Street performing should be the new job of choice for graduating artists

There comes a time in an artist’s career where they become cocky. They want to share and they want to share with everyone.

The average artist doesn’t think to run to the unwelcoming streets or the hot arid subways of New York City to show off their craft.

My eager and arrogant 16-year-old self did just that and I have continued to do it every summer since.

If you’re an artist of any kind—be it your actual major, your birthright, or just your hobby, allow me to enlighten you on why it’s the best thing a blooming artist can do this century, and why you need to start viewing street performers differently.
 Let me start by saying the streets are real.

Strangers initially will not care about you, your art, or your feelings. This is a good thing. How will you ever grow as an artist if you’re not receiving any criticism?

Many artists begin their careers by showcasing their work to their close friends and family, and they love you. Whether you produced the work of the millennia, or something agonizing to look at or listen to, they’re still going to smile and clap for you.

Average Joe who’s late for his nine-to-five doesn’t give a damn, and it becomes your goal to make him. Which is hard, but when you do that’s how you know for a fact you’re good.

What makes street performing or “busking” so phenomenal is you have to perform at your very best consistently to even get any money. Even then there’s no guarantee your best is very appealing.

Back in the beginning of my busking career I wasn’t rolling in the dough and I even struggled to make the train fare back home some days. People would look away to avoid me and go about their days.

The rudest man took time out of his day to find a music lessons flier and put it in my guitar case instead of actual money.

So, yeah I sucked. I wasn’t terrible but I wasn’t payable back then either, and it showed.

I got better over that first summer. I improved my craft, watched videos, took hints and realized certain styles and ways I performed really affected the amount of money I made. I eventually began to generate little crowds when I performed.

Still I wasn’t anything compared to the saxophone playing street performer who had a prime spot and bragged about how he makes at least sixty untaxed dollars in an hour.

That’s more than what some of your mommies and daddies make.

Maybe you’re actually great, your issue isn’t even whether or not you’re good enough to get paid for your art.

Perhaps what you’re lacking, or what you’re worried about after college is just the exposure.

There is the Internet but unless you stand out amongst the millions of other artists who have also discovered the Internet you’re going to have a hard time getting your art the attention it deserves.

I learned this past summer exposure would affect how much money I made. Trying to get it, I turned to the New York City subways.

I had the pleasure of working with a young man by the name of Keon Torres who frequently performs at open mic nights and headlines performances at various venues and campuses all over New York.

Before we even started playing he said to me, “I’ve made more money from street performing than I did from some of my featured shows at venues who take large percentages of an artists earnings.”

My first time out busking in the subway was initially uncomfortable and foreign to me. But as Keon promised, we managed to generate about one hundred and twenty dollars within about three and a half hours (even with bathroom breaks, my guitar string breaking and having to stop entirely to buy new ones).

Some of the compliments and feedback you get from the passengers is phenomenal. People smile ear to ear and even sing and clap along to the parts of the songs they know. It’s a surreal feeling to have strangers so invested and so quick to turn those vacant expressions into faces of joy.

As an artist isn’t that something you’d wish to see everyday?

(Check out Keon Torres on IG @keontorres1412)

Of the other street performers I know they are all people with interesting backgrounds. I met one who is a graduate student at NYU’s polytechnic school and another from Juilliard. Others had impressive 9 – 5 jobs already and did this as a hobby.

It made me realize street performers are often not desperate people at all, but individuals who found a way to make hundreds of untaxed dollars quickly, and in an incredibly fun and transformative way which helps better their art in the long run.

If you’re an artist looking to expand your knowledge, talent, and notoriety in one of the best ways possible, perhaps you need to stop looking for stages and start looking towards the streets.