liza_minelli
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busking!Okay, so.. there is a school trip to Costa Rica next may, in which we go on a four day hike with literally nothing bar tents, we take part in a project to help baby turtles and save them from poachers, and install hot water and toilets in costa rican schools. We won't have showers for the whole of the second week, or any electricity all the way through the first week.
I really really really want to go on this trip - I love travel almost as much as musical theatre - and it just feels like something I need to experience. The thing is, my parents say I can go as long as I raise the money myself.
I have to raise £1200 by next may, and my friends and I have a lot of fund raising ideas in the pipelines - cake sales, bag packing at supermarkets, sponsored silences (we are all quite loud and we know the teachers would sponsor us for this one  ), but I would really like to try and do some busking by myself too, as I have always wanted to busk anyways.
I have found where I'm going to busk (a very small, very old but nevertheless fairly busy -it has a starbucks, cosmetics shop, neals yard, a few shoe shops, a music shop etc- old shopping mall with fantastic acoustics), and I'm planning to sing unaccompanied as I think that a good voice unaccompanied in a place with great acoustics just sounds so daring and makes the voice sound amazing.
I was just wondering, does anyone have any recommendations of songs I should sing? They don't have to be musical theatre obviously, but I must be able to sing them unaccompanied. I would like to sort of vaguely stick to jazz-ish gershwin-ish stuff, a bit of musical theatre, some classical and some old classics, but i really am open to suggestions as I've never busked before.
I would also really like to hear other people's busking stories, and just general advice - I know about licenses and everything, my dad is deputy chief exec. of newcastle city council so it shouldnt be too hard to find out about it.
I'm fifteen, and my voice is very flexible (four octave range). My head voice and my chest voice have a very good blend but I find it hard to belt on a B flat, B sort of area as that's where the break in my voice is. My voice has a very thick tone and I can sing very, very loudly if needs be
Please please help me! Thanks in advance XX
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Monsieur D'Arque
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If you're going to busk, perhaps a tip from "Homeless: The Musical," a local cult show in my town, could help you out.
People don't necessarily want to give money to those who need it or can earn it- they want to give it to the people who are so crazy that perhaps money will stop them.
How can you be both a performer and a streetside freak attraction? Enjoy my custom-made streetsinger persona, just for you!
THE ECLECTIC JAZZBO FROM BEDLAM
Watch a few bootleg clips of "One Short Day" from Wicked until you really get the odd, sort-of-dance-but-maybe-i'm-just-moving-weirdly way that the Munchkins walk and dance, especially the crazy street vendor/pimp fellow. Then, watch any clips of Cooper's dream from "twin Peaks" on Youtube, to analyze the Midget's peculiar movements. Head out onto the street, dressed as oddly as possible and begin to "dance," a la these videos. Accompany yourself by scatting, not normally, but weirdly. "A-rab-dab-doo-dah! A-hingle-dingle-dee! Bim-bam-hoomba-boomba-yiggedy-diggeddy-dee!" When you see a possible patron, begin to breathe heavily. Stare at them. Put your arms akimbo, and begin to pump them up and down like "badger badger badger." They should get the message.
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