Apologies to anyone who took offence to the heading of my last blog “You’re Crap!”.  It wasn’t a personal attack, but an opportunity to trigger some reactions which I hoped would help you to see how you may react to other people’s opinions.  From the emails I received – it worked!

And whilst I got a few angry emails, at the same time, many buskers who read it, contacted me to let me know just how beneficial my rant was. Some of them captured their sentiments in the comments section under the blog…. check them out – their words may help bring this message home.

I found it interesting seeing how many people reacted in a negative way – which gave me more ammo for this blog.  Of course, I can have a chuckle about it now, but once upon a time, I was just the same!

So how do you ignore all the negative shite?  Looking back, what I needed to do was let it go – instead of hanging on to other people’s words and letting their opinions slow me down.  So how do you let go when someone calls you ‘crap’ or throws some negative opinion at you? It can take time to find your own personal solution to this, but I find that the best way of letting go is to take every criticism as ‘constructive’. I’ve taught myself to accept that it is only an opinion based on their own set of circumstances which could be very different to the next person who walks on by.  I learn from it and move on as quick as possible.

When I was told “you’re crap” by my (ex) girlfriend many years ago, even though I was gutted by her comments, it made me more determined to prove her wrong. Thankfully I did exactly that and now I can say I’m grateful for her honesty.  Believe it or not, she’s a big fan now!

The tip that I wanted to emphasise here is – no matter what you do out on the street, or even on stage – let go of any negative comments – make it a personal goal not to react. Another thing that helped me – is reminding myself that I can never make EVERYONE happy – as the saying goes… You can never make all of the people happy, all of the time -  so I keep my focus on the ones who enjoy what I do and quickly forget about the ones who bitch, whinge and complain.

Once I mastered this – and it took a while – I really started to soar.  Pushing through those obstacles has brought me to a point where just about to launch my first solo album in a very different, quite rebellious way.  If I had listened to the opinions of others, I would have simply organised a well promoted gig in the city and maybe sold a couple of hundred cd’s on the night.  But I just can’t help myself…

I believe that worldwide success is possible – independently and I’m going to have a go at proving that anyone is capable of doing it – even a busker!  I want to show other unsigned artists that the big agents, managers, publishers, record companies don’t have to hold the key to your success.

It’s been a long journey for me to reach this mindset – this self belief – but I’m happy I’ve persisted because I’m now at a point in my career where my CD is in the hands of Billboard magazine, a few of the songs have been posted on the New York Times website and tomorrow I’ll be launching my album all over the world – not just at the nearest city venue. There’s no turning back now, but I tell ya, I wish someone had told me this stuff when I first started… I can safely say that things would have happened a hellova lot sooner.

So before I sign off, I should let you in on the big rebellion album launch.  And why not, I don’t have a record company doing it for me – this is something I need to promote myself and I’ve made sure that everyone who gets involved wins!

How?

I’ve talked to a bunch of great people and have put together a free gift package valued at over $5000 for everyone who buys an album.

I’ve also added in a great prize valued at $21,000

So the aim of my game from midnight Wednesday 19^th May thru to midnight Thursday 20^th May – is to get a quick sharp spike in album sales which will help it shoot up the Amazon and Billboard charts. This is no mean feat for an unsigned, independent Aussie artist, with sporadic radio play who is only playing occasional live stage shows.

Here’s how the Only Australian Music website put it,

You can visit my website where you can see the full story

Remember this online album launch runs from midnight Wed (tomorrow) through to midnight Thursday.

If you want to help spread the word about this great win-win opportunity and help make history for a fellow  busker whose more than happy to show you how to do the same, then please direct your friends to this link – www.johnniemac.com/album-launch

Until next time

Here’s to constructive criticism!Similar Posts:

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One of the hardest things a busker has to overcome is the set of limiting beliefs he/she carries – in other words – his/her ‘mindset’. Nothing in life holds us back more than ourselves, and of course our attachment to a set of beliefs.  (eg doubting your abilities; no faith that you can earn an income doing what you love to do… money doesn’t grow on trees, no such thing as a free lunch, etc, etc).

A particular mindset usually starts off with an experience or a comment from someone in a position of ‘authority’ (parents, teachers, aunts, uncles, etc) or from someone you respect or admire. And don’t ask me why, but if one of those comments happens to be negative, then we tend to get caught up on the doom and gloom and instead of moving forward with our dreams and desires, we usually change our course of direction – sometimes even come to a complete halt – according to what others say or think.

25 years ago, my first girlfriend asked me to shut up when I was singing because she didn’t like it. She just told me, point blank… “you’re crap”!

Take a moment to think about this one… have you ever been told something similar?  Has someone told you that they didn’t like your music, or the songs you write weren’t good enough or the way you play a popular song was all wrong, etc, etc. I’ve had people cover their ears as they walk past me, I’ve made 20 cents after singing for 2 hours on the street and I’ve had bad reviews about my songs! The good news is, this happens to 99% of performers – including the Beatles!

Here’s another example… when my songs hit number one on the Australian independent charts, 99% of the reviews were all positive with 4-5 star ratings, but the ones that jumped out at me were the negative comments that a couple of people made.

If I’d let any of these negatives play a part in my career choices, I would have stayed in my bedroom singing to myself and missed out on years of incredible experiences. Like singing in some of the world’s most stunning cities, meeting some of the most talented, fun and interesting people EVER (including my beautiful wife), playing alongside world class musicians, etc, etc, etc.  To think that my music wouldn’t have made it to my local press, let alone the New York Times is something I can hardly contemplate now.

