u/LadyWithAHarp

This is my first busking session after spending two weeks out in the woods, and the difference is jarring. There are so many people carrying around Bluetooth speakers and blaring them. Someone sat near my pitch for over 30 minutes waiting for his boat and had YouTube videos of some kind of military content (lots of gunshots and explosions) as loud as he could make it.

I get it, you're bored and want to watch your videos, or use the speaker phone, or just want the music that you like. It makes it so difficult for everyone else, and people like me providing live entertainment. At least the yacht that sailed by every couple of hours blaring hiphop was a Decent distance away and passed by within a minute.

A while ago someone made a post complaining about all of the people wearing headphone. I much prefer the people wearing headphones because that means people can enjoy my performance without the extra noise.

I've been on GigSalad for over three months and I haven't gotten a single booking from it yet. Does anyone else here use it? I only have a free profile, since I don't want to throw away money on something that doesn't work.

I get regular leads, but nothing has panned out. I don't want to undercut other performers, but since I have a very niche repertoire and use a lever harp, not a pedal harp, I am pricing myself on the lower end.

I worry that I am doing something wrong, either in my responses or my profile.

It is difficult to view links to Instagram reels/videos in the main body of posts on Reddit. Especially when using the mobile version of Reddit. I am not sure when or if this will be fixed. Please avoid using them.

There is an option to directly upload your videos to Reddit posts.

This is about making "content" but it definitely harmonizes with why I advise against having jokes or too much embellishment on busking signs. People have short attention spans, average literacy levels are going down, as is average reading comprehension. Go for clarity over cleverness.

You can do what you want, just think about it.

I've been contacted about a possible promotion that would involve giving away out busking equipment for product testing (in this case, small portable speakers/amplifiers.) Should this be allowed?

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I keep getting reminded of the Socialist Vampire Conspiracy trilogy of songs when I watch these episodes.

So, the birds left a little present on the soundboard of my harp yesterday. I brushed most of it off with my skirt so I could keep playing, and I am doing a through cleaning today. I have warm water and gentle soap. I've been told vehemently NOT to use Pledge or silicone-based polishes on the finish. I also have a large supply of paper towels and pipe cleaners.

Any other advice for cleaning off the guano?

Well, I was playing outdoors yesterday. I turned my back for a moment to refill my water bottle, and there was a bunch of black droppings on my soundboard when I turned back! I've been playing outdoors for well over a decade, so I suppose this was going to happen sooner or later.

I did my best to brush off as much as I could with my skirt, and I am about to go in for a fuller cleaning. I have warm water, gentle soap, and a bottle of Pledge for afterwards. Any other advice?

I found out about this local clinic that also runs programming in New Orleans a while back and I just remembered it. It looks like they help out all street performers, or as they say on their website, "culture bearers."

It's a good resource and charity if you want to or need help in that region.

I've been working at early voting in my state, and the amount of trash generated by electioneers trying to convince voters at the last minute to vote for their candidate outside of the polls is completely nuts.

I am not completely against using paper to spread information around, public participation in government is important and a lot of people process information easier with physical media. I particularly liked seeing folks bring in their sample ballots and candidate voting guides that they had clearly been going over. But almost every person came into the polls with a stack of glossy fliers that went straight into the trash as soon as they had filled out the official ballots. We also had to keep an eye on the voting booths to remove any that got left behind. (We're supposed to stay non-partisan and aren't allowed to talk about our personal political opinions on different candidates while working, and keeping random fliers from laying around is an extension of that.)

Almost all of the political litter was glossy too, which looks nice but can't be recycled! At least the sample ballots and at least one of the published voting guides comparing all of the candidates were on newsprint, but there was just so much waste. We kept hearing stories about how much the electioneers, including some actual candidates, were hassling voters outside. I can understand why someone would just take the flier of it meant just getting past quicker.

From the activists at Busk.co :

>There is a protest in support of street performers in Trafalgar Square at 11 a.m. on Monday 15th of June (just 3 days from now). I happen to be in London at the moment, so I’ll be there. If you could make it, it would be nice to say hello!

>If you can’t make it (or even if you can), please take a moment to sign this petition, which has all the details:
https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/westminster-council-back-your-buskers

>Put simply: thanks to the actions of Westminster City Council, for much of the year, there isn’t a single place where buskers can perform with amplification in the centre of London. Absolutely crazy.

> Thanks, Nick

Some of you may be familiar with Alpha Centauri Records, the fake record label made by the "band" Makes My Blood Dance.

Every year they do a pay to play tour and specifically look for young/small inexperienced bands to rope into a ticket selling deal. This on its own is scummy but they took it a step further in my hometown by taking money from the bands and then cancelling the show and blocking everyone. If you search these names on social media, you will find other bands with similar stories all across the US.

These people are in the 40s-50s preying on young bands and sometimes stealing from them and blocking anyone who calls them out. If you know someone who has been contacted by them or is playing a show put on by them, please warn them. If you see a show coming to your city, maybe warn your scene because they aren't stopping anytime soon.

https://preview.redd.it/mkwvdi2hso3h1.png?width=983&format=png&auto=webp&s=fa4b68f1b264b6af2acab2a251c4f83e59dd988f

Every once in a while someone will set up 30 feet away from me, and then act all offended when I ask them to move. The dude (because it is ALWAYS a male) will say that "they didn't see me" dude, I was right there, and you didn't bother to check around? When you could HEAR me? I admit, I was a bit upset, and I was also frustrated from having to disentangle my mic cords before I could walk away from my harp.

"But I'm not going to mess with your setup!" Dude, do you understand how sound works‽

I was there first! I always check for other buskers, even just stashed equipment. I made sure to setup a respectful distance away from a dancer, and pointed my amp away from the dancer.

I can understand missing my setup when I am by the water taxi, and someone sets up on the pier-I'm a little tucked away and that is a spot where no amps are allowed. All I have to do is ask for the person to point their instrument in a slightly different direction and all will be fine.

I admit that there were a couple of minor visual obstructions in between me and the guy, but it wouldn't take much looking to see me!

At least he couldn't keep up with my stamina and stopped playing after an hour. How do I get other buskers to stop encroaching too close?

Street performance and busking is about making live art and genuine connections in person. "AI", large language models, and similar technologies are the antithesis of live street performance and all of the values we have as a community.

Any Posts using AI for art or other purposes in r/busking will be deleted and can lead to a ban if done too many times.