Here’s your opportunity to get 2 lots of income from 1 busk!

I’ve had 2 calls this week from large corporations looking for buskers!  And they want to pay them!

It seems that more and more people are realising that street performers can enhance any atmosphere and the corporates are now getting in on the act!  This kind of ‘street promo’ has been happening in Europe for quite some time (which I talk about in my ebook) – in fact it’s the reason busking originated and now the trend seems to be coming back again… which is great news for buskers!

The first call I received was from a major football club (whose name I cannot reveal just yet) who called to ask what they needed to do to employ buskers to play along the streets that lead their supporters from the train station to the sports ground.  They want buskers to create a vibe before the game!  And by the way… this could be a great idea to present to other football clubs in your area – if you wanna get proactive about increasing your income that is.

A few days later, I got another call from an advertising agency who want to pay buskers to create a buzz for the launch of their new ‘rocket fast’ broadband product.  There was a request for the buskers to sing a few ‘rocket’ songs in amongst their repertoire  (I guess that would be songs like ‘Rocket Man’ by Elton John, ‘Curbside Prophet’ by Jason Mraz, etc, etc, etc.)

They want to select 5 buskers who can sing and play guitar (or any other instrument), to perform at various points around the Melbourne CBD on Mon 30th November and Tues 1st December.

If you live in, or close to Melbourne, Australia (or need an excuse to visit that amazing city) then here’s your opportunity for  you to busk in some prime city locations for a set fee and have the bonus of keeping your hat out as well.

That’s guaranteed double income – surely an offer to good to refuse!

If you’re interested, the next step is to shoot me an email before this Wednesday, 11th November so these guys can look you up and book you in.

So, if getting 2 lots of income from 1 busk in Melbourne excites you, then get back to me at admin ‘at’ buskerworld ‘dot’ com asap!

Cheers
Johnnie MacSimilar Posts:

• Buskers Shock and Wow!!!
• Busker Tops The Rock Charts
• How to Busk for Profit
• Busking and Street Performing
• The Busking Recession Buster!

As most of you know, I recently ran my first 3 day workshop to help independent musicians learn how to use the power of technology to move forward with their careers rather than waiting to be ‘discovered’.

The most inspiring experience from workshop, was having a few BuskerWorld members in the audience – one guy flew from interstate to attend.

So the first thing I noticed was that the buskers were the first to create atmosphere in the room. Jason Temple asked a question shortly after we started and threw in a joke as well. Instantly the room relaxed, he broke the ice and from that moment on we all felt comfortable. Thanks Jason!

Then it was the buskers who put their hands up first for any challenge. We discovered that it was the buskers who were staying in the ritzy hotels just down the road. The buskers were quick to take part in anything that was going to move their careers forward… whilst the others um’d and ah’d, there was no hesitation from the buskers.

It was the incredible Stanmore Pheonix, busker extraordinaire who came and asked me to play his music video during the breaks and here’s what we watched…

WOW! Everyone in the room was more than impressed to say the least. By the end of the 3 days, the buskers stood out as the most outgoing, most persistent, most inquisitive and most willing to take the biggest risks. These guys totally blew me away!

Then to top it all off, all of them joined my inner circle coaching program and will be working closely with me for the next 12 months. We’ve been having lots of fun nutting out some new concepts and ideas and I’m excited with what these guys are going to achieve. Watch this space for updates on their success stories.

So you might have noticed that the RISE workshop in July was supposed to be the only one on the Gold Coast (Australia) for 2009. However, since then we’ve received a flood of phone calls and countless emails asking “will there be another Gold Coast workshop this year?”  I’ve gotta say, it’s really inspiring to know that there are many muso’s (much more than expected), who want to learn how to take control of their indie music careers.

So I’ve given in!  I’m pleased to let you know that the final Gold Coast 2009 “RISE” 3 Day Workshop will be held on 9-11 October – at the same venue – Quality Hotel in Mermaid Waters. Unfortunately we have a limit on numbers in the room and tickets are selling fast, so if you want to join me, then I strongly suggest to go check out the website for all the details.  Address is below.

There will be workshops in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth later this year, but if you live in Queensland then this is your last chance to learn how to take the reins or your music career and find out for yourself what all the buzz is about.

We will be putting 1 lucky musician on the hotseat again this time round and will also be having some inspiring guest speakers who will be sharing their music biz knowledge, experience and tips to help you make music your full time career

Check out www.MusicSuccessExplained.com for more info.

I’d LOVE to see more buskers again at the next one.