And get this… when I first ventured out on the street I would play with an old guitar and repair my broken guitar strings.  I didn’t think I could make enough to buy new strings and thoughts of a new guitar were filed under totally impossible! Some of the old beliefs that used to hold me back could possibly be the same ones holding you back. For example “I’m a starving artist… if I make lots of money then I would be selling out!”, I haven’t worked hard enough to deserve that”, “I’m not good enough to be playing alongside other talented performers”, “there are so many more great musicians who are better than me who should be up here on this stage”,  “I’m only a busker so I don’t have enough money to buy (whatever) …new guitar, strings”, blah blah blah blah blah…

As soon as I started to question myself again and again about what I wanted, and got out of my comfort zone to make those things possible, I realised that I was living my life based on other peoples opinions and limiting beliefs.  It was only when I determinedly went for my dreams that all the obstacles and excuses started to fade away and my success started to flow.

Unfortunately most of us feel comfortable living a life according to traditions or a set of beliefs, and as soon as we step out and consider something new, all sorts of chaos occurs within our mind and we start making excuses like “ I’m not clever enough to make it work”, “I can’t afford to do this or buy that or take such a risk”, etc. What we should be doing is continually asking, “What do I want and what steps do I need to take to get it”.  Most people focus on why they can’t do, have or achieve something and usually end up living a tedious and repetitive existence.

I recently received an email from a musician called Christian Jones who lives in Western Australia. I’ve added it into the Busking Stories page because it’s a classic tale of breaking down limiting beliefs, following your dreams and making a great success happen against all odds. It can be hard to take a step like Christian has taken, especially when kids and family are involved, therefore all credit goes out to you Christian – Congratulations for stepping into the unknown and going for it! I’ve decided to make you our new Busker of the Month for setting such a great example!  And whilst I’m handing out accolades… even more credit to your wife and kids for giving you the freedom to play! Now that Christian has a taste of what can happen when a daily existence is filled with passion, I can’t wait to see part 2 of his story.  If he’s anything like me, it will include a family busk!

As for everyone else, I encourage you to get clear about what you want, then step out of your comfort zone and go for it!  What’s the worst that can happen… you’ll come back to doing what you’re doing now.  On the other hand, start thinking of all the things that can happen….!!!!!  My story is a perfect example and I’m not including it to brag or blow my own trumpet, but to show you that it IS possible to live the life of your dreams, no matter what anyone else says or thinks!Similar Posts:

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It’s happened again!  Another victory for buskers and the image of street performance thanks to Busker World and its rapidly growing network.

Johnnie Mac, right, plays the Didgeridoo while busking with a local musician in Prague

This success came from a most unlikely source – mainstream media being the ally this time. And not just your average daily newspaper, I might add.   A couple of weeks ago Matt Gross from the New York Times contacted me and asked if I would do an interview.  I almost fell off my chair!   Since then everyone has been saying… “how the heck did you manage that”.  My answer… “I didn’t do anything… he contacted me!” After hearing that excited and enthusiastic question so many times over the last couple of weeks, it got me thinking.  Why did the New York Times contact ME??? And my conclusion is very exciting for you and me both.

Busking is fast becoming a respected, appreciated and even a (who would’ve thought) desired career choice. Career being the key word! From the emails and comments I receive (just take a look at the comments at the end of the NY Times article to see what I mean), people are actually starting to value the gift that a busker offers.  More and more people are appreciating the creative and artistic side of busking. Some people are even understanding just how much courage it takes for a busker to put himself/herself out there in front of a crowd who haven’t specifically come out to watch them.  Until now, (a time when a widespread change of attitude is developing – and about time to I reckon), a busker had to face judgement from the masses who were presuming that this person is begging or most certainly, down and out.  The artistic skills were overlooked 99% of the time.  What a relief it is that the mindset is changing so positively… and so rapidly.  Bring it on I say!  Street performers… get excited and gear yourself up for a surge of opportunities.

About the interview… it includes some great info on busking and a part of my story that you haven’t heard before. I also talk about how I found success playing mostly my own original music. This is a debatable subject for buskers who think the only way to become successful on the street is to play cover songs.  Matt also covered how busking tied in with my on-stage music career.  He even added a few of my songs to the article. How cool is that!  So when someone tells you that you’re crazy to get out there and busk – that it will dampen your image, you can smile and let that comment slide like water off a ducks back!

Here’s the link to the New York Times Busking Story

So what next? To put this into perspective – for an unknown, independent Aussie musician, let alone a busker (for goodness sake!!!), to get their name and music into a major US newspaper is practically unheard of. So now I have to capitalise on this moment… put my promoters cap on and do the job that the record company would do… that is send a press release out (highlighting the NY Times interview of course) to every newspaper, radio and TV station I can think of. Stay tuned to see what evolves next.Similar Posts:

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Earlier this year, 3 of my songs made it to the top of Triple J’s Unearthed charts in Australia and I made no secret about the fact that I prompted this success.  A lot has happened following my chart topping victory, and even though I’ve had a lot of requests asking “where can I buy your album”, I was taken by surprise by the amount of emails I received asking how I did it. Considering I’m a busker and proud of it!, I don’t do stage gigs very often and I don’t have a record deal, many people – especially other street performers and independent musicians – now want to know the secrets to my success… how had I managed to move from street to worldwide recognition so easily.

