10 Perks of Busking: Why It Pays To Take On the Challenge
It is only partly true that buskers will do anything to please to tourists (and their wallets) by playing hit songs from the radio and that big city centers are ruled by the local mafia. There are still plenty of places you can play without being harassed by the local authorities, there are even festivals specialized in busking and street music. And there are plenty of compelling reasons to hit the pavement—at least ten of them.
1. Audiences attending regular festivals, concerts, or clubs are pre-sorted
On the street you can immediately see who, from a fairly representative sample of the population, will take a liking to you and throw something in the hat.
2. Playing on the street is both a lottery bet and a booster shot for stage fright
It will either traumatize you for the rest of your life or force you to finally step out from under your own shadow. At worst, you'll find that you're not as worthless as you thought you were when you assumed no-one cared.
3. Feel free to call busking by its true name—pure populism—but it's still a great challenge...
... to learn how to attract attention in just a few seconds.
4. The law of the street is ruthless
Social media or other marketing ploys don't apply. It's all about you, your personal charm, and what's in your head, hands, feet, and throat.
5. Any feedback you get is immediate and straightforward
This will teach you not to dwell on failures.
6. Your original material will undergo a trial by fire
Will it hold up alongside the notorious hits? And doesn't it resemble any of them(too much)?
7. You will approach God—just not as Father, Son and Holy Spirit...
... but as Booker, Sound Engineer, and Headliner all rolled into one.
8. The street tests your character
It breaks the weak, it strengthens the strong. Can you handle the fact that the guy standing next to you, who just keeps playing Wonderwall over and over again, gets more cash than you? Won't that turn you into a sellout, too?
9. On the street, you develop a natural immunity to the whims of the weather
Édith Piaf or Bob Dylan, who started out on the streets, could tell you a story or two.
10. After a dizzying career, you can still end up on the streets (though not necessarily homeless)
The likes of Ed Sheeran or Seal keep coming back here—and even though that still happens within the context of a cleverly constructed media image, it does testify how much raw and untamed power slumbers in the pavement.
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