Took my new Getzen 390 out busking

1jazzyalex · Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 11:57 pm Post subject:

Nice going on the fiddy-dollah horn. Hope it's a good one!

Rabbit Trumpet Guy plays a $100 "Goldstar" trumpet he bought new at the Berryessa flea market. He'd lost his other one, by setting it down and packing up and forgetting it! Oops!

He says his $100 cheapo is actually pretty good.

I went out again tonight, to Mountain View. I made about $10; haven't counted it yet.
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Yamaha 8335LA with Blessing 3C, 5C, Schilke 11A4A

Richard III · Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 6:29 am Post subject:

So someone has a story of walking down the street and finding a trumpet laying there. Picks it up. Not bad. His old one looked like an Olds to me but I never looked that close. I was usually looking at the bunny. Maybe that's the answer. Get something cute to take out with you. Homeless beggars use the dog ploy quite well. Feel bad for the dog? Give me money. In your case the kid says, "Oh look Daddy, cute dog," and they stop a while and listen.

I've wondered if that little section on Castro St. in Mountain View would be a good place to play. Where did you set up?

On another note, a little gem from one of my favorites, Leo and King of Sledge of Too Many Zooz.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEHOsWTsdkY
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Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

1jazzyalex · Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 2:44 pm Post subject:

I tried the "resonating tunnel" roughly across from West Valley Music but .... it resonates an awful lot, and I felt it can be a disadvantage because people couldn't see me until they were right on top of me as it were, so I moved over to another favorite spot, in front of Easy Foods. That way people had time to notice that a street musician was there, and to decide whether to tip, and dig around in pockets for said tip.

Even so, by 10 it was like a ghost town.
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Yamaha 8335LA with Blessing 3C, 5C, Schilke 11A4A

Richard III · Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2017 6:46 am Post subject:

Huh. That's where I thought would be best. Okay, let's look at the variables.

Location
Time of Day
Day of the Week
Local Events Going On
Music Style
Instrument
Amplification or Not
Vocal or Not
Backing Tracks or Not
Tricks and Funny Add Ons

Anybody think of any other variables?

I'm thinking the next thing, and I'm not a busker, just a supporter of everyone I've ever seen on the street playing, is time of day. It sounds like you are in locations that are good but at the wrong time. Maybe too late at night?

What are your thoughts?
_________________
Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

Richard III · Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2017 7:00 am Post subject:

I just did a search for trumpet busking and heard many people before I got to this guy. Everybody before this played reserved and flat. Obviously holding back. Some played with backing and that didn't help. Obviously you have to own it. Most just don't play well. I thought this guy does.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiFodm_d1xM
_________________
Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

1jazzyalex · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 3:17 am Post subject:

1jazzyalex · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 3:19 am Post subject:

Yeah that guy's a real pro. He's good enough that he is probably busking plus getting hit up for lessons (I've been hit up for lessons 2X now) being asked to play at parties, weddings, funerals, and being asked to join in bands/gigs.
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Yamaha 8335LA with Blessing 3C, 5C, Schilke 11A4A

Richard III · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 7:50 am Post subject:

That's nice to hear. One of the promotional ideas for my band is to take a couple of us and do some busking. I've been waiting to have materials to hand out when people ask about the full band and what we do. Good on you Alex. Have fun out there.
_________________
Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

Grits Burgh · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 8:52 am Post subject:

1jazzyalex, I'm enjoying your updates. I'm waiting for the stories about getting chased by dogs or being pelted with rotten tomatoes.

I've got a Roland BA-330 portable PA system that works pretty well for busking. I use my MAC to play backing tracks through the portable PA system. I can also hook up a microphone. I'm thinking about singing some verses to give my lips a break from playing. I may not play as well as Maynard Ferguson, but I think I can sing "I Can't Get Started" at least as well as he did. I think that I'll use a little more family friendly lyrics than he did as well.

My first step will be developing a program and memorizing the tunes so that I can start the backing tracks and just play them through in order without using sheet music. That will greatly simplify the performance. I'm thinking about starting with some of Bix's old pieces and then playing some Dixieland and then increasingly more modern pieces

However, part of my reason for busking is to practice so when things are slow, I'll dig out some music that I want to work on.

Having business cards to hand out is a good idea for advertising for gigs. They are also handy to hand out to other musicians you might want to hook up with.

You got me hyped about busking.

Warm regards,
Grits
_________________
Bach Stradivarius 37 (1971)
Schilke HC 1
Getzen 3810 C Cornet
King Master Bb Cornet (1945)
B&S 3145 Challenger I Series Flugelhorn
Life is short; buy every horn you want and die happy.