Enter Michelle lovingly known as  ‘Mikey’ – my gorgeous missus and manager who has been working in the music industry since 1996.  Mikey started off her music biz career learning from Jeff Buckley and his crew and then moved on to study music management (where we first met), work for a record company, and then start her own business where she successfully managed bands – taking them from garage to national recognition and promoted Australian original music using her Australian Music website.  And even though the internet was in its infancy back then (1997), Mikey quickly discovered how to use the world wide web to replace the role of the record company.  All of a sudden artist management became a lot easier for her and success came faster than she could handle it.

That’s when I came onto the scene (1998) and slowed things down a little.  We fell madly in love and Mikey – being a wanderer at heart, jumped at the chance to start living a nomadic lifestyle once again.  We renovated a camper bus and travelled around Australia – busking, basking and making babies!  Along with the children came acerage and a new project that pulled us away from the music scene for a few years, yet all the while, Mikey never stopped getting requests to manage up-and-coming artists, work in A&R, or at least share her knowledge and I never stopped playing, busking and creating more music.

The time finally came when I finished recording my album and then expected my brilliant ‘manager/wife’ to do her thing with it.  You know… get it out there as only she knows how.

This is when Mikey rekindled her ‘relationship’ with the computer and started to discover how modern technology had suddenly opened up a whole new world of possibilities for musicians.  Her excitement was contagious, so we formed a team and together learnt that the internet was a goldmine for any indi musician who had a bit of drive to market their own music.

Finally, after years of research and experimenting, we have produced a step by step system that teaches musicians how to blast their name and their music worldwide – without a record company, without a manager and without gigging your arse off AND whats even more exciting is that we’ve put together a 3 day workshop to teach anyone whose interested, exactly how to do it.

So if you’re still playing the ‘old school’ system of gigging continuously or pounding the pavements and waiting to be discovered – which is exactly what I once thought I needed to do to sell my album, then you may be interested knowing that there in a much quicker, easier and smarter way of doing things.  We’ve found a way to combine traditional music management systems together with modern technology – and you’ll be blown away with the results.

This is a great opportunity to meet face to face, hang out for a few days, exchange busking tips and stories with a bunch of other street performers as well as learn a heap of – surprisingly easy – online strategies that will help get your name and your music (or whatever artform you do) – out to a worldwide audience very quickly.

By the way, if you’re not  into being a rockstar – that’s ok – that makes 2 of us, but if you want to spend more time being creative and make more money from whatever your artform is, then this workshop will definitely show you exactly how to do that.

I hope to see you there

Johnnie Mac

Find out more at www.MusicSuccessExplained.comSimilar Posts:

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I didn’t know if I could (or even should) write this blog. Initially it all seemed to hard, to big, to painful, but after sitting alongside the freshly covered grave of my best friend and listening to what felt like a very clear message from his spirit, it became obvious to me that this is what he wanted me to do.  I soon realised it was also something I NEEDED to do.

So I decided to write this blog straight away before I changed my mind – just a couple of days after Adrian’s farewell ceremony and it helped my grieving process enormously.  I can’t find any other way of describing the courage I conjured up to do this, other than the way I felt when I did my first live gig.

Another thing that helped me put my thoughts onto paper was the hope that my words would somehow help others who may have gone through a similar experience. Maybe my words would linger in the minds of some and help those who may have to go through these kinds of painful emotions in the future. Sharing my vulnerable side would certainly help many readers get to know me a bit more. Or maybe it would help others to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel in times of hardship – and often the light appears when you reconnect with your passion.  My passion being music.

Just a short time ago, I received an email from a busker telling me about how she was finding it hard to get out and live again, to busk again after 3 people close to her had suddenly died. She felt like she had fallen into a hole and couldn’t find the inspiration to pick herself up and move forward again. I can relate to her story and empathise with her completely. Death is such a weird thing. Becoming so completely overcome with such great loss and sadness. Then it can get totally weird when people who were close to the person who passes away suddenly start behaving completely out of character. People start saying or doing hurtful things and start pointing the finger of blame all to quickly. It’s such an awkward time, but I guess we all grieve in different ways.

For me, I like to sing, it’s my way of getting through hard times (some call it singing the blues – even though punk blues are often more my style… the harder and faster I sing, the better I feel). But no matter how fast or slow, loud or soft, music can be incredibly healing and there are many songs that can help us understand difficult times and give us strength again to climb out of those dark holes.

The night before Adrian’s funeral, my wife told me “I’m just not ready to say goodbye yet, but the only thing that has helped me let go has been your song with the lyrics ‘This is only One Farewell’ which I keep singing over and over.  It’s the only thing that is helping me to let go”.  The vibe of this song and the lyrics comforted my wife and helped her find some strength.  I’m sure many people have had the same experience from certain songs be it for death, birth, love, etc. This is the mysterious and miraculous gift that music brings us.

Singing seems to clear the air for me and puts me in contact with the person I was close to. It helps if I can sing at their ceremony or celebration of life.  I sang for my mum at her funeral and it was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I sang Tim Buckley’s ‘Song to the Siren’. I only had time to learn it one day before the funeral and no matter how many times I played it, I just couldn’t get it right. So I gave in and decided not to play. My decision not to play was suddenly supported by some family members who thought that my style of ‘pop’ music wouldn’t be appropriate in a catholic church.

