Street Musicians

I stumbled on this just now and liked it so I thought I would share it here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxd9OqAjgig


I think this one I may have posted here before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ree-byztoJs

I often see street musicians that have talent far beyond those that are considered professionals and I wonder why and how they are not in recording studios or using pro level gear.

IF you stop for a street performer you own them a dollar

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Originally Posted by Larommi

I often see street musicians that have talent far beyond those that are considered professionals and I wonder why and how they are not in recording studios or using pro level gear.

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I really do not know but here is a guess. Playing covers will only get you so far no matter how good you are. Eventually, you need to come up with quality original material. If you are unable to do so, your career will never amount to much. Again, this is just a guess but I bet at the least this is part of the correct answer.

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Originally Posted by Pinnacle-Project

I really do not know but here is a guess. Playing covers will only get you so far no matter how good you are.

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That is one thing. The other is the actual performance when on "good instruments" and/or in a studio. Poor sounding equipment may hide things, once you put it in an environment where you can hear clearly you realize how bad it is. I came across promo tapes that sounded good on a boombox (as good as a boombox may sound), but once I listened on good equipment it was clear that they were unusable. From "this sounds decent" to "waste of a good tape" in seconds.

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Originally Posted by Pinnacle-Project

Playing covers will only get you so far no matter how good you are.

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Right, but if you are playing for tips, a original composition is not going to get as many people to stop as a cover of a current hit.

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Originally Posted by CeeBee

That is one thing. The other is the actual performance when on "good instruments" and/or in a studio. Poor sounding equipment may hide things, once you put it in an environment where you can hear clearly you realize how bad it is. I came across promo tapes that sounded good on a boombox (as good as a boombox may sound), but once I listened on good equipment it was clear that they were unusable. From "this sounds decent" to "waste of a good tape" in seconds.

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I gotta agree with this in certain circumstances. Neil Young sounds great on an 8-track in the car; but try playing one of his albums on a high quality stereo system in the house and you realize that his voice AND his guitar sound awful.

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Originally Posted by Larommi

Right, but if you are playing for tips, a original composition is not going to get as many people to stop as a cover of a current hit.

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There are LOTS of talented people out there playing for tips in bars as well as on the street. And yes, you gotta play what the people want to hear. A few may want to hear one or two of your originals but you gotta get back to the essentials.

I sometimes think I could play in a bar or pizza joint someplace. I've got confidence in my guitar playing...it's my voice that is mediocre at best.