Cheers

Johnnie MacSimilar Posts:

• An Busking Opportunity To Make Double Income – Guaranteed!
• The Busking Recession Buster!
• Busking and Street Performing
• Busker Tops The Rock Charts
• How to Busk for Profit

Great news… Buskers DO get famous!

If you’ve been to BuskerWorld’s ‘Famous Buskers’ webpage you will see that there are many popular performers who either started off as buskers or have dabbled with street performance during their career. This list is lengthy and I’ve only documented a few in comparison to the vast amount of buskers who have achieved fame.

One busker who is on the brink of fame is someone you may have heard of. He started out with people saying  “….you’re wasting your time!”, “….everyone wants to hear music they know – not original stuff!  …..  you sound too different to be appreciated!”, “….you won’t be taken seriously if you busk…”  blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!… destructive comments that could very easily have disheartened this fella’s aspirations.

But despite all the warnings, backlash and criticism, the rebellious musician took to the streets anyway. He discovered busking was a great adventure and spent years learning the tricks of the trade which resulted in a dream lifestyle of music 24/7, worldwide travel, fun, friends, freedom as well as plenty of money at the drop of a hat!

Is the story sounding familiar yet? You may have guessed by now that the rebel of this story is ‘yours truly’ and yes… if it wasn’t for busking, then I daresay this blog, this website and this latest success story would be non-existent.

So here’s what’s happened and as you’re reading, keep in mind – SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES! If you’re determined to ‘ramp up’ your performance career, then you’re welcome to copy my formula and you too could also be living a dream lifestyle and topping the charts.

At the end of 2008, I decided to play a band (stage) gig on my birthday for a bit of fun and as a pre-launch for my album. For convenience and loyalty reasons, I played at the Sphinx Rock Cafe – a small cafe at the end of my street in my very tiny hometown. Little did I know what would stem from that show… radio airplay, newspaper articles and curiosity from the public created a huge wave of interest. Many people started to look up my music at Australia’s popular ‘Unearthed’ website and downloaded and commented on my songs. ‘Unearthed’ is specifically for independent (unsigned) artists and is run by Australia’s only national youth radio station called Triple J. Currently there are 7000 artists/bands listed.

3 months later my song ‘Insecure’ has reached No.3 on the ‘Unearthed’ (mixed genre ) charts and No.1 on the rock charts. Unlike most charts, my positioning doesn’t relate to album sales, but is calculated according to mass public opinion (song reviews, downloads, plays, etc).

I’m obviously thrilled with the results so far, as any busker would be!

In saying that, if my song gets up to No.1 on the overall charts then I have a greater chance of getting national airplay. As you can imagine, having my song at No.3  feels like I’m one number short from winning lotto!

So if you’re a busking fan, music lover, love a story with a happy ending, or a fellow busker who would like to play a part in this success story, then … go ahead…. make my day!

Click the box below and download my songs or even better still, submit a short 1 or 2 word, sentence or even a paragraph commenting about my songs and it will definitely help my climb up to the No.1 position.  You need to register before you can review so they know you are a real person (otherwise everyone would be reviewing themselves!)… this only takes a few minutes.

The reason why I’m sharing this story with you is not to sing my own praises, but to remind you that busking is an excellent way to start or improve your stage career. As you know, I started off as a street performer and what you may not know is that I didn’t have much belief in myself. I built up my confidence by busking – call it the school of hard knocks. And now look what’s happened as a result… and to be honest all I was doing was having fun with my music, making some money and rehearsing my songs out on the streets where there are no expectations or boundaries… oh and by the way, getting inspiration to write songs (Insecure) that are now topping the charts!

So if you think your busking endeavours are only good enough to be a hobby or that it’s simply a temporary fix to help put a few coins in your pocket, then think again. As you can see from my story, busking has been an ideal launching pad and it could be the same for you. It all comes down to persistence as well as having a positive and professional attitude.

A huge THANKS to anyone who reviews my songs. Drop me a line to admin@buskerworld.com and let me know you’ve reviewed – I’ll happily reciprocate the favour!

Cheers

Johnnie MacSimilar Posts:

• The Busking Recession Buster!
• Buskers Shock and Wow!!!
• How to Busk for Profit
• An Busking Opportunity To Make Double Income – Guaranteed!
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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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Busking is a great art. It’s enjoyable, entertaining and a lot of fun—both for the people who busk and those who watch. While most people busk simply for the fun of it, some wish to earn a living while they busk. That’s understandable, and is totally achievable.

