Re: OT: Busking--it's hard for everyone

[Zoe Keating <cello@zoekeating.com>]

thanks for forwarding that article! really great.

it reinforces my strong belief that studying music as a child will  
change your life and will change your perception of the  
world...permanently. irrespective of whether you continue with music  
as an adult.

interestingly, in my early 20's i busked a few times a week in NYC  
subway stations and then in san francisco BART. both because i was  
broke and because i thought it would help my lifelong problem with  
paralysing stage fright. in BART, 2hrs of busking and i would go home  
with $50 which i thought was great (given that i made $6 hr at my  
part-time job). it totally killed my stage fright. i realized that no  
one gave a rat's ass how perfect or imperfect my technique was,  
because most people didn't even notice me. when someone did stop and  
listen, i knew that they just appreciated the music and i so grateful  
for their fleeting attention i would play better and forget to be  
scared.