Today, my busking was not particularly profitable (just $15 in about two and a half hours), but it was one of the more fun times I've had. My friend Julian of the band Nervous Breakdown came by and sang a few covers with me. I must have been more in-key than usual, because several people complimented me on my singing (usually it's, "you're a pretty good guitarist, but the singing....not so much"). I attribute the lack of monetary contributions to the stiff competition I was up against. Sundays are usually pretty tough, because that's when more musicians come out, and today, they were all playing extremely well. It's days like today when I wish I could arrange a jam session with all of my fellow Harvard Square musicians...
I had to stop in the middle of songs twice today to let the Harvard tour guides do their introductions (I don't like having to compete with them for top volume).
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Day 6: TV, but not much money
I'm a bit late on getting this entry written - I've been working on this remix: .
Yesterday, I was filmed by my school's TV station (of which I'm an employee) while busking, as the closing act for this week's episode of Youth View Cambridge. I played a cover of 30 Seconds to Mars' "Alibi," and I'll post a link once we get it online.
Sadly, the filming was pretty much the only interesting thing that happened yesterday. I made only about $15 over two long hours - this may have to do with the homeless woman standing near me, smoking. I've discovered that when people are smoking near me, my profits go down, as people are less likely to stop and listen. The same woman also asked me to play at her coffee house in Hull, but I declined, because, first of all, it's doubtful whether the place even exists, and secondly, Hull is pretty far from Cambridge.
Overall, a pretty boring time, but still fun. Hopefully, I can start to get out more often as the weather gets warmer and drier.
Yesterday, I was filmed by my school's TV station (of which I'm an employee) while busking, as the closing act for this week's episode of Youth View Cambridge. I played a cover of 30 Seconds to Mars' "Alibi," and I'll post a link once we get it online.
Sadly, the filming was pretty much the only interesting thing that happened yesterday. I made only about $15 over two long hours - this may have to do with the homeless woman standing near me, smoking. I've discovered that when people are smoking near me, my profits go down, as people are less likely to stop and listen. The same woman also asked me to play at her coffee house in Hull, but I declined, because, first of all, it's doubtful whether the place even exists, and secondly, Hull is pretty far from Cambridge.
Overall, a pretty boring time, but still fun. Hopefully, I can start to get out more often as the weather gets warmer and drier.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Day 5: This is what they call "average"
Today was a fairly average day of busking for me. Of course, what that means is people heckling me, giving me weird looks, buying me bottles of water randomly, and giving me $20 bills.
I started right after school, and was set up by 3 PM. Right off the bat, someone (I didn't see who) gave me a $20 bill for playing "High and Dry" by Radiohead. Or at least I think that's why. It could have just been a parent who saw a kid and said "that could be my son," or it could have been someone I know. In other notes, a really nice guy bought me a bottle of water, unprompted, because he saw that I was sweating and starting to lose my voice. A couple of people heckled me, singing along mockingly when I was playing "Glycerine," by Bush, and "Day I Die," by Story of the Year (both were radio hits a while back). I've noticed it's always overly muscled college students (always guys) who do this sort of heckling, though I have no idea why that is.
Somewhere along the way, someone else gave me a $20 bill, bringing today's total to about $55 for two hours - not bad at all.
I started right after school, and was set up by 3 PM. Right off the bat, someone (I didn't see who) gave me a $20 bill for playing "High and Dry" by Radiohead. Or at least I think that's why. It could have just been a parent who saw a kid and said "that could be my son," or it could have been someone I know. In other notes, a really nice guy bought me a bottle of water, unprompted, because he saw that I was sweating and starting to lose my voice. A couple of people heckled me, singing along mockingly when I was playing "Glycerine," by Bush, and "Day I Die," by Story of the Year (both were radio hits a while back). I've noticed it's always overly muscled college students (always guys) who do this sort of heckling, though I have no idea why that is.
Somewhere along the way, someone else gave me a $20 bill, bringing today's total to about $55 for two hours - not bad at all.
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