Dirk's Rules of Busking

Ok, so maybe I haven't busked much yet. Maybe it's a bit premature to make a list of "rules." But I've also been performing my music for 30 years, and a lot of the guidelines are the same no matter what venue you are playing. I returned downtown on Saturday, this time from 1:30 til 3:45 in the afternoon. I wasn't nearly as successful as Friday evening in terms of tips, but still made a little cash. Next week I'll do it in the early evening and see if that works out better.

So, here's my tentative and surely far from complete list of busking rules:

Busking in Spokane

On Friday evening, I spent a few hours busking downtown here in Spokane. I've been writing and playing for 30 years, and yet tonight was the first time I have ever actually busked. I decided to do it because I thought it would be a great way to get in a lot of practice and hone my performing skills.

I was a little nervous about the process; I started by doing some online research. Both Busker Central and Buskers Advocates had some good tips. I also wanted to make sure I complied with any relevant laws. Apparently Spokane has gone through some busking battles in the last couple of years. Rick Bocook (known as Harpman Hatter) led the fight, and it seemed to be fairly successful. There's also a lot of Supreme Court precedent supporting busking as protected speech.

Making "Division Street," Part Eight: Don't Let Your Troubles Be Your Guide

The song.

A couple of years ago, my lovely wife Tracy started learning to play the fiddle. Since then we've been playing a lot of Old Time and Celtic music together. It prompted me to start learning the banjo and mandolin, both of which ended up playing a big role on Division Street. Of all the songs on the album, Don't Let Your Troubles Be Your Guide was the most influenced by the music we've been playing. The chord changes and the melody are both more in line with Old Time music than any song I've written before. It was a lot of fun to write and record, and I'll probably do more music in this vein in the future.