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Busking for charity


theflyingturtle

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I have a friend that I jam with come over for a session yesterday and he shared an idea that I had never thought of before. He asked me if I had ever considered busking for charity. It could be a local food closet, cancer victims, anything. He suggested we get a sign that states what we're trying to do and the name of the charity and the message that we, the performers, make no money from this and we won't. He suggested going to the airport and other high traffic areas. My first thought was that there would be legal loopholes that we would have to address. So my question is, having never busked before, what do I need to put in place to begin busking legally? Thanks.

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I have never busked, although I have played outdoor gigs that the event invited me to play at, but that isn't busking due to being scheduled and invited by the event manager. In those cases, it's the event's responsibility as they hired me and I am their employee. But, if I did, here is what I would first research:

 

1). Research if a permit is needed from the municipality it is in as well as if it's an airport, if a permit is needed (highly likely).

 

2). Research if busking is possibly not allowed in the municipality. And, if it is if there are permitted/restricted hours.

 

3). Research if there is a noise ordinance in the municipality and then adhere to it.

 

4). Obtain a battery powered soundsystem or amp unless the municipality or airport grants you permission to use their electricity. They could bust you if you are using their electricity without their permission even though the amount used is insignificant, if they want to reign you in. Or, play acoustic without a sound system or amp if they don't grant you permission to use their electrical power and you do not own a battery powered amp or soundsystem.

 

5). Wherever you end up situated, make friends upfront with any stores, tenants adjacent to where you are playing so they know what you are doing and like you and don't call the police on you, even if you have a permit. The police have to respond to all complaint calls.

 

6). Keep a receipt that you have given the $ to the charity in case any donors ever question where the money they have given went, just to play it safe.

 

Just my thoughts...

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

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I have never busked, although I have played outdoor gigs that the event invited me to play at, but that isn't busking due to being scheduled and invited by the event manager. In those cases, it's the event's responsibility as they hired me and I am their employee. But, if I did, here is what I would first research:

 

1). Research if a permit is needed from the municipality it is in as well as if it's an airport, if a permit is needed (highly likely).

 

2). Research if busking is possibly not allowed in the municipality. And, if it is if there are permitted/restricted hours.

 

3). Research if there is a noise ordinance in the municipality and then adhere to it.

 

4). Obtain a battery powered soundsystem or amp unless the municipality or airport grants you permission to use their electricity. They could bust you if you are using their electricity without their permission even though the amount used is insignificant, if they want to reign you in. Or, play acoustic without a sound system or amp if they don't grant you permission to use their electrical power and you do not own a battery powered amp or soundsystem.

 

5). Wherever you end up situated, make friends upfront with any stores, tenants adjacent to where you are playing so they know what you are doing and like you and don't call the police on you, even if you have a permit. The police have to respond to all complaint calls.

 

6). Keep a receipt that you have given the $ to the charity in case any donors ever question where the money they have given went, just to play it safe.

 

Just my thoughts...

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

 

 

Wow, that's quite a rabbit hole but not surprising. Thank you for sharing your experiences, it helps more than you think.

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Charity isn't always put to good use. Play the music and do what you wish with the tips. If you need a can of beans on the way home, feel like giving it away on the next corner or would prefer to tip the Hare Krishna that helped

keep the beat it's yours. Do the first thing first.

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I like the idea of busking for charity. When I see a busker I usually throw something in the open case. If the sign said funds were going to some cause I support, I'd probably throw in a bigger bill.

 

Not all charities are well managed, and some are outright fake, but that doesn't mean there aren't also very worthy ones. Local food banks, women's & homeless shelters, and many churches are places you can know first-hand and determine whether they are putting funds to good use. If you want to support something non-local, use Charity Navigator https://www.charitynavigator.org/ to check out what % of funds go to services vs director salary and fund-raising costs.

 

If you need the money, fine. If not, support the good cause of your choice. Wouldn't any governmental requirements for busking be the same whether you're busking for charity or for yourself? I would think permission to busk on private property might be easier to get if for a charity.

 

Do people need permission to gather and play/sing on public property, such as parks? This may vary by location, but we know how important Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village was to the 60s folk scene in the US. What I'm wondering is whether you would need a permit to play and sing with a small sign that said, "If you like what I'm doing, please donate to the charity of your choice when you get home." You'd never know your results, but, heck, playing music is fun anyway.

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