Well, this one has been a long time coming;

some of the least known things about the buskers's life is that it requires 3 very important things; a work ethic, a frugal and practical discipline, and a keen sense of survival.

Read that again and notice the order.

Some beginners have a miss conception of busking as a lifestyle.

The first thing of course one should understand is that it is a career.

Different careers, demand different lifestyles.

But here's the most important thing,

if your a yuppie who keeps up with the Jones's, you are going to be fighting an up hill battle as a busker, I don't care how big you think your hats are.

One of the biggest problems with us Americans today, is that we forgot how we built this empire, starting from lets say the 30's we began as a hard working class majority of people who moved where the work was,

then some how we went to be a self centered, spoiled, stagnant bunch who expects everything without working for it....

Well my friends, reality is crawling up our chests, right into our faces with the state of our country.

We are financially and morally bankrupt..., we forgot some things that our ancestors taught us.

The point is that most full time buskers are working class people, certainly the beginners. in order to make your new career work you will need to be frugal and practical, you will need to submit to the idea that you will have to go to where ever the work is best and work many, many, many, hours.

Granted as buskers we live pretty well, especially if we are single, but some times..times can be slim.

Those who have been doing it for years know that keeping up with the Jones's is not compatible with what we are doing.

Example: most of us with families will go to a pitch for the season and stay and work it to death until it is milked dry and then move on to greener pastures, sending money home in bulk every morning. Some of us who are more frugal,
will sleep in our vehicles and get a room every couple of nights. Some of us will go in with many other buskers on a cheap apartment for the season and bunk there and eat in..., sending money home every morning.

Many of us travel the world, working on our careers and supporting a life at the home front.

Basically we are blue collar workers in tux shirts.

We are not talking about rich or poor..., because every wealthy wise man knows fortunes need to be earned.

Of course this article here is going to get many interpretations from every different persons reading it, but one thing that should be understood is that busking full time as a sole means of income is a unique lifestyle and one will have to learn how to adjust, through research and a willingness to change ones prejudice.

Jimmy, you are a smart man. While you are talking to buskers, the rest of us can learn a lot from what you are saying.

Thanks,

very great compliment thank you.

I posted this on another forum and all they saw was the sleeping in a van bit and didn't get the point of the post, glad you liked it.


I wish you all the luck in what ever your venture is and thank you for taking the time to respond.

if you like my writing I gotta blog.

I don't make any money off of it, I just do it for me and to help those who can get something outta it.

Hi Jimmy,

I have your book and have watched your videos. You have encouraged me to take the leap, not full time mind you, but mainly to improve my act. I currently do one or two bd parties a week and it is not enough to polish any of the routines. I can see real value in doing the same three routines over and over again judging crowd reaction and improving. If I make some hat money then I can use it to buy your next book or DVD.

Thanks for the encouragement. Maybe our paths will cross and I can say hi.

/ralph

Jimmy, a lot of people are interested in learning street busking, when are you going to put together a blog?

Jimmy it is a great artical, learning to live withing your means as a Busker is an art in its self as you know a subject close my heart.
Once again thanks for your feed-back.
Mario
PS, As for my self I don't carry any plastic cards at all ever.
My whole in the wall is my show.

Mario,

I feel we are kindred spirits on so many levels.

my family is dutch/welsh on my fathers side and spanish on my mother's. {our family name has been changed a few times in our history}.

I have also had the great priveledge, luck and fortune to be around some great performers who have taken me under their wings.

admittedly I have a long way to go myself, but the journey is fun.

and for some reason I can really relate to your method of thinking and performance.

among other things the duck and your character are brilliant.


hey dynamike,

when are you gonna make your rounds to come and see me?

Jimmy that is interesting,
I am Celt my mum is a Spanish gypsy which have Celtic roots, my farther a Welsh Celt.
I am an hounery Scots man married to a Scotish woman Veronica and many a folk no me as Marlo the Celtic Magician. One day when we meet I will tell you my full story of the early yrs as a busker, 18yrs have past well my first atempt at busking, very first was 22yrs ago with drums. I learned the hard way standing alone for way to many of a year. from the age of 12 I was a fly pitcher for many yrs then a jewerly pitch man which lead me into busking, I have always been on the streets or since I can remeber, I know I was not born on them that my mum says for sure. You where born in Wales son, the land of your farthers. My greatest mentor in my life was my farther he was born to survive he name is Edwin my middle name.
Mario Edwin Morris

That's spooky I got spanish moor/gypsy too on my mum's side from mallorca they say.


oh yeh and I got a long history myself in pitching magic.

yep I knew it, it was something wierd about you too.

there it is.

made my day.

you know humphrey bogart was welsh and spanish.

Where will you be located in January?

San diego

Great post, This is a lesson for everyone not just buskers or magicians. So much of this economy is based upon a currency which none of us have. from a personal level all the way to the federal level.

Nick this is the subject I was talking to you about on the phone when you were still in the states.

Great message Jimmy.

Regardless of the chosen profession, without a good work ethic success will always be out of reach.

Thanks so much for posting this.

Jimmy you've been transmitting and Ive been recieving. From the blog to our phone conversations....I get it.

Jimmys last paragraph there is full on:

"but one thing that should be understood is that busking full time as a sole means of income is a unique lifestyle and one will have to learn how to adjust, through research and a willingness to change ones prejudice"

My lesson of the winter is: giving the people what they want. Doesn't matter what I think is cool, or working. what matters is THEM. And in these 3rd world countries its HARD to hit that nail on the head.....but I'm adjusting, researching and willing to change;)

thanks

One of the other fellows on this forum works for a man named Dave Ramsey. Dave is a very experienced entrepreneur who has been up and down almost as often as a yo-yo. Through his experience, he has learned to teach people monetary discipline and living within one's means. He has a radio show that comes out of Nashville, and now also as a television show.

I learned of Dave on one of my many drives to Nashville. His ideas are so basic and sensible that I'm surprised more people don't recommend him. His show is a call-in talk show, and he helps people figure out how to get out from under mountains of debt, usually without declaring bankruptcy.

He teaches people how to pay off their credit cards, how to pay of their mortgages and how to establish emergency funds.

I've been following his principles for the past dozen years or so. They make sense. Everything Jimmy has said here would fit right in with Dave's program.

Jimmy, after reading your blog, I gave busking a try early in the summer. The season's over now, and I'm already eager to do it again next year. Threads like this one give guys like me tremendous advice, and I have to say thank you for sharing. Busking has made me a better overall magician. Several shows a day with bad angles, tons of background noise for people who you have to convince to watch...it tightened up my routines quickly. Your knowledge is very valuable and very appreciated.

Steve

Got to be quick, money´s almost out,.. nice Post Jimmy, got me thinking. I believe more then anything it has to do with what one Values,... what Values fullfill the looker. This may have become a bit warped in the Western world, as of late.

Down a different, but related path; the word for `Profession´, in the german language is `Beruf´,... "what calls you". Kinda nice, eh?
gotta blow,
gallagher.

More like "your calling," which, by the way, is what "vocation" means.