6 Tips to make your busking impactful

Have you ever felt like your busking sessions are dull, pointless and no one cares much about your performance? I did, and it's tough to keep going like that.

On the other hand, when you receive a response through attention and tips, it charges you with energy that can keep you going for hours. 

In 5 years of busking, I've learned some ways to make it more pleasant and more profitable, and I want to share them with you. 

Let's get into it!

The 6 W's of Busking

Why? How? Who? Where? What? When? I believe these 6 questions summarize well the basis of quality busking.

The central idea that links them all, is bringing value. In our case, value is the sum of what we give and what is needed by other people. Basic offer and demand. 

Maximizing it should be our main goal, and it also answers well the first question: 

1. Why are you busking?

Sure, earning cash, having fun, getting attention and practicing your craft are all cool and important reasons, but my personal experience showed me that busking only with these goals in mind brings less money and satisfaction, than the intention of giving value to people. 

If you genuinely want to bring emotions like delight, surprise, excitement, curiosity, people notice it and give back more in return. It's a win-win!

2. How do you perform?

I've seen a very good flute player once, sitting on a sidewalk, with a hunched back, his knees under his chin... it was an ugly view. Pay attention to your posture and the energy you transmit, and avoid sitting on the ground, unless it is part of your 'hippie' image.  

Also, I am against walking with the hat among people, asking for tips one by one. I find it shortsighted. Maybe you'll get more cash at the moment, but you'll get fewer fans in the long run and damage your image. 

It's ok to ask for their support as a crowd, to promote your merch, but don't be invasive one on one, people are tired of that enough. 

3. Who are you? 

Are you a homeless drunk who is forced to play the accordion in the subway, or a passionate artist who loves his craft and chooses to share it? 

Subconsciously, status is very important to most people. They are much more prone to paying attention to and finding value in someone who has a higher place in society.

Even if you are a homeless nomad, if your goal is to be valuable, it is vital to project the right image through clothing and a tidy look. Be yourself, have your style, and be aware of what you want to transmit to the world. 

4. Where are you busking? 

The best spot depends a lot on what you do, and it is important to give it enough thought. I will try to give some general rules, but the rest is up to you! 

• 

  If you have a loud or 'big' performance, it is best to play where there is a lot of people, even in a noisy environment. If you have a small or acoustic one, it might be better to find a place that fits that kind of energy. Maybe with fewer people, but where the quality of your busking is not lost due to too much noise or lack of available attention. Sometimes in a big crowd, no one stops, while every second person might stop by in a quiet, isolated place with fewer people. Choose wisely. 

• Find touristic attractions that are actually quite boring. Those places you must see, but once you took a few pictures, are not so interesting anymore. These mostly include famous architecture (like in the image), but can also be any other local point of interest. They attract lots of people who are ready for the next cool thing, which can be you!

• Busk towards the end of a busy strolling path. The best ones are in nature or close to water, like promenades and piers. Finding something interesting after a walk feels more rewarding, so if the path has a start and a finish, gravitate towards the end. Another plus is that strolling creates a lot of free attention available. 

• Pay attention to the setting. What is behind your back or nearby? Avoid trash bins, dirty areas, ugly walls with writings on them. Look for beautiful places that could be subjects of photos, even without you nearby. This will increase the number of videos and photos taken, besides simply creating a better overall experience for the viewer.  

5. What do you do?

What your show consists of matters a lot. It needs to attract some eyes or ears, especially in a place where there is a lot of competition for people's attention. Most important is to combine well the 'what', the 'where' and 'when' factors. 

For example, if you play music, crowded downtown streets on a weekend evening call for loud, energetic shows. Making giant soap bubbles attracts lots of children, so an area nearby a playground during the afternoon is best. Calm places in the morning are good for softer, relaxing compositions.

You get the idea. Think about it and find what fits you best.

6. When do you busk?

This one I mostly explained in the previous point. It's important to pick the right time and day for your show. 

• I find mornings and afternoons equally good, with a slight preference towards mornings for calmer music. 
• Lunch and dinner times are good for calm, amplified, background music nearby outdoor restaurants. 
• Evening and night prefer fire shows and somewhat loud and energetic music, with exceptions. 

In terms of days of the week, weekends are usually best. Mondays can be quite good too since in some places it's also a day off for many people. Tuesdays are the worst in my personal experience, while Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday fall somewhere in the middle. Holiday periods are not subject to these rules.

Conclusion

These are only my personal views, so don't just believe my words, test it out yourself and see what fits you best!

Let me know in the comments if you have something to ask or you believe I forgot to mention something important. I will probably still update this post with new information once in a while. You can also write to me at oles_deyneka@yahoo.it 

Thanks for your time, and have a great busk!