The adventure begins...

Busk - intr.v. busked, busk·ing, busks
To play music or perform entertainment in a public place, usually while soliciting money.

This is busking. And to clear up what some of you may be thinking, busking is not begging! The idea of busking was an unfamiliar thing to me until about two weeks ago. Sure I have seen street performers, but as a musician myself (a fiddler), I had never tried my hand at busking. So, what led me into the world of busking, you ask. Due to the economy and budget cuts, I have found out I will not be working a full forty hours a week at my current job, which therefore led me to the conclusion that I need to start supplementing my income in other ways. This is where the creativity began. I started to wrap my idea around the idea of playing fiddle on the streets. I was a bit nervous and unsure of the idea at first, but after talking to a few friends that have tried it, I assured myself I could do it. So the adventure began.

My first trip out was to a yearly festival in a town close by, and I stayed for two hours. By the time I had finished, I felt that I had been opened up to a new world! I was amazed at how interactive with the crowds I felt. I felt as if I was holding the power of people's enjoyment in my hands. As my fingers danced across the strings of my fiddle, children danced in time to a jig or reel, their parents laughing and smiling. Elderly couples smiled loving as I played a slow waltz, and I am sure their minds were traveling back in time. Other musicians would stop to talk to me. In general, I am not an outgoing person and I hate being the center of attention, but this was different. I simply felt like I was giving something back to the community, and that I was able to connect more with people. Needless to say, I made enough money that two hours to make me want to try busking again. But even more than the money, the experience itself was worth every minute. The smiles on the faces of children were all the encouragement I needed to continue on in this new adventure. As I walked the mile or so back to my car, my mind and my heart were full, and I thanked God for the gift He has given us of music. Needless to say, my first busking experience was great.

The next day, I went to the same festival, and stayed for about four hours. Again, the dancing children, compliments from other musicians, and the excited buzz in the air was all I needed to have another great day. This time, I found out firsthand about the odd happenings that can make good stories for buskers. First, about an hour into my day, a young man (with half his teeth missing) came up and sat on the bench next to me for about fifteen minutes. He talked to me in between songs and finally worked up the courage to ask me out. Needless to say, I ended that idea quickly. Guys I do not know quickly find out that they will NOT be getting my phone number...it has happened about three times now since I have started busking. But as annoying as it might be, it does add to the strange happenings and stories of a busker. Later on in the day, the temperature dropped, and a few lone raindrops landed on the smooth wood of my fiddle. I quickly packed up and headed into a nearby building, which was also filled with booths and festival attenders. Just as I stepped in the door, it began to pour, and more and more people ran inside the building. I decided that while people were waiting the storm out, I would entertain them with some music, so I picked a corner, took out my fiddle, and began to play. It didn't take long for a few families with small children to come over and listen. The children began smiling and a few started clapping and dancing, forgetting about how wet and cold they were. When the storm was over, a lady running a nearby booth came over and told me that I reminded her of the musicians playing on the deck of the Titanic, going down with the storm. This, I took as a very nice compliment. When the last bit of rain had stopped and all was calm, I stepped outside and walked to my car, ending a second good experience of busking.

My third experience was not so succesful. I tried to play at a very large festival in the puget sound area. I was planning for a very long day, as I had nothing else going on. I picked a pretty crowded spot, right in the middle of the outdoor "food court." I have noticed that after people buy food, many of them will give you the change, so it is a good spot to look for. Well, after about ten minutes of playing, a lady with festival security came over and told me I was not allowed to busk there, due to the fact that all the other vendors had paid to be there. I told her I understood and was willing to leave. But, I was disappointed. The tips had been great in the few minutes I was there and I had already had a number of interesting compliments and conversations with people. I think it would have been a very exciting and interesting day! Luckily, before they stopped me, I made enough money to get a bus fare and some lunch, which was good, because I had used up all my money taking the bus to get there. I bought some lunch and walked around for a bit, browsing some craft booths and watching all the people. All in all, it turned out to be a fun experience, just without the busking.

My most recent two experiences have been at a farmers market on Thursday mornings. These were both great, although I ended up making more tips the first week compared to yesterday. I think this is due to the holiday this weekend and the fact that there was a rock band close by yesterday, which rather drowned me out for half the day. This was also my first experience receiving something besides money in my case. The first Thursday, someone threw a new t-shirt in my case, and yesterday, a man gave a coupon for a free dessert at a nice Italian restaraunt (which I will never use, due to food allergies). These things were interesting for me to receive, because they were out of the ordinary. It keeps me on my toes, and makes me excited to see what other creative ideas others might come up with for tips. One thing I have really enjoyed is the conversations with people and other musicians I have had. Many have really encouraged me to keep up with my playing and have really helped my confidence level. A few people have asked if I teach lessons, which hopefully be a venture I will be starting soon. One lady yesterday asked me if I would play for a wedding (which I turned down, as I do not feel confident enough for that yet). My most interesting conversation yesterday came from an elderly man. It was hard to understand some of what he was saying, but I did gather that he played fiddle in some bands a loooong time ago. He talked about Patsy Cline and Hank Williams Jr., some great legendary musicians...I think he knew Hank Williams Jr. and played some of his music, or something like that. Anyway, he had something to do with that type of music a while back. Then he went on to tell me to keep up with my playing and that if he had a band going right now, he would hire me (which sort of shocked me, as I feel I still have a lot to learn about my playing)! It was a very unique conversation and very encouraging. All in all, I have really enjoyed playing at the farmers markets. The atmosphere is great: white canopied booths, fresh produce, wide mixtures of people, other street performers, and great weather. One thing I did learn was that I need to bring more water and food. By the end of the market yesterday, I felt I was going to pass out, mainly because I was standing directly in the sun in mid-80 degree weather, with very little water and food, for four hours. Next time I will be more prepared.

Well, there is the opening experiences into my newfound excitement of busking. My future posts will not be quite so long.

God has given us music as a gift, and I am excited to be able to share the joy of this gift with as many people as I can. This blog will share the ups and downs, and exciting and sometimes scary events of this journey.

"A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence." ~Leopold Stokowski