But deep down I really did want to do something special for my mum and my music was a gift she always appreciated from me. I also felt such a strong urge to express myself through song. Yet my family had given me the perfect excuse to remain in my darkness by saying that they didn’t want me to sing.

I finally recognised the inner conflict going on and realised that NOT playing just didn’t feel right. So, I asked myself “what would mum want? ” And I told my family that I was going to ask mum what she wanted! They thought I’d gone a bit loopy and took no notice. But this is what I do. To this day, in times of confusion I still call upon my father’s wisdom.

So I asked my mother and I got a very strong answer to sing! I then knew with all my heart that my mum wanted me to do this for her. Once I knew this, everything seemed to fall into place.  My family thought I was crazy, but couldn’t argue when I told them “mum wants me to play”.  Then a good friend appeared out of nowhere and decided to sing with me. Hearing my lack of confidence with a new song, she said “C’mon, think of all those difficult performances you’ve done out in all those far flung corners of the world and on stage in front of thousands of people… compared to that, you know this will be easy!”

She reminded me that this wasn’t about me, it was for my mother and that she’d want me to do it no matter how good or bad it sounded. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be you, your gift for her”. Her message hit home and although I still couldn’t get the song right on the morning of the funeral, I still played and at the ceremony it all seemed so easy.  In fact, the song seemed to take on a life of its own and I was just the vehicle that brought it to life. After that day, my confidence grew tenfold knowing that I could celebrate the lives of those close to me with such a powerful gift. And it never ceases to amaze me how things pan out… as a result of this newfound confidence, I started getting requests to sing ‘special moment’ songs at weddings, engagements, parties, etc.

Since that incredibly powerful and memorable moment, that song has always carried a strong memory of my mum with it. It’s her song now.  And to this day, whenever I go out to perform I use that lesson to carry me out onto the stage where I give the audience a bit of the ‘real’ me. In fact, I give them a lot of the real me which will never be perfect, and from what my audiences keep telling me – that’s what makes every live performance so unique.

So when my dearest friend Adrian suddenly left us, I knew – without a shadow of doubt that I had to sing at his farewell.  I wanted to honour this incredible guy who encouraged everything I ever chose to do, no matter how big the dream. Adrian was a peaceful eco warrior, a wild mushroom expert and a walking encyclopaedia when it came to Australian native animals and plants. He was a pillar of support for me and my wife Michelle, as well as an uncle and teacher to my 4 children. He was always there for us whenever we needed to travel for work or go on tour or go out traversing from city to bush on busking adventures. He was the chief tree planter and decision maker for the environmental charity we managed together. Everyone needs an Adrian in their life and I always felt so blessed to have him in ours, long before he left and even more now that he’s gone. And even though he will be deeply missed, he has reinforced a message that is emerging in this blog… that is – to truly appreciate the value of life – and the value of who we are and what we bring to this world.

So often musicians and performers undervalue what they do and what they have to offer society. Uncannily, it seems that some of my darkest moments have helped me learn to value what I do as a performer. They have taught me to accept that I cannot please everyone, but I can, most definitely, bring some level of joy or happiness to those I love and those who love who I am and what I do.  It seems crazy that the loss of incredible people in my life has taught me that all I have to do is reach out to those who are supportive and I’ll automatically find success.

I mentioned earlier how my wife found comfort and strength from my song called ‘One Farewell’. It’s amazing how appropriate this song was for Adrian, so I thought I should share it with you.  One Farewell was recorded for my album and was performed at Adrian’s ceremony by myself and a local Aboriginal guy – Kyle Slabb, who played percussion and sang the message in his traditional Bundjalung language.  Adrian’s ashes were spread out over a forest where he had spent hours working to bring it back to life and amongst the native gardens that he planted.  As we sang, Adrian’s spirit was set free in a beautiful place that was so special to him. It was an incredible moment to play this very special acoustic version and again it came out easily in a wide open space, out in the forest.

I’ll be forever grateful to Adrian for his gift of friendship and for giving me the opportunity to continue my music career. I feel honoured that I could repay him with a gift that he helped me develop.

Cheers Adrian, you were an integral part of our family and one of the best mates anyone could ask for and it brings us all great comfort knowing that you are here, not only in spirit, but in song.

Here are the lyrics to One Farewell which you can hear and read more about at www.johnniemac.com

ONE FAREWELL
© April 1998
Lyrics by John McCarthy & Chris Driscoll, Music by Johnnie McCarthy
Bundjalung Lyrics by Kyle Slabb.

I hear in Spirit talking
The stories from your walking
All the stories you have sung to us
Are the ones that we will tell
And though you chose to leave us now,
Oh this, is only one farewell

Land that you have walked upon
Was never to be kept
Land cannot be stolen when anointed by the wept
Land that once was taken is sacred by the tears
And flags and boats in foreign lands….
Remembered in the years
As only one farewell
Oh this is only one farewell

Bundjalung walking, Bundjalung talking
[REPEAT X 3]

The stories you have sung to us
Are the ones that we will tell
This grieving from your leaving softens…. knowing
This is only one farewell

Fires burning, soul’s returning
You have left us with the learning
Fires burning, soul’s returning
You have left us with the learning
Oh fires burning, soul’s returning
You have left us with the learning
Oh fires burning, soul’s returning
You have left us with the learning

This is only one farewell
[REPEAT X 2]

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At the end of 2008, I sent out an email to BuskerWorld members containing 2 exclusive gifts.

