The Busker & the Street Performer
Photo by MichaelERay
There are two distinct ways to approach performing on the street, there’s the way of the Street Performer and the way of the Busker. (These definitions are mine by the way. Many people use the term busking and street performing to describe the same thing and they are as right as I am.) The Way of Street Performer is to define your pitch and draw a crowd, body by body if need be. The way of the busker on the other hand is to sit to the side of a flow of pedestrians and work to a constant stream of changing faces. A street performer will deliver a show that has a set structure, an act that will allow the performer to move away from their set routines, play with the audience and improvise when things happen outside of their control. The busker will play a continuous, repeating set without ever interacting with the passers-by. A performer is always looking at how they can give more to the audience, constantly assessing feedback, the busker is happy to do what they have always done. Finally at the end of their act a street performer will deliver a bottling speech, a call to action that asks for a specific contribution from everyone involved. A busker simply accepts what ever donation is dropped into the hat.
Performers draw in – Buskers push out.
Performers are accountable – Buskers are invisible.
Performers engage – Buskers are isolated.
Performers are pro-active – Buskers stagnate.
Performers are artists – Buskers are doing a job.
This isn’t a post about street performing, it’s about whatever you’re doing.
So what are you doing? Are you busking or performing?
Thanks for the comments on this post.
Glen – if it helps to call yourself a Street Performer then great, however only do it if it helps! It’s pretty arbitrary really.
Michelle – This was never really meant to be a post about street performers or buskers – hard to believe I know. It was more about the intentions and meaning that anyone attributes to the work they do. The divide was made purely as a mechanism to help get the point across.
What you call buskers are, from your description are by my definition Street Performers. (A rose by any other name…)
You’re right though most “pitch buskers” do it for the money, I would imagine the ambient buskers are as well. The ones who move away from the set routines, improvise and give more than expected are risking that income and looking for art in what they do. Money is NEVER a good reason to do anything of any real value. How many performers or buskers would still do what they do if we took the hat away?
For the record some of the greatest Street Performers I know would be happy to call themselves buskers.
In NYC we call it ‘pitch buskers’ and ‘ambient buskers’. (same thing as ‘pitch street performers’ and ‘ambient street performers’). The majority of the buskers in NYC are ambient. And boy, they are totally NOT invisible they don’t push out, they are NOT isolated nor stagnate, and they are probably the best artists in the world. Many of them also perform on the most prestigious stages and have great careers as musicians off the streets. But they choose to also play on the street. ‘Pitch buskers’ only perform for one reason – they want money. ‘Ambient buskers’ are the real artists – they perform for the love of sharing their art with people.
I have always called myself a Busker, but now I will refer to myself as a Street Performer!
I hate the term Street Magican as everyone all ways thinks of you as someone like David Blain Grrrrrrh.