Category: music

busking, music, street life

Only positivity today

louisehartcom

Today I’m feeling really quite groggy with a cold; not bad enough to stay home, but enough to make things a lot harder. So I’ve been making an extra effort to be positive after all being miserable isn’t going to make me feel any better. This picture is post-busk…. I look pretty wan!!!

when I arrived at the high street I actively invited positivity today. You might be surprised but people can behave quite aggressively towards buskers … I’ve been sworn at, shouted at and had to fend off unwanted physical contact from shoppers in the past and I wanted none of this today!

So when the lady in a nearby shop stalked up, stood way too close and, with her hands on her hips snarled “if you HAVE to be here today then don’t stand here and repeat the same songs for 3 hours” I smiled, I assured her I don’t repeat songs or at least not on purpose! ( I know over 4 hours of songs so why would I, in fact if it’s often a real conundrum which ones to leave out as I love all the songs I play) I didn’t bother pointing out that neither do I play for 3 hours except very occasionally when I’ve lost track of time, (usually my battery gives out well before 3 hours!) There was no point. She was shouting over me that I do repeat songs and I simply smiled.

I remembered a conversation with a friend who is a very good folk musician. She was telling me a story about how she’d gone to a Rockabilly night and all the songs sounded the same. She reflected that she didn’t enjoy the style that much and wondered if folk songs sound the same to someone who felt the same way. I had to agree that because I don’t know the genre and I can take it or leave it, many of the folk songs do sound very similar to me; It all comes down to personal taste.

I get that what might not be everyone’s cup of tea. That’s why I don’t play the same spots every day, or even every week and don’t play for more than a couple of hours. I have a live and let live attitude. I also know that many people enjoy my music. Even so, it’s hard when someone is so determined to make it a personal attack. I kept my positive approach. It took some doing… ‘only kindness today’ I thought.

As she continued to snarl at me I could have countered with a personal attack on her. I didn’t. After she walked away I watched her while she was obviously being negative towards me to other people. I ignored her. Why? Because her opinion of me has very little to do with me and a lot to do with her.

I called my husband who has many years busking experience and is always so positive and supportive, it was good to chat . As I was setting up a couple of people came over saying how nice it was to see me and how much they enjoy my music. Again, while this was lovely it has very little to do with me and a great deal to do with personal taste.

So I played for a couple of hours (if that) and packed up; I was cold and my throat is sore. During that time I lost count of the people who were very positive and enjoyed my arrangements of well known tunes. In fact, apart from that lady, I had no negativity today, not even (my particular favourite) when a group of women give each other side eye and then move their bags furthest from me… seriously ladies what do you think I’m going to do- grab your bags, sling them on my trolley and run off down the high street!! 😂😂

Anyway I’m home now, we had some lovely family time visiting some lambs, the girl is in bed, as is my wonderful husband (he’s got the same bug as me) and I’m going to sleep now. Here’s to a good night and to feeling better tomorrow 💤💤💤💤💤💤

busking, music, street life

Pennies from heaven

louisehartcom

Busking in Bath means an early start and it was tipping down with rain first thing. Luckily the weather cleared up nicely.

Jerri did a couple of sets round town while the girl and I enjoyed watching him and the other buskers. I did a set later on Milsom St; it’s great to play somewhere different.

A post busking trip to the brilliant park for the little one and then back to the campsite. Good times. Let’s see what the weather holds for tomorrow…

busking, music

Ed Sheeran has no boobs

louisehartcom

I’m in Newton Abbot today, waiting for people to come into town. While it’s quiet I thought I’ve been watching YouTube videos on Latin strumming and quietly having a go. Also I thought I’d share something…. maybe an ‘over share’ but who cares…

Here is the Fishman panel on my lovely Ed Sheeran Martin guitar. I loved it the first time I played it, the neck felt lovely. Also unlike the lovely Takamini I had been using, it stays in time outdoors.

Just as well as neither this nor the standard version of the same guitar are designed with boobs in mind. The takamini had the panel by the neck whereas this is just below the shoulder making it impossible to see when you’re standing up and I’m not exactly what one would call ‘busty’!!! So you have to hold it away from the body and then I can’t reach the tuning pegs…. first world problem I know… but a little more thought please guys!!😂😂😂

busking, learning, music

She was a showgirl…..

louisehartcom

I love this song. I’d love to do a version on the street. So here’s how it starts. Listening to the song over and over. Learning the REAL words, in the right order. Working out the chords in a key I can sing.

I’ve been humming it to myself all day and now I’ve come home and got the chords…watched youtube a bit more… I want to do a latin style strum but that might be a bit much but who knows…. so more youtube…

Then practice, practice,rework, practice. And after all of that, it might not work. I did a version of The Logical Song. I love the song, I remember listening to it at home when I was a kid.  I worked it out, spent ages on it; it sucked. I tried it for a month thinking maybe it just needed to bed in a bit. It didn’t, it just sucked.

So I thought I’d share the process. Watch this space – I might even share some of my practice session with you!

busking, music, street life

Bring Me Sunshine

louisehartcom

It was really quiet in town today.  I had no real plan about where I wanted to play except I didn’t want to play the same pitches I played last week and the the most of the other pitches were in the shade. It’s been a long cold winter and on such a lovey sunny day I couldn’t bring myself to play in the shade.

I’ve seen other buskers playing by the poetry pyramid in town, it can knock out a few of the other nearby pitches but there were no other buskers in town. It was bathed in beautiful early spring sunshine and I thought I’d give it a go. I’m usually the first in town as I come straight in from the school drop off and often I’m finishing more or less as others arrive so I figured it would be ok.

It felt strange to be standing in this new spot; I FaceTimed my husband who was playing Newton Abbot and showed him the various Vistas. He’s been busking for over 3o years and is a bit of hero wherever he plays so I trust his experience.  I went and got a coffee and played facing up the high street.

It was wonderful playing with the sun of my face. When I start playing I always wonder if I’ll make any money at all but you can’t think like that.  That’s one of the (many) things I love about busking; no one has to give you anything. Some people were sitting waiting for their bus they were clearly enjoying it.  Some people gave some pennies, some didn’t. It’s not about that. It can’t be about that.  You stop enjoying it, half an eye on the case, not fully inhabiting the songs; It feels horrible. So I don’t look in the case, I always say thank you, I live in the song that I’m singing. Even better today was that my  hands weren’t cold, my fingers didn’t hurt, I was without that distraction so I could just sing and play. I really enjoyed myself.

Towards the end of my set I saw Stripey and later Jamie come in to town.  It put me off my stride a little as I wondered if I was raining on their parade, like I said, it can knock out a couple of pitches and I don’t want to make things difficult. However we’er on pretty good terms I think they didn’t come over so I figured they found somewhere and anyway I knew I would be leaving town shortly to get ready for the pick up.

I finished with Should I Stay Or Should I Go… It makes me smile. I packed up and the street was as if I had never been there. I like that