The first one was an invite to audition for America’s Got Talent after the casting director called me from the USA offering private auditions for our BuskerWorld members.

The second gift was a fun, money-spinning busking tip to help street performers steer clear of sidewalk competition, bring more enjoyment into their performance during the holiday season and help fill up that hole that suddenly appears in wallets during that time of year.
I must admit I was surprised with the response, to say the least!

I’m happy to say that everyone was thankful for the gifts, but I was shocked by the emails that followed telling me about why that tip wouldn’t work for them or that they weren’t good enough to audition for America’s Got Talent.

I had to ask… did anyone actually get out there and give it a go before finding hundreds of reasons why it wouldn’t work??? Thankfully there were a few who tried which restored my faith and commitment to BuskerWorld, but mostly there were excuses galore and then I even received a newspaper article from a member about how buskers were destined to crash due to the economic situation.

Doom and gloom prevailed!!

Whoa!… I found myself shaking my head in disbelief many times and questioning my outlook. Why were the majority of buskers presuming the worst? Are buskers getting pissed off with my success stories because they experience a different reality? Should I be counselling buskers to believe in themselves instead of offering positive tips and advice? Should I be empathizing with buskers instead of setting a positive example? Should I be buying into the doom and gloom instead of encouraging others to create their own reality as I, and many others buskers have done?

These questions held BuskerWorld back. To be honest I couldn’t relate to the negativity and I didn’t know how to address these issues because my attitude differed to what many buskers were thinking. I believe that you make your own success no matter how difficult the situation appears to be. If something is not working then try something new, move locations, copy other success stories, join forces with friends or fellow musicians to get the creative ideas flowing. After all, sharing the profits is better than no profits at all. I get focussed and put my thinking cap on and try ANYTHING that will change a situation I don’t like, no matter how scary it may feel. But it seemed that many people weren’t thinking this way and I didn’t know what to say that most could relate to. I wasn’t sure if my busking success, tips and advice were creating despair rather than inspiration.

For the early part of 2009, BuskerWorld was experiencing website technical difficulties and I had an upsurge in my own music career which kept me busy and gave me time to gather my thoughts about what information I should share with BuskerWorld members. I then received the following busking story and realised that it related to the common negativity I was witnessing and that it would make a perfect subject for this blog.

This is a story that all buskers could relate to as it demonstrates rejection at its best  – a common dilemma which can quickly eat away at a performers self confidence and lead to a gloomy outlook. In my own experience, a determination to keep trying time and time again resulted in a great deal of success on the street, but rejection was – and STILL IS – a dominant factor. Persistence is the key and hearing stories such as the one below helps strengthen my confidence in what I do, as well as solidify my understanding of how unpredictable street performance can be. Perseverance resulted in years of busking experience that gave me all the clues I needed to conquer times of recession and I reveal these invaluable tips in my ebook. I hope this story inspires you to keep trying… to persist.

A busker sat at the Metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin. It was a cold January morning and it appeared to most that this performer had braved the harsh weather to earn his keep. His street performance lasted 45 minutes and included six Bach pieces. As it was rush hour thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

3 minutes went by and a middle-aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then, as if suddenly realizing he had been momentarily distracted from his usual morning routine he hurried off to meet his schedule.  A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip from a woman who threw the money in the violin case without stopping. A few minutes later another by passer leaned against the wall to listen to him before looking at his watch and rushing off again, clearly he was due somewhere.

In this 45 minute busking session, only 6 people stopped and watched for a short time. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The busker collected $32. His music was mostly unnoticed and when he finished playing, no one applauded, only 1 person acknowledged his talent.

No one knew this, but the violinist at this particularly ‘lonely’ performance happened to be Joshua Bell, one of the most renowned musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth over 3 million dollars. Two days before this solo busk in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theatre in Boston where the seats average $100.

Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The summary was – in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

And the conclusions from this experiment could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

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G’day from the wild wild west! I’ve gotta admit I’m feeling pretty high right now after a series of interesting events which is showing me that busking is weaving its way into the hearts and minds of many.

But before I share the good busking news, here’s a quick rundown on why I’m sitting alongside the Indian Ocean and penning this blog…

For the past 3 Novembers, I’ve conquered the 5 day drive or the 6 hour flight from east coast to west coast so I can experience the warmth of Perth and its people, as well as the glorious south west.

Thanks to my lovely ‘sandgroper’ missus who is originally from the west and knows this side of the country like the back of her hand, we come back each year to perform a few Johnnie Mac city gigs and then head south to busk in the lush Margaret River township and surrounding area. And while we spend most of our days wandering through giant forests, swimming in awesome beaches, visiting wineries to sample West Australian vino and taste a variety of scrumptious food, it’s incredible to know that a few hours of busking each day will cover all my costs to this magnificent part of the world.

Which brings me to the some interesting busking news… a few nights ago BuskerWorld crashed. The guy who helped me put the website together needed to increase the bandwidth (whatever the hell that is) to fix the problem and called me to ask what I had done to attract 2400 visitors to the site in one night. “I can assure you – nothing at all”… after a day of wine tasting, I was way too jolly to be straining myself thinking of computers and websites! A bit more investigation and he discovered that there was an article posted online called ‘5 Ways to Get Rich (Without a Single Discernible Skill)’ which had received 1310 diggs (whatever the hell that is) and as a result was posted on hundreds of social networking websites.

