When many of us think of street musicians, we think of the more unfortunate side of homelessness. The reasons people end up where they do is beyond the scope of this column, but the reasons they play music while they’re there is not.
Contrary to popular belief, not all who wander are lost. Of course there is the aspect of mental illness and addiction attached to performing on the street, but there are other players out there as well.
Sometimes you might see a group of younger people and a guitar or two among them with a cup out on the sidewalk. Not only is this reminiscent of several periods in our history (with different clothes and hair, they could’ve been hippies). But there is also a complex social construct happening. The music not only bonds them, but when it’s encouraged, praised and acknowledged, it brings forth talent, drive, desire and passion from a young artist. It also provides a sense of community to a group that’s searching for something. As we all are.
There is another aspect of street performing: Art. Writing songs, finding your voice, your words and your perspective are all part of a lifelong process. One way to do that is to make yourself subject to the world through anonymity. You take it all in, the children looking at you with wonder, the folks from different generations thinking you need a job and some discipline, drunk people either laughing at you, singing with you or sometimes yelling at you for no apparent reason. You get everything this world has to offer as far as people and their dispositions. And you invite them in, invite them to look at you, pass their judgment, ignore you, smile or scowl, give you a dollar or try to take one.
Some of us are prepping for the next move. I myself have busked for hundreds of hours for a plethora of reasons. When I first came to Key West I was not prepared to play three to four hours of popular music. I needed time to hone my skills, my presentation, my song choices. I needed to thicken my skin for the bad nights and rejections. It all requires a few semesters in the school of hard knocks.
Lance Taylor, a highly respected singer/songwriter here in Key West, explains “I really loved busking. I was a novice at the time, so the benefit of playing five to seven hours a day, improving as a musician and singer is still a big part of how I approach what I do today.”
He, like many others, has gone from street musician to professional singer/songwriter and
performer.
He goes on to say, “I learned a lot about people being on the street. I learned to do ‘my thing’ and to let that attract whoever liked it.”
The city of Key West requires a license to play music on the street. It involves some paperwork, and of course a licensing fee. Performers on Mallory Square also are licensed after an audition process. With this in mind, you can see that there is more there than meets the eye. So if you’ve got a little extra, drop a bit in the hat.
