Yeah, the numbers don't lie; it was a 12 dollar Saturday night, out busking; sitting 100 feet from America's oldest bar; a must see tourist attraction.
There is a class of tourist who is identifiable by the fact that they don't tip.
Last night; after playing for a while and not getting any tips, I was on the verge of changing my approach; perhaps to interact more with the swarms of people going by. There were a lot of people who were members of wedding parties. I think there were at least 3 weddings in the Quarter.
They don't always tip on the whole; they are often in New Orleans for the first time in their lives and are taking their cues from others; and I guess a tip for luck to the musician who played the plaintive Lennon song while the bride and groom posed in front of the oldest bar in America (as a symbol of the unshakeable union just validated) is not written in tradition as a thing to do after weddings.
I was able to keep playing with joy; especially after someone smoked me up and wound up getting 12 people to each throw me a dollar.
Wow; and no dishwashing jobs available....
There is a class of tourist who is identifiable by the fact that they don't tip.
Last night; after playing for a while and not getting any tips, I was on the verge of changing my approach; perhaps to interact more with the swarms of people going by. There were a lot of people who were members of wedding parties. I think there were at least 3 weddings in the Quarter.
They don't always tip on the whole; they are often in New Orleans for the first time in their lives and are taking their cues from others; and I guess a tip for luck to the musician who played the plaintive Lennon song while the bride and groom posed in front of the oldest bar in America (as a symbol of the unshakeable union just validated) is not written in tradition as a thing to do after weddings.
I was able to keep playing with joy; especially after someone smoked me up and wound up getting 12 people to each throw me a dollar.
Wow; and no dishwashing jobs available....
One thing you might consider doing is, do your busking and make it a point to get out there 6 out of 7 days a week, but then instead of the dishwashing thing, offer handyman services and gradually become known as the guy who will clean your gutters, weed your lawn, paint, stuff like that. That way you make your money under the table just like busking and don't risk losing the additional income in the form of increased rent for the apartment, and no time clock to punch.
ReplyDeleteActually, joining a church (and choir)and offering music lessons to "disadvantaged" kids in a church hall after school might be my most strategic job move; try to get it underwritten by someone at $12 a lesson per kid...
ReplyDeleteBecause everyone in New Orleans is going to want to hire a skinny white guy from the Northeast to teach their kids blues and jazz ... especially if that white guy has a police record and is a known drinker and drug user. Wait - I can hear them lining up now.
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