The exciting news is that the guy who wrote this article decided to include street performance as one of the 5 ways to get rich and covered my busking experience in the article. He even included a link to back to BuskerWorld which resulted in busking receiving more positive exposure and even better – a huge amount of new BuskerWorld members! As I plan to introduce a forum to the website next year, having an enormous database of members is going to be a fantastic resource for all us busking enthusiasts and of course street performance newbies.

And while I’m on the subject of positive busking exposure…. get this…

I received a phone call a few weeks back, that not only took me by surprise, but made me realise that more ‘everyday’ people are finally waking up to the art of busking. During my 20 years of busking escapades, I discovered that it was mainly ‘arty’ alternative types who truly appreciated buskers and their talents. But this totally unexpected phone call again showed me that a shift is happening in mainstream society. And all I can say is… Hooray! It’s about bloody time!!

The phone call was from the casting director of ‘Australia’s Got Talent’ – a television programme that is similar to American / Australian Idol. They asked me to send an invite to BuskerWorld members asking them to audition for the programme. I had to smile… that call made my day… maybe even my year! Buskers being invited to perform on a TV talent show! and what made it even better is that the invite came from mainstream commercial tv. Now that’s great news if you ask me. The more exposure that buskers receive, the more acknowledged our art will become which can only result in more respect, more opportunities, bigger audiences, more income – which means MORE FREEDOM to live an exceptional lifestyle!

Some of the main things I wanted to achieve with the creation of BuskerWorld was to offer simple tips, advice and valuable information so that artists would feel confident to take their art to the streets and then get wider public exposure and recognition. Even more exciting was the possibility that BuskerWorld – in particular my blog – would help to improve the image of buskers – from downtrodden beggar to creative artist. To my delight, the latest turn of events is proving that the hard work is paying off.

So if you were on the ball and had your name on the BuskerWorld member list a few weeks ago, you would have received an email from me with all the details of the auditions. The enormous amount of feedback I received showed that buskers were excited to finally be acknowledged by the mainstream and recognised by the commercial media as having ‘talent’.

A heartfelt thanks to all of you for visiting BuskerWorld and helping to build a website that has lifted the image of buskers and the art of busking and street performance. If you have the slightest interest in this artform, then I encourage you to sign up for the free ecourse which gets your name into the member database and then keeps you up to date with all the latest busking news, tips and stories.

Until next week when I announce the new busker of the month, cheers from the breathtaking south west of Australia

Johnnie MacSimilar Posts:

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• The Power and The Passion
• Rock Around The Rock
• Do You Want To Spend 3 Days with Me and a Worldwide Audience?
• In Honour Of My Best Friend And One Of Lifes Greatest Gifts – Music

Well I’m not rich and I’m not overly famous, but my lifestyle is on a par – arguably better.

As the rest of Australia freezes in record low temperatures, I drive along the dusty red road, heading north to Australia’s best kept secret location. Listening to great music with the sun streaming in through the window and the sounds of Australia echoing in my ears, both from the call of the outback desert wilderness and the thumping beat of the stereo as it blasts out another classic Aussie highway tune.

As I headed north towards the warmer weather, leaving behind the awesome red rock and the breath-taking heart of Australia, I felt a mixture of emotions… from great inspiration to great expectations. Sadly waving goodbye to one incredible part of the world and at the same time, excitedly heading towards the warmer, more enticing tropical region of this big brown land where many Australians escape to for the winter. The solitude of the outback encouraged me to reflect on what an amazing lifestyle I have and what a magnificent country I was born in. It’s this subject that I would like to blog about today as I believe lifestyle is becoming more and more important to many, with lots of people now putting lifestyle ahead of career or the amount of wealth they have, their celebrity status, or the number of other pursuits that many people often put before quality of life.

As people go past me on the street when I’m performing, it is often assumed that I have a difficult life. I can tell this by a certain look on their faces or from talking to the many passers-by, fans and well wishers who have stopped to chat with me over the years. I’m thankful for their interest in what I do, but as for their concerns about my lifestyle - well, in fact… I actually do have a career and a ‘proper job’, although it may not seem that way to those people who have taken the time to stop and speak to me.  Interestingly enough, I often discover that in many cases, I have a happier, richer and more fulfilling ‘career’ and lifestyle than they do. I don’t say this to put others down but to emphasise that busking offers an incredible lifestyle and has many hidden advantages that most people are completely unaware of.

And here’s an example of just one of them…I’m extremely grateful for the ‘land down under’ and the opportunity to travel across it and around it performing if I want to, whenever and wherever I choose. It’s adventures like the one I’m currently on that opened up yet another opportunity for me to perform in a very unique venue in the Northern Territory – a place called Daly Waters which is one of those classic Aussie outback one-pub towns (that means there is nothing else in the town except 1 pub!). I dropped into this historic village for a look around, a reminisce and a cold beer to break up the long distances inbetween roadhouses and townships.  I wasn’t planning to stay here longer than an hour, but after chatting to Frank – a lively, vibrant character who was the town’s jack-of-all-trades, he quickly detected that I was a musician and invited me to play a short set later that night.  I found out that this guy also happened to be providing the on-stage entertainment for the evening and was up to his 78th consecutive night of performing at that pub. So, not only did my family get accommodation with dinner and ice-creams afterwards, but I got to perform in one of the most original venues on the planet. When I first walked into that pub, I said to my wife “now this is the kind of place I’d love to play!” This comment was made about an hour before I met the guy who invited me to perform.

