Today I was a busker at the Tweed Museum of Art on the UMD Campus as part of the Gallery Hop. A busker is a street entertainer, but I wasn't on the street. I was in the Activity Room where coffee and cookies were offered as well as some kids' activity materials.
People wandered in and out of the Activity Room and the adjacent Museum Store. Sometimes people would poke their heads into the Activity Room from adjoining rooms. Because my voice could be heard in other rooms, I would sing even if no one was in the Activity Room. I figured the music was part of the ambiance and would be welcome as long as it didn't intrude on conversations.
I sang from a list of fifteen songs with varying skill. Every so often I would have a senior moment and forget what came next. Making mistakes was often an ice breaker. Sometimes I would start badly and have to sing the beginning notes softly to myself before starting again.
A few people would sit and listen to me for a while and we might chat about the music. Some were fascinated that I sang songs other than in English. Every so often people would applaud.
Some parents came with children and I would start "I knew an old lady who swallowed a fly" or "Allouette". They would look at me with rapt attention, but they would not join in.
I did leave out a list of the songs, business card, and a cap for tips. Nobody took or left any paper. Oh well, I was not in it for the money but the experience and the fun.
My assignment was for three hours and nobody was assigned to follow me. But at two-and-a-half hours my voice was getting strained. I put more time between each song and called it quits at three hours.
Sometimes the best part is leaving. As I left, some staff members congratulated me on my performance and said my voice resonated nicely through the rooms. I prized the comments even more because one staff member was a musician who was having a CD rollout party tonight.
