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SAM

#4 “You’ve Got Some Nice Beats For a White Guy.”

By MusicNo Comments

Wednesday 10:40pm – 1am

Results:
-5 cents

-Made some new friends- Mitch, Josh, Leroy…
And I forgot the other people’s names.

-Jammed with Leroy who plays guitar and sings and
has been busking (playing on the street for tips) for 5 years
while traveling.
-A Lady and her husband bought me and Leroy
chips, cheese sticks, soda and a water.
She said it’s not out of pity but to support fellow human beings.

Then they Jammed on my bucket and Leroy’s guitar.

-Some guy came up to me and said “you’re new. What’s your name?”
I didn’t say anything but kept playing and he said,
“I’ve been here for five years and I’ve never seen you before.
You’ve got some nice beats for a white guy.”

#3 New Bucket!

By MusicNo Comments

Tuesday
10:40 – 11:40pm

Results:

– $1.75 (from two people)

– A couple of “thank you’s.”

-Numb hands because it’s cold

-Hello’s from my new security guard friends.

I got a new bucket with the $5 from last night.
I even splurged and got some duck tape ($7 total).
It didn’t help the amount of money I got tonight though.

I better start thinking of this bucket drumming more as
Practice time than pay. Because that’s what this is turning out to be.

Ya, I’ve only played on a Monday and Tuesday night so far.
But hey, $1.75 is not even minimum wage.

This is  accomplishing some things though:

-I’m getting better at long solos/beats.
Sometimes when I practice it’s just a random mess and nothing
is connected. But I can’t do that if I’m performing.

-I’m playing to a metronome so my sense of playing to it is getting better.

-Getting better at improvisation. I’m making this up as I go.
I noticed I’m repeating things though.

-Practicing my “showy-ness”
I noticed people treat me differently depending on how I look
at them or if I smile or not.

-I’m learning how to learn something new while I perform.
If I mess up I’m not going to stop but repeat the mess up
to make it look like I did that on purpose.

-I’m learning what captures attention.
-getting softer
-going slower
-stopping/pausing
(opposite of what I think sometimes- louder, faster)
I guess getting louder and going faster holds attention
but first you have to capture it (maybe).

And I’m going to start counting phrases and do this
more structured.

haha.

Attempt #2 is a Success! …kind of…

By MusicNo Comments

This time I’m driving down to 6th St. and I roll my window down.
“Man, it’s too cold” I think. “ I should go back home to get a pull-over.”

Then I thought, “I can’t whimp out two times in a row, especially since
this is gonna go on a blog.”

So, I stuck it out and when I parked I saw a fellow bucket drummer
on 5th street.

I asked him how often he does this…his response- “Every time I’m starving.”
I asked “How often is that?” He replied “Every other day.”
He said he got arrested the last week because he was blocking the street
and because he didn’t have a permit.

Great, this is what I’m about to do too. I’m excited now.

It actually wasn’t that bad.

I played two sets that lasted from 11pm -11:40pm.

My first set was interrupted by two security guards
who told me I need to get off the property.
I didn’t mind bc they were nice but they could have at least
waited until I finished my set.

RESULTS:

-I learned there’s a couple spots not blocking the sidewalk and
not private property.

-I learned it’s not as scary as I thought. I actually got some good
practice time in too. “Practice in Public” -My new favorite thing to do.

-Recognized one person (bass player I saw play with Scott Laningham
at the Elephant Room last night).

-A few pretty girls smiled at me. (Building ego works too if I don’t get paid)

-Saw two other bucket drummers.
(Both definitely needed the money more than me. Or at least a shower)

-Got FIVE Bucks!

Yay! This will go to pay for the bucket I was braking and a new box!

Mission Accomplished. Kind of.

1st Attempt

By MusicNo Comments

Buckets and Pots…Check.

Sticks….Check.

I thought I was ready, I had everything I needed.

As I was unloading my buckets from the car I was talking down about
“Club” drummers (Anyone who doesn’t play on the street).
Since I’ve only played on the street once I was including my past self.

As I was doing this I was calling them Whimps and Snobs.

Then it started to get cold and I thought “maybe this isn’t a good idea.”
I pull my buckets apart and suddenly it cut my hands…

OWWW!

“Now it’s definitely not a good idea to play tonight” I thought.

So, I went home.