Frank playing his 78th consequtive gig  (note the chicken on his hat!)

Don’t miss the live chickens perched in front of me – where they stayed for the entire show.

Playing a live show gives you instant credibility – people will tell others about you; you can add the performance to your resume; add names to your mailing list and what’s more, if the people like your music, it feels great to suddenly have a captive audience and the opportunity  to sell some CD’s. On top of the other perks and tips thrown in – it can be just as profitable as a good session at your favourite busking hot spot. So, I may not have been officially busking that night, but this type of opportunity is a result of my busking escapades and has been happening to me all over the world every time I’ve set off on an unplanned, impromptu busking walkabout. Importantly none of this would have happened if I was sitting in my 9-5 job or stuck in a rut because I keep telling myself that I can’t travel outback or go overseas because I don’t have the money, the time, the resources, etc, etc, etc.

The greatest tip you’ll hear from many performers or famous and successful people is that “you will never, ever be ready” or “ it will never be the right time”.  What they are trying to say is – if you keep making excuses as to why you can’t get out and do exactly what you WANT to do - like record a CD, perform live, travel the world, busk, etc… you’ll keep waiting for the time to be right, or things to get better, or have enough money before you get out there and do it. This usually results in it never happening at all.  Absolutely nothing changes and more often than not, you miss many great opportunities to live the life of your dreams. And even more frustratingly, your lifestyle will stay exactly the same.

I wasn’t a talented singer or song writer when I first went out to play my music on the street, but not only did my creative talents improve, I opened up a whole world of opportunities that have changed my life for the better.  I took what I thought was an enormous risk and left a great job at a time in my life when I was a young adult, moving quickly up the career ranks. Most people thought I was throwing away a promising career and future in a very secure government job.

I’m so glad I took that risk and listened to my heart and not all my well-meaning friends and relatives. I now have an even better career and my future gets more and more exciting each day. Most importantly I’m living an extraordinary lifestyle and my friends constantly comment on how incredible my life is… just as good as the rich and famous, yet without all the commotion and hullabaloo.

I encourage you to do whatever it takes to start living the life of your dreams instead of watching everyone else doing it on TV! 

Maybe my latest video busking tips will help you take the plunge… they can be found at http://www.youtube.com/johnniemacband

Cheers to busking and the great Aussie outback!

Johnnie Mac
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• The Power and The Passion
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[Note: If you haven’t read the other blogs below, you may like to start with ‘The Great Aussie Outback Busk’ so you’re up to speed with the story so far.]

The outback busk-about continues as I adjust back into town life once more… and I couldn’t ask for a better place to transform from outback wanderer to street wise busker … Australia’s heartland and lively centre – Alice Springs, one of the most ancient regions on earth as far as ecology and culture is concerned, yet most people don’t ever hear it described this way.

With busking on my mind and fingers itching to strum, one of the first things I do when I arrive in a new city or town, as I’m wandering around sightseeing, is take note of where (and most importantly – when) street performers do their thing. The common places are usually tourist attractions, city parks, promenades, and inner city / cbd (central business district) pedestrian strips.  In this case, Todd Street mall was the place for street music.

Now, thanks to modern technology and my best mate – google, I had a heads up on this info. Before I left home on this trip I googled ‘busking in Alice Springs’ and “wah-lah”, in less than a minute I discovered that the Todd Street mall is the main place for street performance. At the same time, the google search results revealed that busking permits were required, so I contacted the Alice Springs Town Council and asked what was needed to officially busk in the Todd street mall. The clerk was obviously excited to be talking to a musician rather than shuffling tedious council paperwork and happily answered my questions, providing me with all the important info I wanted, plus more. He emailed me the permit straight away and was quick to let me know that the council was encouraging street performers because they wanted to attract more tourists into that area. The permit took me less than 5 minutes to fill out and send back to him. Best of all, it was free. So now I’m feeling good that I’ve done the right thing; my ass is covered should anyone object to me busking in their city and what’s more… I’m feeling far more confident now that I know so much about the place, the people, the laws and authorities and their attitudes to art and culture, etc, etc.

I find that many street performers are quick to postpone their busking aspirations or don’t venture into new territory due to what they think maybe a complicated process to obtaining permits and licenses. But as you’ve just discovered, often it is such a simple process and could end up providing a wealth of information. Now, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again and again… in this particular vocation, I can assure you from my own personal experiences, being armed with all the right info is one of the most invaluable confidence boosters you’ll ever find.

Back to Alice Springs and the Todd Street mall… after chatting with the locals in stores or with staff during a few cappuccino stops (which will now become a tax deduction), I found out that most if not ALL buskers perform in front of a very busy alfresco cafe first thing in the morning. This is where the tourists come for breakfast. The etiquette rules are ‘first in best dressed’. Now this is where my rebellious nature kicks in and why my system has been so successful. I do the opposite to what other street performers are doing. I decided to perform in the mid afternoon, at the other end of the mall near a bank ATM, music shop, 3 alfresco cafe restaurants and not far from the entrance to a busy multi level shopping centre.

Interestingly, I made a motza! (Aussie slang for ‘lots of’ or ‘I made a killing’!) and I could have finished in a couple of hours, but time passed quickly as I enjoyed blasting away the vocal cobwebs that had built up over the last week. I drew a crowd by playing some songs that related to the area; I practised a few new songs to test out audience response, played a few covers as well as played all my own favourites, chatted to the crowd and even shot some video footage www.youtube.com/johnniemac My lady went shopping and my kids danced and played around me and made new friends with the pedestrians who stopped to talk.

