Lindsay and I were in Quincy Market a few weeks ago, and this street performer – a kid really, he couldn’t have been older than 16 – was starting his show. In front of him, he lined up three or four empty buckets (faces down), a steel grate, and various-sized tin dishes. In his hands, he wielded two sticks, whittled to equal diameters – drum sticks.
Then he went – producing astounding beats for a professional drummer, nevermind a kid with a little bit of trash on the ground and nature in his hands. I wish my camera didn’t lose a fight with the pavement on Rodeo Drive, otherwise I would have shot some video.
Blue Man Group he was not, but without a doubt the kid had talent. Every couple of minutes, he rearranged the items at his feet without losing the beat. He’d move some barrels closer and some of the tins farther and slowly orchestrate a new rhythm.
A little girl was the first to drop her father’s dollar into the his tips bucket, Others soon joined her, and a little boy danced along with the beat over on the side, his little body filled with spastic motions with no apparent regard to the beat.
Kind of like what I look like when I dance:
an example of spastic motions with little apparent regard to the beat
The drummer’s set lasted 10 minutes, and sweat dripped down from his shirtless body. He finished, and stood up to a loud applause. He held hands up for silence and waited till it was quiet.
“If you enjoyed the show… let the bucket know!”
Without another word, he sat back down.
Walking away, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by another aspect of this kid – the inverse relationship between his raw talent and his showmanship. Three things came to mind that I’m sure would easily double the income he pulls in from performing:
- Introduce himself – he doesn’t need to give us his life story, but a name and where he’s from is a good start. Those things would help connect him with the audience, and an audience will gladly reward a performer they like:
- Mingle – he has the perfect excuse to talk to these people: ask if they enjoyed the show. Everything in life is about connecting with others, whether you’re a street performer in Boston or a car salesman from Omaha.
- Show appreciation – thank the folks for sticking around to hear his set – even the ones who didn’t drop a dollar or two into the bucket. Humans crave appreciation and recognition, and showing just a little (I mean, a teensy bit) goes a long way.
This post convinced me I need to do some street performing when I’m in Argentina. I got the marketing part down; now all I need to do is find a talent. Hopefully Argentinians will drop a few pesos to watch me stand around and be Chinese – it’s about all I’m really good at. That, and dancing.
Posted by Ming 
