Sometimes when I was kid, I would think, "If I could just get everyone to give me a quarter each, pretty soon I'd be rich." ... Okay, I still think that sometimes ... !
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Originally posted by Old ScratchSometimes when I was kid, I would think, "If I could just get everyone to give me a quarter each, pretty soon I'd be rich." ... Okay, I still think that sometimes ... !
I still get the typical dollar tip.. A dollar doesn't go as far is it did ten years ago when I started busking.. Yes, if everyone just gave a quarter, I'd make more money... but alas..such is life. Good for me that I love busking and really don't need the money..
Busking stories never end. For the past several years, on the street where I busk, there have been signs posted about every 100 feet discouraging people from giving money to those who might ask.. They are thinking of panhandlers...which I am not..City code clearly states that musicians with a tip jar/case are NOT to be considered panhandlers. However, visitors don't always know the difference so sometimes I'm slighted and visitors may be confused.
Lately though, the City downtown revitalization committee has decided that buskers are valuable to the downtown scene and have begun to PAY $100 per busker,,per hour..(No, not a lot of hours...it is the idea)..
This is great. Me and several others are signing up post haste. ALSO, I now see that the signs that discourage giving have all been removed. Along with that the City patrol has kept actual panhandlers off of that street...
.... Also, my friend Larry is also a busker.. Today he said he only made $10 in tips but the best tip of the day was a nickel, given by a littly boy...Kids are the best!!!
HOT< HOT< HOT... This has been one of the worst weeks for busking tips... Notwithstanding.. I had a great time chatting with people.. Yesterday in Nashville, Indiana up walks Hangout member Hokelore, aka Tim Hoke. We'd crossed paths just a few times over the years. He is recently retired and I expect to see him on the sidewalk busking, soon. Although he isn't the most prolific Member, his comments always seem to be to the point and he never has been contentious...Last week, bluegrass musician Douglas Mark Conway visited Bloomington and he and I went busking....Different repositories but we managed to find enough common tunes to make the event fun...
It was interesting as usual.. Across the street they were using a jackhammer!!! Nothing stops me.. After 90 minutes I got ready to leave and just as I had put the fiddle away a nice college girls came by lamenting that she couldn't hear me play... I still had 30 minutes on the parking meter so I took out the fiddle and played her some tunes.. She left a NICE tip.. Then, she mentioned that it was good for her to be out talking to a stranger, like me... After all she needed practice telling people about her Lord and Savour..!!! I should have known. However, undaunted I went into MY theology and after having heard it she said, "Wow, never heard anything like That before.."...I excused myself to leave.. It is only fair..if they try to 'corner' me.. I'll corner them first.. I do hope to see her again as she was a very nice young woman...We really did have a nice two sided conversation..
Chiming in late (I couldn't remember my log-in password), but it was great to run into you, Lee. It's been too long.
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Originally posted by hokeloreChiming in late (I couldn't remember my log-in password), but it was great to run into you, Lee. It's been too long.
I'll be looking for you in Nashville..
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