Most importantly the tourists, locals and especially the Aboriginal people (who were always the first to drop money in my case) loved the new entertainment.

I left that place positively buzzing, with a bounce in my step. Another successful day at the office! …No competition, no stress and no objections from the police, who happened to drive by and authoritatively inspect my set-up as I was shooting a busking info video inbetween songs. I nodded confidently and gestured towards the official permit which was displayed in my case… they kept on driving!

And in a few hours, so will I… onto the next port of call… north to the tropical heat for more fun, relaxation, adventure and of course, busker inspiration. Watch this space!

Cheers from a town called Alice

Johnnie Mac
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My outback busk-about continues and comes to you from central Australia. If you haven’t read the last 2 posts below, then please check them out now. This way you won’t feel like you’ve picked up a book and started reading chapter 3 first!

Once you’ve caught up with my ‘walkabout busk’ adventure so far, you might realise that what I’m attempting to do here is challenge the myth of the 9-5, work hard for 5 or 6 days of the week and then play hard during the short time left over. Through busking, I’ve mastered the art of playing 7 days a week… morning, noon and night and what most don’t realise is than anyone can do the same…. armed with an open mind and the relevant know-how of course.

After reading these stories, you’ll see that performing out in the middle of the isolated Australian outback (a lifelong dream) hasn’t left my pockets bulging with wads of cash, but what has made my dream a reality is busking in the cities and towns inbetween! I get the best of both worlds. Busking has filled my pockets more than enough to continue my latest adventure. Busking has yet again radically improved my lifestyle and I’m grateful that busking has helped free me from the shackles of full time employment.

As I drive along the Lasseter Highway, heading west out to Uluru (Aboriginal name for Ayer’s Rock) in central Australia, stereo blasting, sun blazing, warm breeze billowing in thru the windows (along with the red dust), the kids are happy in the back waiting eagerly for their first glimpse of the almighty rock they’ve seen and heard so much about….

I have plenty of time to contemplate how many people would love to be doing exactly this. My thoughts of sumptuous lifestyles for everyone quickly fade as I reluctantly remind myself that most people think that living the life of your dreams is  impossible due to their beliefs that a 9-5 job is what makes you an all round responsible, conscientious, sensible, respectable human being.   Hmmmm???

Yes I also struggled with those beliefs when I left my full time, well paid job at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, to take on the life of a wandering busker. I eventually did take the plunge after building up enough courage and my life dramatically changed for the better. I realized that there are far too many outdated opinions that do nothing other than keep people stuck in a shitty lifestyle.

Something that is regularly overlooked when people notice a busker, is the behind-the-scenes lifestyle that he or she may have. Often buskers receive what I call sympathy money (donations for the poor) – as the passerby automatically assume that the ‘poor thing’ must definitely be down and out – why else would they be performing on the streets for a few cents here and there. Little do they know that in many cases, their assumptions are a far cry from reality. Thankfully opinions are slowly changing and I hope that information on websites such as Buskerworld and in blogs like this are helping to speed up this process!

So here I am in the heart of my homeland… Uluru otherwise known as Ayer’s Rock. I’ve been to this incredible place before, yet it’s pure majestic awesomeness never fails to completely blow my socks off! This rock rocks! I understand why there has been quite a few songs written about Uluru and the surrounding area and each time I hear them I feel a pang to return. And when I do visit again, I always get a blast of songwriting inspiration from the power of the land and the passion that arises in me.  The pic below has Kata Juta (The Olga’s) in the background which is near Uluru in the same national park.

My connection with Australia has inspired so many of my own songs, which I talked about in my last blog post and will be covering in more detail in my music www.johnniemac.com website blog.

One particular song about Ayers Rock that I didn’t like very much at all, was a tune that I often mimicked tongue-in-cheek. It was more like a joke to me, that is, until I came out here this time. All of a sudden, I got it! I understood where the songwriter was coming from and this time, I surprised myself and my family when I began to sing this song with passion.

That (once disliked) song has since become a favourite in our van and my wife and kids know it word for word, singing it with just as much passion after they themselves hiked the 11 kilometre walking trail around Uluru…

and played on and around its sky-scraping slopes.

Isn’t it interesting that we all can’t stop singing the song I once made fun of? You may understand why after looking at these photos.

This is what I get off on! The power of music. This is why I love to travel and perform all over the world and this is why I have dreamed (for quite some time) to perform in the outback.

The power of the song and its ability to connect songwriter, artist and listeners to a person, place or event is magic! I guess this also explains why some people love a particular song and others think the same song is complete shite.

Keep in mind, if you’re like me…ie a rebellious busker who wants to sing your own songs or tunes that haven’t been hammered a gazillion times on the radio, then it’s important to choose songs that have a good story, or ones that stir up familiarity for the listener. This will definitely help to connect you with an audience. I’ll be talking more about this in an upcoming blog, but right now it’s time to entertain the locals, as it’s beer o’çlock in the Northern Territory’s dusty desert heat.

Cheers until chapter 4 where I’ll take to the streets in a town called Alice

Johnnie MacSimilar Posts:

• The Power and The Passion
• The Great Aussie Outback Busk!
• Lifestyles Of The Rich and Famous
• In Honour Of My Best Friend And One Of Lifes Greatest Gifts – Music
• Busking Tips From The Heart