Rick Chartrand

Hi Manny

I am in between gigs and to make ends meet I am currently playing on the street. Its Fun and I get to meet a lot of people, and the best part is that I actually make a better living than a lot of people I know, about $500 a week. for 2 hours a night. So tell me this Manny, there seems to be a stigma attached to being a busker, as though I am a bum or a homeless person, which is how a small percentage of people treat me as I play.Needless to say I ignore them. I have the equivilent of a B.A in music and have classical and jazz training coming out of my ears after playing for 15 years. I make this money for about 2 hours a night of playing so I think this is jealousy, no?

Rick

Anonymous

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Are you playing outside of that large casino? I bet you could get really lucky if you catch someone who enjoys your tunes on the right night and that person has hit a jack pot. When I was in Windsor I remember seeing a college right next to a casino right next to some questionable bars where ladies dance. And on top of that isn't the drinking age 19? I was thinking that must be a recipe for disaster for many kids

Anonymous

BTW: Are you using a plastic mouthpiece? Isn't it a bit cold up there right now for street playing?

Rick Chartrand

hi

Ya I wanted to play at Casino Windsor but it is private property and considered illegal. The drinking age here in Canada is 19 but I mostly play outside bars that are 'Bar and Grilles.' ANd the bar owners love it cause I bring in extra business for them plus my can fills up fast. Ya its cold up here, but we've had a nice warm spell of about 35-40 degrees for the past week or so since those poor guys in India had that disaster last week. Last week before the warm up we are experiencing now I had a 1 inch iceacle forming on my main slide spit valve and my pistons froze a few times that night LOL. It was easy to remedy I merely went iinside for 5 minutes to warm my horn. Im using a Red Kelly Lexan Mouthpiece and it really helps. Goto www.kellymouthpieces.com to check them out. They are GREAT! But what about my original question?

Rick

Tootsall

Good grief Mike. Don't tell me you may have once seen a rather disreputable lady named "Liz Lions"? I think she was in her 60's and her act was what one could possibly consider umm.... "less-than-attractive-though-definitely-memorable"?

I used to get called to accompany some of the sales guys and provide technical assistance on sales calls to the auto plants in Windsor... the evenings usually ended up at "one of those places overlooking the river".

Ahhh, the memories come flooding back.

MUSICandCHARACTER

Really off topic now, but if you go here

http://www.ibowtie.com/storekelly.html

You can get them for cheaper and I hear the guy who owns that store is an OK kind of chap.

Jim

Manny Laureano

Rick,

Ahh, I remember the days when I would do the same thing with my friends in Central Park in NYC when I was in school. We'd play quintets and such for a couple of hours and make a few dollars but the most fun was making the passersby happy and getting in a live rehearsal. We wouldn't make anywhere close to what you make.

So here are the big questions:

1) Are you playing music that you like?
2) Is $2,000 a month enough to live on where you live?
3) Does your playing make people and you happy?

How do people treat you like a bum while you're playing?
What do you mean by the equivalent of a BA in music?

Sounds like fun to me, to tell you the truth as long as it doesn't become the only way to make a buck. Unless, of course, you become a famous character in your neck of the woods and somewhat of an icon doing busking. Then, milk it for all it's worth.

Do you ever play near sports arenas? I have a friend who plays trombone outside Yankee games and he makes A LOT of dough during home games. Sadly, he's not that happy doing that.

It sounds like you have the right attitude for busking and that's the secret to enjoying any job, isn't it?

Attitude.

ML

Anonymous

The ones I saw were younger than 60 ! I can't even fathom the kind of things that would have gone on (or wouldn't have gone on) if where I went to school was with in 5 minutes of a casino.... bars with "dancer girls" and the drinking age was 19. It would have been a mess!

Manny did you ever practice in the subway while in school.

Heavens2kadonka

I've went to a Cardinals game in St. Louis, and after the game watched a trumpet and trombone make a KILLING playing "When the Saints go Marchin' In." I saw 50 dollar bills, overflowing from their upturned top hat. Funny thing, they werent that great! I guess alchohol also makes people more appreciative towards music?

I've never thought street performing was a form a begging. Good God, it sure beats hitting people up for 10 bucks with a bull**** story about meeting a relative and needing a bus ticket?

Lol, I remember my old brass quintet piling into a chevy Astro Van, driving to random people on the streets, opening the doors, and playing "Just a Closer Walk With Thee." Lol, nothing beats a brass quintet in a VAN!

Van

Rick Chartrand

Hi Guys

What a great bunch on responses on my busking post! Thanks All To answer a few questions here...Thanks for the site on Kelly Mouthpieces. Im looking for a new Red 1c to match my Red Horn. Playing outside Windsor Sports Arena...what a great idea! I usually empty out my can every 20 minutes or so cause I have heard remarks like 'Ah he dont need money, look at all the money in his can.'' Thanks for the story Manny, sounds as though you had a blast! Yes I do this because I need money naturally to support myself and my girl, but I LOVE the connection I get with the people. I meet so many various people, its a blast. I remember this one particular guy named Graham from the other night. He said ''Please tell me you can play some Chet Baker' and I immidiately started playing a sultry rendition of my funny valentine. Turns out Graham is a Chet Baker sound alike and we had a great Jam as he sang! To answer some more questions Yes I only play what I like when Im self employed on the streets, and I think I have a pretty good taste in music because what I like is pretty mcuh what a lot of Jazzers like. Miles, Dizzy, Chet, Marcus Miller, Canadian Brass, Joco Pastorius etc.And what I mean by an equivilent to a B.A is that my aunt who gave me most of my technical training has a Doctorate in Music. She tested me and said that I have close to a B.A. degree in music. And yes I can get by on $2000 a month if I have to ya...LOL. And People eat my playing up. I spent new years eve with my girl but I knew it was gonna be crazy with people on my corner so we went to see the countdown on the big screen downtown here in Windsor and I played for 22 minutes and made $200. I had 4 people ask me if they could have thier picture taken with me, and a few kisses from really pretty girls. I'm just the Trumpet Man as people know me but I felt like a celeb that night. It shockes me how people treat you just cause you can play an instrument LOL. And to answer a last question I feel like a ''Bum'' sometimes when I hear the ocassional remark like, You A- - Hole you cant play, or I have $10 here, kiss my butt right and I'll give it to you :( I've come to realize its just that theyre angry or jealous so I'm starting to ignore it now. To answer another question...Ya theres a few strip bars in town but I stay away from them cause I believe that a woman who strips for money is degrading herself almost as bad as a hooker. Sexual intamacy is for people who love one another I think, not to make money. Hope Ive covered it all, gotta get going now cause Im taking my girl to Casino Windsor Buffet for a treat, they have the most AMAZING Prime Rib there. Then Its to the streets. Gotta work alot tonight and tomorrow cause I hear we're getting 9 inches of snow in the Detroit Windsor area starting late on Wednesday night. Later all

Rick AKA Trumpet Man