(PARIS) Some 1,000 people are expected to compete for 300 prized permits to busk the Paris métro. The auditions, which started Tuesday, are organised by the Paris transport network, the RATP. The 300 successful candidates will be given permission to perform in the underground passages of Paris's underground stations for the next six months, although many more do so illegally.

Interested musicians can apply at 102, rue de Charonne or by emailing RATP at musiciensdumetro@ratp.fr.

Métro busking has sometimes marked the beginning of distinguished musical careers. Keziah Jones, Manu Dibango, Ben Harper all started as buskers.

The auditions continue until the end of October.

www.rfi.fr ...

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(USA) It's that time of year again when a young man's thoughts turn to busking. It's all about sun, people, and shade as we take a look at some of the hottest performing venues the United States has to offer.An article in USA Today features David Michael, a former street musician and author of Busker: Tales of a Renegade Harpist. The article mentions Michael's insight into the wide world of busking. Waxing philosophical, he elaborates about the different venues some buskers take that, were it not for street-performing, the talent would go to waste. Crowd gathering is also discussed.

Some cities are obvious. New York, Boston, and San Francisco are considered the centerpieces of American culture. Yet, we find some surprising "off-the-beaten-path" pitches that, normally, one wouldn't think there...

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(SEATTLE) As far as Seattle is concerned, you're a star awaiting your new reserved pitch in Soundtransit's transport hubs. Their blog announces the Sounds of the Sound program expanding options for serious buskers.
Interestingly enough, the world of busking is making a comeback after the horrendous covid19 global shutdown from a few years back. This severely affected the shopping and hospitality industries not to mention the performing arts.

A big black and white star adorns the pitch where buskers are free to express themselves and accept tips without hassles.

“The buskers are great,” wrote one blog post. “They make the station feel more like a destination, not just a place to pass through. Keep on supporting them.”

For more information and locales, check out the link below.

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(BUSKING) It seems as little as ten years ago, the term "busker" or "street performer" was looked upon with disdain. Suddenly, now it's the "in" title to tell new-found friends and acquaintances. Strange as it may seem, public perception has shifted in favor of said buskers. The internet has seemed to have had a positive impact on the perception of street performers world-wide.

Wannabe buskers abound on the internet. Some sites have sections dedicated to busking. Unfortunately, once entered, one finds several performers that have only been thinking about busking but somehow never found the backbone to discard their day job to busk full-time. This may be a good thing, however, as some may not have what it takes to begin with. It would probably only add to the long lines at the unemployment office.

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Joshua Jay has made available an online ebook containing over 500 pages of blessings from the "Father" of magic Robert Houdin to the Las Vegas style of Penn and Teller.Taking over 3 years to assemble some of the most important, influential, and helpful essays on magic ever written, Joshua has now made them available to all serious students of magic for free.

Continuing the Busker Central book review series, the list of worthy contributors is truly staggering:

Tommy Wonder
Charles Reynolds
Simon Aronson
Paul Harris
John Carney
Jamy Ian Swiss
Dariel Fitzke
Peter Samelson
Derren Brown
Michael Close
Pit Hartling

Eugene Burger
S.H. Sharpe
Rene Lavand
Robert-Houdin
Henning Nelms
Juan Tamariz
Rick Johnsson
Tom Stone
Darwin Ortiz
Milt Kort
Arturo de Ascanio

David Regal
Doug Conn
Ken Weber
David Kaye
Roberto Giobbi...

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