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I'm a Busker Again
Nov. 12th, 2009 07:43 amI know that technically I’ve never stopped being a busker, I just haven’t busked since July. Still, I always seem to forget that, for all its similarity to what I do in the lanes at renaissance festivals, busking is another creature entirely.
For one thing, anything can happen in the street. You can meet anyone, they can do anything, and your reaction is yours and yours alone. This makes you sharp; I never feel as aware of the universe as I do when I’m street performing, or as present in the moment. No other stage feels quite like the street.
There, you meet everybody. I have had conversations with prostitutes and missionaries, beggars and businessmen. Every interaction is a brand new world and in the French Quarter there are a few characters to be found, to say the least. The first song in a new city is always Labyrinth, because it’s such a familiar tune to me and the ritual focuses my attention on the music rather than my anxieties. Once it’s been played I’ve broken the ice and can relax into what I’m doing, enjoying the newness rather than fearing it.
I’ve spent a lot of time in New Orleans over the years, but even with all the many experiences I’ve had in the city it is a very different place now that I’ve performed there. And the locals see it too. I had a great chat with a street magician, and a number of New Orleans residents talked to me about what I was doing and how much they enjoyed hearing something different on Royal Street. Walking purposefully through Jackson Square with a dulcimer in your hand is a great way to solicit conversations, and the positive reaction I got from random people was really affirming.
All in all I remembered that, as much as I love performing at festivals, there is no place like the streets (for better or worse). And I’m thrilled to have found a new pitch in North America to enjoy!
For one thing, anything can happen in the street. You can meet anyone, they can do anything, and your reaction is yours and yours alone. This makes you sharp; I never feel as aware of the universe as I do when I’m street performing, or as present in the moment. No other stage feels quite like the street.
There, you meet everybody. I have had conversations with prostitutes and missionaries, beggars and businessmen. Every interaction is a brand new world and in the French Quarter there are a few characters to be found, to say the least. The first song in a new city is always Labyrinth, because it’s such a familiar tune to me and the ritual focuses my attention on the music rather than my anxieties. Once it’s been played I’ve broken the ice and can relax into what I’m doing, enjoying the newness rather than fearing it.
I’ve spent a lot of time in New Orleans over the years, but even with all the many experiences I’ve had in the city it is a very different place now that I’ve performed there. And the locals see it too. I had a great chat with a street magician, and a number of New Orleans residents talked to me about what I was doing and how much they enjoyed hearing something different on Royal Street. Walking purposefully through Jackson Square with a dulcimer in your hand is a great way to solicit conversations, and the positive reaction I got from random people was really affirming.
All in all I remembered that, as much as I love performing at festivals, there is no place like the streets (for better or worse). And I’m thrilled to have found a new pitch in North America to enjoy!
