season refers to the Christmas buying season...The stores are full of merchandise but frankly, most of it ....nobody NEEDS... I suppose one could judge the strength of an economy by the amount of discretionary spending money that people have..I'm no economist for sure..

Well, the trip to Spalding was not a brilliant success, but a little adventure in its own way. I made little money, but had a nice kind guy say that I had brought a litle sunshine to Spalding. I was surprised to see evidence of homeless people in Spalding. We get it in Boston, but that is a first in Spalding so I expect the problem is becoming more widespread. I gave a pound to a guy begging in the street. A feature I like about Spalding, is that there are public toilets close to my pitch, which are clean, free to use, and actually heated. There is a sort of side room with wash basins, and a homeless guy was asleep on the floor. At least he had a warm place to sleep. I am getting used to playing in gloves now. I have played in temperatures as low as 5 degrees [40 defrees F.] To be honest, I am already fed up of playing Christmas carols. I played at a sort of carol service held at a local village church, sitting in with an amplified band. It was different, and I enjoyed it as a one off. I have to say I prefer playing acoustic, either alone or in a two or three piece group. That is all for now, so Happy Christmas to all and a happy new year.

I just found out that Hangout member "CYNDY" has been playing with her puppet and I've encouraged her to share a video of the event here on the Hangout.. Keep a watchful eye..