Street Musicians ...

 
 

MIKE – None!
STAGE – None!
LIGHTS – None!
AUDIENCE – passerby ...
FEE – Some change is always welcome!

 
 

LIVE-tunes always get my attention, as I walk through the busy streets of the town. I’ve heard quality jazz, blues & hip-hop on the roadside. Street musicians are found on a wide variety of venues ... mostly in places where there has been some money-exchange; so that people may toss loose bills in their cans. As such they’re most often spotted near markets, malls, outside liquor stores, near public transit systems or parked near tourist attractions ...

My inspiration to write on street-musicians comes from a news-item in 'Chicago Tribune' yesterday [Feb.7, 2006]: “Magnificent Mile performers’ noise, drums up anger of residents ..."
[*"Magnificient Mile" is an upscale area in downtown Chicago]

 
 

Though street musicians are a part of a larger group of street entertainers: magicians, puppeteers, jugglers, stilt walkers, mimes ... [and Navy Pier is a good place to come across most kinds of street entertainers]. But today I’m remembering ‘only’ street musicians, and as I write I realize how little do I know about them.

Street performers do need to follow some basic rules:
They may ...
- Not, cause or promote public disturbance
- Not, impede traffic or block pathway, fire exits
- Not, play louder than the volume set by local authority
- Not, actively request for money ...

The “Chicago City Council” is considering making the following changes in law governing street performers:
- Increasing cost of performance permit from $50 to $75
- Decreasing from 200 to 100 feet the distance at which sound must not exceed the conversation level
- Prohibiting performance related sound to 80 decibels [measured from 10 feet]
- Stopping street performances exceeding 55 decibels at 8 pm instead of 9 pm [10pm Fridays and Saturdays]
[Source: Chicago Tribune; Feb.7, 2006]

It seems that downtown residents are pretty irked by street performers. That’s quite understandable, because though people like me come across street-music for just a short while, but the residents are constantly bombarded by the 'noise'. To me it adds to the allure of downtown Chicago. Most interesting are the “bucket boys”, usually made up of children who bang 5-gallon drums with sticks; sometimes in groups of as many as 20. They are a big hit and people splurge good amount of change on them. Probably they would come up a new Chicago-brand music-genre; just as hip-hop evolved on the streets of New York ...

 
 

Well for that matter even Chicago Blues is said to have evolved on the streets. It began in the early-&-mid 20th century; when many southern-born African-Americans musicians come to Chicago in the wake of the "Great Migration"; and some of them are the who's who of Blues: Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed & B. B King. They used to perform in the roadside markets; especially on the Maxwell Street [most of it has been destroyed now] So Chicago Blues - characterized by the use of electric guitar, sometimes slide guitar, harmonica, bass and drums - was synthesized on the STREETS of Chicago.

In fact, the tradition of street-singing has prevailed in almost all cultures and goes back to thousands of years; when poor folks would sing for their supper; and quite often even well-to-do artists would sing as a hobby. Sometimes the term “BUSKERS” is applied to street entertainers soliciting money. The term first appeared in England in the 18th century and is derived from their wearing short boots called “buskin”. In France, street singer-songwriters were called “TROUBADOURS”. In India I’ve come across plenty of street singers; but never actually stood-by to hear them. Though here I gladly stand-by; especially if there are hip-hop dancers performing. Rap and hip-hop originated from the streets of New York. What would New Orleans be without buskers??!!! AND how dull would the downtown Chicago streets be without street–musicians ??!!! They add a local flavor to the landscape ...

 
 

When I walk down the streets I love the energy flowing around: movement, crowd, laughter, buildings, art, the smell of food, and the sound of music ... the very pulse of life! I’m in awe at how each small little detail piece in together to form one mighty vibrant culture. I try to savor the beauty of ordinary things around me. They make an extraordinary concoction. Everything is ordinary & Everything is special ... Long live the tradition of street-musicians ...

 
 

ADDENDUM : Feb. 15, 2006 ...
Left: Hip-hop on the Magnificient Mile.
However; now street musicians have been banned to perform in the Maginificient Mile area; since Feb.8, 2006.

 
 

Yesterday: Feb 14, 2006 ...
I heard one of the best jazz just outside the Art institute. I wont be surprized if he's a pro and was performing on the streets just for the thrills!