One thing I am very aware of as a street musician is the low status we have in the eyes of the public: the looks I get when playing (and the comments you read online) are proof enough of that. Additionally, I have had comments such as: “You’re a good musician, you shouldn’t be on the streets! You should be giving concerts!” While it’s meant as a compliment, my answer is, “Actually, the street is exactly where I want to be.”

Why?

Risk turns a concert into an adventure. You never know what is going to happen. The spontaneity, the vulnerability and the fact that the conditions are against you is exactly why I busk.

Because the conditions are against you. There are a hundred reasons why people should not give you money and only a handful of reasons why they should. Poor weather (a common problem in the UK), the authorities moving you on, complaints from the public, other street musicians, charity collectors, noise from traffic and workmen, lack of appropriate spaces to play – all these are reasons why people may not give you money or you may not be able to play period. That your music, or something else about you (your appearance, your expression and demeanour) may appeal to some people are the reasons people may give you money.

There are other factors: if the townspeople are used to buskers; if there is a culture of appreciating street music; the time of day you are playing. (If you need proof that time of day matters, Joshua Bell, a world-class violinist, played for 43 minutes in the Friday morning Washington D.C. rush hour, and made $32.)

So if against all the odds you manage to come home with some money (and some war stories), it feels all the greater an achievement. Concerts are great – but give me a good adventure any day of the week.