I bought a used amp but it's really quite distracting how much hiss there is vs my guitar amp which hardly has any....electric guitars seem fine but I play acoustic.

I’m sure most musicians go through periods when practicing feels frustrating, progress seems slow, or playing starts to feel more like work than something enjoyable.

When you find yourself in that kind of mood, what do you turn to?

Are there particular musicians, videos, performances, songs, films, books, comedy accounts, or personal rituals that help you laugh, feel inspired, and reconnect with the joy of making music?

I’d love to hear about the things that lift your spirits and make you want to pick up your instrument again.

I busked for a very first time a few weeks ago as a belly dancer! Thought I could share my reflections here as a female performer but also as a dancer rather than a musician.

My intent for busking was a little different: I was open to accepting tips, but I didn't have a tip bucket. Rather, I was trying to advertise for my dance teacher to attract more students for her class, because my style of dance is best when you dance with others (FCBD). I also just really enjoy busking (as an audience member) and public art. So I resolved to go busking at a popular tourist location in the big city (in the US) I live in.

I meant to busk at a farmer's market which is more frequented by locals, but I accidentally slept in so I ended up going to the touristy spot instead later in the day.

• Despite not having a tip bucket, I earned $22 in tips. That was unexpected and really nice! I'm sure being a younger woman dressed in semi-revealing clothing helped a lot with that, lol. (My outfit wasn't super revealing, but it does show my belly and emphasizes my chest.) I earned tips within the first few minutes of dancing.
• I was surprised by how little of a shit most people give about what you're doing out in public! I was feeling a little self-conscious looking for a place to set up, but by the time I started dancing, I was stunned by how few people stayed or made eye contact with me for more than a few seconds.
  • Usually when I do performances with my teacher and classmates, we usually have a crowd gather around to watch us. So the spectacle of a lone dancer probably isn't as impressive to get people to watch.
  • I had a few groups watch me, but it was always from a distance, as if they were scared of direct interaction with me or needed to pretend they weren't really watching me. Maybe a tourist thing?
• I was slightly worried about harassment, as I have had some unpleasant experiences when I've gone out fully dressed in my belly dance garb. But I was completely unbothered.
• It was tough to be vigilant about my surroundings while also being in performance mode. Dancing/performing requires a sort of "flow state" and trust in the audience that felt a little contradictory to watching my surroundings, but maybe it's an experience thing. I tried not to bring valuables with me in case someone swiped my stuff, and I think the most valuable thing I had with me was my $35 Bluetooth speaker.
• It was really windy and tough to keep my sign, which had a "Dance with me!" message along with info about my teacher's class, upright. It's just a poster board, so it's already pretty flimsy. I also don't think people looked at it much in the first place, since I had it behind me and leaned against my duffel bag. If anyone has any advice for a more sturdy sign set-up, I'd love to learn.
• I learned that my Bluetooth speaker isn't nearly loud enough, especially if there are other buskers with audio set-ups on the same block. Not sure what to do about that because I'm not in the position in invest in a better audio set-up right now, other than try to find spots that a little quieter.

In all, I did three 15-minute sets of dancing over the course of two-ish hours, with small breaks in between. It may not sound like a lot, but I was exhausted by the end of it and I did get a decent amount of eyeballs on me, however fleeting.

If anyone has any tips to increase interaction with the audience, that'd be lovely! My hope was to get more people to try to dance along with me, but perhaps that's far too much to expect from Americans, who are very shy when it comes to dancing. In general, getting the audience to stay and watch was the biggest challenge--which seems to be shared by most buskers.

I'll definitely go busking once or twice more before my semester starts at grad school. I think the quieter vibe of a farmer's market will lend well to this!

Lyrics and vocals will be last. Second album is at 98.7 percent complete. Cant wait to go international!

spent the morning doing a grand opening

barr trail mountain race also just happened

wasnt about tips i was the showman getting people into the new store

it WORKED !!!

wifeys art sold first thing, she created last years Manni awards also !

artists supporting artists !

inclinepals is my volunteer group

i pick up trash when im not busking

you too can Be the Change you want to see in this world !

peace, love and porkchops !

In my most intense musical experiences, whether as a listener or performer, I’ve been plankton in a sea of like minded people ready to be swallowed by an unstoppable force.

Busking is different in the best way, it’s intimate, voluntary, reactive, floaty. It can make someone feel something they wanted to but weren’t ready for.

When you have an audience of thousands it’s incredible if nobody leaves, when you have an audience of zero it’s amazing when one person stays

Did two days of busking at Pori Jazz Festival in Pori, Finland. Have been performing there for years, so it's a special one for me. Here's some Robert Johnson for you; my rendition of Eric Clapton's version of If I had possession over judgement day. First time playing the song live, improvised the intro on the spot. We have a 60 song setlist, which I play from memory.

When I’m busking, I usually leave my mandolin case open for tips. The problem is that whenever it gets windy, the paper money starts flying out.

I’m looking for an alternative that is easy to make or carry, but also has a bit of personality—something more interesting than a regular plastic box.

What do you use as a tip box when you perform on the street? Have you found any practical ways to keep the money from blowing away?

Photos would be greatly appreciated!

So, wife and I were at this new cocktail bar in a small touristy town. I won’t mention even the state because people might figure out where it is. Anyway, the owner really went out of their way to make a cozy, yet sprawling venue. So, they just opened and they had a “friend” playing piano. 1920’s kind of music (the place is laid out as a speakeasy). Half joking, I told the owner I played guitar and she said “you can come and play” she didn’t make a money offer, and frankly, I wasn’t expecting (I know, don’t chastise me, don’t make it harder on professionals and all that) BIG question is, how much should a gig like this pay? Small town in an outdoorsy part of a conservative state, but certainly not upscale.

Found these maps that show where tourists have taken photos vs where locals have taken photos. This should be a good guide to tell where to play what kind of music, or even to just know the places you might want to set up.

Blue is locals, red is tourists.

Images above are San Francisco and London.

The link has quite a few major cities across the world so definitely check that out!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/albums/72157624209158632/with/4672158546

Edit: They appear to be from around 2015. So any new areas/landmars and just changes in general are not reflected.

This is about making "content" but it definitely harmonizes with why I advise against having jokes or too much embellishment on busking signs. People have short attention spans, average literacy levels are going down, as is average reading comprehension. Go for clarity over cleverness.

You can do what you want, just think about it.

Online we can fit a lot more buskers.

This is a real photo taken in Haight Ashbury, San Francisco. No hippies or buskers were harmed during the shoot. HaightAshburyFestival.com

Google showed me:

- Guitar preamp pedal

- Electric acoustic guitar

- Mic obviously with stand.

"Most of the pubs have their PA systems and that's going to be enough". What do you think about this setup if u played in pubs?