Busking for a Living

A listener took this above picture of me while I was busking around Prince’s Island, Calgary, this summer.

I’d love to share a few of my personal thoughts and experiences from busking full-time, for a living, in case anyone else has been contemplating busking part-time or full-time. It should go without saying that busking is not a predictable path for a career. Still, the way I can get away with this is that I only have myself and my two cats to feed. As well, I’ve got tuition fees to pay and day-to-day living expenses. Nonetheless, if you’re a student or someone who wants to supplement one job with another, I have found busking to be the most rewarding and fulfilling job I’ve ever had.

For the past several months, I’ve been busking full-time around Calgary, AB, for a living. In particular, I’ve been busking primarily at the “C Train” stations (this stands for “Calgary Trains”), and I’ve been busking outside around popular Calgary destinations too. Previously, I busked in Vancouver from an extremely young age. (I’m lucky to have parents who see this as an actual job, and who encouraged it when I was too young for a formal job). I’m currently a student, studying online, though I busk for several hours a day around Calgary. I do need income, and that’s a part of it, but the other part is that I absolutely love my violin, and I love my job too. In fact, I love my violin so much that I’m practically in love with it. As well, busking every single day means performing live for hours every day, and it goes without saying that my violin playing has significantly improved. I once began crying when I realized how much I loved my violin, and when it also dawned on me that I was no longer wrestling with my violin or having to think about how to play it all of the time. Eventually, because I had been practicing and practicing my beloved instrument, it sunk into my bones how to play this thing, and my violin and bow began to feel like extensions to my arms.

If you’re looking for busking advice, please take internet advice from Reddit or similar forums with a grain of salt. There is some rather bad, amateurish advice about things like location. Some people state that you should never busk in the same location twice. Nevertheless, the most proficient buskers - who’ve oftentimes been busking for decades - note that returning to the same location day after day can, indeed, be a viable busking strategy. I myself return to the same locations - including the same times - roughly eighty percent of the time. The other twenty percent of the time, I give these listeners a break from my violin music, and I switch it up. After all, part of the fun of busking comes with trying out new locations for the first time, and being an adventurer. Notwithstanding the fact that it’s fun to explore, I still obtain significantly more success when I stick to the same locations and times that have been bringing me income. The listeners who see me busking every single day are often those most inclined to support me, especially if they appreciate my art. Some regular listeners tell me I’m their favourite artist, and they’ll drop me a five dollar bill every time they see me. Others still will hand me a fifty or a hundred dollar bill once a month or so. Or, some listeners will toss a couple of toonies into my violin case every day, and of course, this money adds up over time.

My personal favourite busking spots are the train stations close to Northeast Calgary malls. One of these stations is the highest-traffic foot traffic location in all of Calgary, aside from the downtown core. The next station is also a mall station. The malls draw a combination of locals who will support me daily, in addition to mall-goers who are newer to these parts of town, and who will support me when they want to. The adjacent bus loops also draw ample foot traffic. As such, during rush hours, I’m constantly busy playing for countless people catching trains or sometimes lingering around me to watch my live violin music for a while. Additionally, my favourite stations are covered, so I am not at the mercy of weather. Furthermore, on average, I’m financially successful, because I work so hard for people that they are more often than not inclined to support me. Moreover, listeners will take out cash if they want to help me, because they know where to find me busking. Of course, I’ve tried to busk at almost all of Calgary’s train stations, and I do still try different locations all the time. I also like to busk at events, such. as the Rotary Convention or the Calgary Stampede, as most people headed to or from such events are having the times of their lives, and you’re adding to their tourist experiences or unforgettable memories. The tips are typically higher at events, too. Not only this, though busking outside of the Rotary Convention for several days in a row led me to be approved for a formal performance inside the venue, upon receipt of the head office’s approval. This was an incredible performance experience that struck my life spontaneously.

My busking has not only been a livelihood, but has been an incredibly fulfilling way for me to share my love of music with others. Lots of locals know me by name, and will oftentimes even tell me about their families or their personal lives. I’m so appreciative that people will entrust me and welcome me into their communities like this. The only downsides of my job are the high crime rates of my selected high-traffic locations. I have been robbed, stalked, harassed, attacked with bear spray, and nearly attacked. Fortunately, peace officers and police officers work hard to protect these high-crime transit locations, though I’ve still gone home in tears and shaken from crimes that I’ve endured. Another downside of busking full-time, for me at least, is the overuse injuries. When I got carried away busking during stampede season, at the Calgary Stampede nearby train stations or entrances, I began slowly but surely cutting into my fingers. I then wound up with severe nerve pain, from the cuts to my fingers. However, I have since been bandaging my hands, and have since gotten on with my busking.

My busking adventures have also granted me the amazing opportunity to speak with someone affiliated with the local symphony orchestra, who had been intently watching me play the violin, and who had been encouraging me to audition for local symphonies. When this individual asked me what was stopping me from auditioning, I mentioned that I do not hold a music degree. This individual then informed me that I don’t need a degree to audition for the local symphony orchestra. I’m now in my “symphony auditions” chapter of life, and will be auditioning for professional orchestras or opera ensembles in the coming months. Of course, I will never stop busking. I love this stuff so much. I realize that I’m a little behind on my website’s blog entries, because I’ve been working so hard on new music and more. Regardless, I’ve got a lot more stories, busking journals, and photos to share to my website, and will continue updating this site in the coming days.

If you’ve ever wanted to try busking but are feeling timid to give it a try, by all means please go for it.

I wish you all an amazing upcoming week..