Very interesting and useful video, thanks for sharing ! I verified a lot of this myself, about busking, fee negociations etc.
About busking, you talk mainly of solo performance, but I must say sometimes you can make more money individually by busking with a small formation (2 to 4 musicians) than alone. Having someone (preferably a pretty girl) passing the hat for you can increase your earning a lot too.
I never tried busking alone, I use to do it with two or three other guys : I think that's the limit above which your individual earning comes down, despite making more money overall. The best strategy we found so far is playing for people on bar terraces : we play maybe three of four songs for that terrace, and while playing the last song, we circulate between the tables, passing the hat for tips. Then we go play for the next terrace... That's how we make the most money in less time. The choice of that last "tipping" song is important too : we play a slower song, in the most moving way we can, and it should be a song where whe can adapt the length, to make sure we don't stop playing it until the whole terrace is "harvested" :p
Entertaining your audience not only with the music can also be a plus : making some joke, creating an interaction with people, making them participate (make'em sing, clap in rythm or whatever...).
Thanks Adam. I have extracted money using several of the methods described in your video, and appreciate the wise words. My daughter saw me practicing one day (when I would blow on the thing for up to eight hours a day), and asked what my plan was. I had no plan other than to play music. I have since made a bit of money from it, but not enough to trouble the tax authorities. I am a big advocate of busking and gigging when possible as a way to pay for our addiction to playing music, if nothing else. And it's (almost) always fun and always memorable.
The good news is, that video was superb. The part where you said never turn down more money? Haha...well....seems old habits are hard to break because although it could be said of many of your videos (most) that one was solid gold and definitely worth paying for.
The bad news is, (for me), now I'm expected to busk every time we have a tourist event in this God forsaken tourist trap to finish paying for a ring, but they won't want to hear blues
What they will want, of course, very likely they will all want to hear "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". However, they likely will tip....so thank you. What keeps "mama" happy keeps me in harps and likely a decent amp haha
Remove reeds-reassemble--thread a steel leader thru the harp and attach a large salt water hook with plastic skirt. Now go troll when the bluefish or mackerel run and sell your catch
