I remember I was busking on a popular outdoor mall at a commonly used pitch. As a muse, I played and sang between an outdoor cafe and restaurant. Buskers had used the stage for several years. I usually got a coffee at the cafe while on breaks and was familiar with the staff.

One day, a new staff member came outside and asked me to move down the way. When I asked the blond middle-aged woman why, she simply said she didn't appreciate me singing outside on a beautiful day while she slaved away inside. I told her it was my choice in life to busk rather than being a server and I really couldn't help her. She again requested me to move on and left with the satisfaction of having told me 'what for'. I ignored her request and continued performing.

As a mature busker, I had seen the like before. They have a problem with someone busking because they can't do it. After several other altercations, I had...

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(LONDON) Where's the best place in London can you catch buskers, shop, eat, play, work, and live?
"Since the 1660s Covent Garden has never missed a chance to put on a performance. The first record of Covent Garden street entertainment came in 1662 when Samuel Pepys’ diary notes that a marionette show featuring a character named Punch took place on the Piazza. It's the home of London street performers today."A shopping and entertainment hub in London's West End, Covent Garden centres on the elegant, car-free Piazza, home to fashion stores, craft stalls at the Apple Market, and the Royal Opera House. Street entertainers perform by 17th-century St. Paul’s Church and the London Transport Museum houses vintage vehicles. Upscale restaurants serve European cuisines and nearby theatres draw cro...

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(SWEDEN) Buskin' City is a unique busking development for Sweden with a soon to be launched website for pro street performers. Every participating city provides a pitch for an artist. It can be a street corner, on a square, or on a main shopping street.Bringing culture to unused public space is the main theme. National and International buskers book themselves easily on a city's calendar.

Halmstad, Varberg, Kalmar, Kristianstad, Jonkoping, Landskrona, and Vastervik are among the 7 cities that have signed up with more expected to join the movement. Each city grants a travel refund up to 1500SEK.

With new approximations about busking popping up almost daily, be sure to include this in your book of ideas. See if you can dream up new and interesting approaches to busking like the one above.

For more information,...

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The website Savage Content has put together a brief history of busking for those interested. It starts with Rome and crosses over to "America" and ends with today's busking stars.
Check it out at the link below.

A brief history of busking

(WWW) Some job searches have started including busking and street performing as a viable means of employment. On an updated career page, an article by Brett Helling discusses definitions, salary, qualifications, responsibilities, skills, working conditions, experience, and employers.Walk-by acts: buskers perform their act continuously for a long time. This happens mostly with musicians and mimers who perform their repertoire while people walk by them. Occasional passers-by stop to hear a song or two but no defined audience forms.

Circle acts: these acts work more like a “show” and have a distinct beginning, middle, and a grand finale ending. The performers first attract a crowd that will stand in a circle around them to watch the show. Circle acts are well suited for theatre, dance, acrobatics, magic, etc...

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