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V.com weekend vote: Which tunes work best for busking?
Written by The Weekend Vote
Published: September 26, 2014 at 4:48 PM [UTC]
Josh Bell is not exactly doing the same thing next Tuesday as he did eight years ago -- he's giving a performance at the Metro station. But he's not busking incognito.But what if he were busking? What if YOU were busking? How do you get a crowd to gather around, and how do you actually make money at this? I'm specifically wondering what kinds of music work best in the busking scenario. I've assembled a list of tunes that loosely represent different kinds of music: classical, bluegrass, movie/musical, jazz or folk/gypsy. Pick the one you think would work best, and then share with us what other tunes you think play best for busking. I welcome any busking stories, too!
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Posted on September 26, 2014 at 7:56 PM
Recently though, I’ve been besieged by little kids coming up to me wanting to hear “Let It Go” from that Disney film. I guess that I need to learn it. Although I really don’t care for Disney films, little kids do & they won’t let the busker in the park forget it! Besides, I’ve learned that parents out with their children are good tippers & are just as likely to drop a $5-bill in my case as a $1-banknote. Another behavior that I’ve observed, very important for us buskers, is parents teaching their children to tip.
The most important part of this for me, though, is that often I’m introducing a child to the violin. The child may never have seen nor heard a violin before. I may ask the child (or the parent) if he/she has a favorite song. As risky as it may be, I sometimes let the child touch my violin and/or the bow, just to have the experience that the instrument is a real thing. To see a child wide-eyed & jaw-dropping at such a discovery is heart-warming. To be the very first violinist in a child’s life is a privilege & a responsibility. And there’s always the possibility that if I do it right, that child will seek to learn the instrument growing up.
Posted on September 26, 2014 at 8:21 PM
there's nothing like showing a kid what a real instrument (like a violin) can do from a short distance ....... :)
(i experience it regularly, in my informal busking at the park ... :) )
It's invaluable ....
Posted on September 26, 2014 at 8:39 PM
Posted on September 26, 2014 at 9:41 PM
Posted on September 26, 2014 at 11:49 PM
Posted on September 27, 2014 at 1:52 AM
Posted on September 27, 2014 at 5:32 PM
The nearest I get to busking right now, since I don't get paid, is playing the evening session in the garage most of the year. It's generally warm enough for this here from late March through early November.
I don't doubt that, in this offbeat way, I've introduced some kids to the violin. Some favorite memories are times when a child riding through the neighborhood parks a bike in the driveway -- and then walks up to the garage door and knocks. You guessed it -- one of the first lines is, "Can I try it?"
For me, it's like watching a replay of my preadolescent self. BTW, kids seem to take quite readily to Bach.
Posted on September 28, 2014 at 11:14 PM
I suspect that most readers here are afraid of playing anything jazzy which would account for the low score.
Posted on September 29, 2014 at 5:28 PM
Posted on September 29, 2014 at 7:23 PM
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