To become a successful artist, it takes hard work, strategy and talent. No one can achieve success without having these three elements. Busking is no different. To become a successful busker, you must be willing to hone your talent, work hard and have a strategy. While we can’t teach you how to become better at busking, nor can we do the hard work for you, we can teach you a thing or two about strategy.

Strategy Counts
Even if you’re extremely talented at busking, you won’t make a living if you aren’t employing the necessary strategy to make money. That’s a fact that. Every successful busker has a strategy they follow to ensure profit. By following the tips below, you can develop a strategy that leads to success in your busking career.

Develop Your Talent
People won’t pay to watch someone who really isn’t that good. That’s why it is extremely important to practice your art to the point of perfection. Whether you’re a comedian, musician, juggler, actor or a combination of those, it’s important to get your act down pat. Then, those who see you busking will be impressed and will be more likely to give you money for your efforts.

Placement
Buskers in certain areas do better than those who busk in other areas. Placement is a very important part of successful busking. You want to “set up shop” in an area where people will actually get to see you perform. Try to observe a few different potential “spots” and pick the one that the most people go by. Make sure that there aren’t too many other buskers nearby, as they can reduce your profit.

Plan Your Act
A lot of unsuccessful buskers neglect to do one essential thing—they neglect to plan their act. Instead of taking just a few minutes to plot out their act, they go and perform unrehearsed. The result is a poorly timed act that results in little to no money earned. Don’t make this same mistake. Take some time to plan your act so that it comes across well to the people you are entertaining.

Have Your Hat In Reach
It shouldn’t be difficult for the passersby to toss some money into the hat for your effort. They should be able to just walk by and drop the money in the hat. You should put the hat right in front of where you’ll be performing. If possible, you may want to create a stand for the hat so that people can more easily reach the hat.

Thank People
Everyone loves a sincere busker. Whenever someone gives you any money, even if it’s just a little bit, you should thank them for their contribution. This does two things. The first is that it lets people know that their contribution is appreciated. The second is that it helps to increase your profit. This is because people who see you thanking someone else are more likely to give money to you because they see that you are appreciative.

Start applying the above tips to your busking, and you’ll become a profitable busker.

About The Author

Johnnie Mac is a  world class, professional and leading street performer, turned celebrated musician and the only Aussie Professional Busker who provides a fast, reliable and sure-fire Busking System that can transform any busker into a well paid and highly acclaimed entertainer who enjoys a remarkably exciting lifestyle… To discover 101 Essential Tips to Earn More Money Busking visit http://www.BuskerWorld.com/freereport

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So… What is Busking?

Most of us at some stage or another have enjoyed those special and often rare moments of taking a relaxed stroll through a park, along a beach promenade, past a tourist attraction or a casual walk through the city.

Chances are you would have noticed a musician, someone juggling, or perhaps a comedian entertaining those who pass by, and wondered “What on earth is that person doing out here?” Shouldn’t they be indoors, onstage, entertaining a seated audience?

Most definitely not!

For this is a busker and performing outdoors – busking – is what they love to do.

A busker, also known as a street performer, is someone who does exactly what the title implies… performs on the streets, usually in areas where there is high pedestrian traffic.

A busker can be a musician, comedian, juggler, clown, actor, variety artist, improviser, dancer, acrobatic, contortionist, magician, fire eater, sword swallower, snake charmer, fortune teller, sidewalk artist (sketching, painting, etc), puppeteer, storyteller, poet, mime, living statue, balloon sculptor or perform any type of art that will be appreciated by pedestrians.

Unlike professionally organized entertainment where the entertainer is guaranteed ‘x’ amount of dollars for putting on a show, a busker does not charge a set price, but will accept ‘tips’ for their performance.

The busker’s audience may walk on by – quite often with a new spring in their step, perhaps stop momentarily or even settle in and get comfortable to enjoy the entertainment. As a sign of appreciation and encouragement, the audience offers money or gifts – usually dropped into the performers ‘hat’. How well the busker performs and interacts with the audience can greatly influence how much money he or she will receive.

About the Author

Johnnie Mac is a  world class, professional and leading street performer, turned celebrated musician and the only Aussie Professional Busker who provides a fast, reliable and sure-fire Busking System that can transform any busker into a well paid and highly acclaimed entertainer who enjoys a remarkably exciting lifestyle… To discover 101 Essential Tips to Earn More Money Busking visit http://www.BuskerWorld.com/freereport

Similar Posts:

• How to Busk for Profit
• The Busking Recession Buster!
• Busker Tops The Rock Charts
• Buskers Shock and Wow!!!
• An Busking Opportunity To Make Double Income – Guaranteed!