Richard III · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 8:57 am Post subject:

Grits Burgh · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 9:06 am Post subject:

Richard III, Changing the order and being flexible is great. It's a little easier to do with all live music than with backing tracks. With the barbershop quartet, we never had a set program. We just sang what we thought would work. Fiddling around looking for backing tracks kind of detract from the performance.

I'd like to get together a group with live musicians.

Warm regards,
Grits
_________________
Bach Stradivarius 37 (1971)
Schilke HC 1
Getzen 3810 C Cornet
King Master Bb Cornet (1945)
B&S 3145 Challenger I Series Flugelhorn
Life is short; buy every horn you want and die happy.

1jazzyalex · Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 1:22 pm Post subject:

Richard III · Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 2:20 pm Post subject:

Next time you see Rabbit Guy, take a photo and post it here. People will love it. And I know what you mean about the Lysol.

Plus he always has his attack bunny with him. No one messes with the bunny.
_________________
Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

1jazzyalex · Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 2:59 pm Post subject:

Even if I could figure out how to take a photo on my flip phone (there's one on there, take of me looking astonished at the phone) I'd need a data cable of some sort to get the photo into my computer, and then I have no idea how to post it on here.

TL;DR: It ain't gonna happen.

I just did a google search trying to find a picture of him and then a search on youtube because videos of him did at least exist at one time, but with no success.

There's nothing wrong with the guy a bath and a haircut wouldn't help; maybe a run through a car wash then a visit to an army barber lol. Oh, and he'd have to burn his clothes and get new ones.

Personally I don't understand why anyone things dressing/looking/smelling like a bum would help when one deals with the public like being a street performer. Haircuts are as cheap as $8 around here, the Salvation Army and various Catholic charities give out clothes and shoes, and there's a gym right downtown that's $10 a month for showers.

I think it's central to the street performing "thing" that you do best when you're the thing the public wants to be. They see/hear you and they want to be what they see: Musically skilled, the freedom, the cash coming in right then and there, the "no boss" thing, etc. No one looks at a scruffy street performer and thinks, "Gee, I've love that; to be out on the street with scratchy stubble all over my chin, greasy long hair, dirty clothes, and itchy socks and underwear I haven't changed in weeks". No one.
_________________
Yamaha 8335LA with Blessing 3C, 5C, Schilke 11A4A

Richard III · Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2017 6:29 am Post subject:

snichols · Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2017 6:36 am Post subject:

1jazzyalex · Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2017 11:49 pm Post subject:

I was back out there tonight, pretty much 3 hours but it was split up; a half-hour from 7:30 -8:00 in front of the Starbucks on Santa Clara and San Pedro, during which I didn't make a thing, then an hour in front of Johnny Rockets where I made $9 and change, and then the kinda weird security guard guy put a $20 in, making it $29 and change, and then maybe another hour in front of The Old Spaghetti Factory where Rabbit Trumpet Guy was packing up to go.

He did this packing, well, everything, in slow-motion. Seems his doctor put him on a new "sleeping pill" that makes him nod out.

I only made $2 in that last about an hour of playing. It was just not a tipping kind of crowd tonight.
_________________
Yamaha 8335LA with Blessing 3C, 5C, Schilke 11A4A

Grits Burgh · Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 5:50 am Post subject:

1jazzyalex,

You are using a brand new trumpet for your busking. I have mixed feelings about that. On one hand, I have some nice horns that I enjoy playing. I don't like passing up opportunities to use them. On the other hand, I have an old beat up Conn that I wouldn't lose any sleep over if it were damaged.

Waddaya think? Use the good horn or the old beater?

That said, I'm not using any of them as along as it remains 96 degrees outside.

Warm regards,
Grits
_________________
Bach Stradivarius 37 (1971)
Schilke HC 1
Getzen 3810 C Cornet
King Master Bb Cornet (1945)
B&S 3145 Challenger I Series Flugelhorn
Life is short; buy every horn you want and die happy.

1jazzyalex · Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 2:11 pm Post subject:

Grits - I'm using a new student trumpet that I'm leasing-to-own which means it's insured and repairs for the first year or two (if needed) are free.

Yes, it's at a bit of risk out there, but probably not more risk than it would be in the hands of a typical teenager who's marching at home and away games. Probably less.

I've busked quite a bit over the years, with a multiple Yamaha cornets, with a rented Jupiter, etc. The risk to the horn (or myself) has been small.

I had, for a short time, a Getzen 700S which is a nice horn, except as another poster here noted, the wrap is tight, almost like an old time "peashooter" and it's weird to hold.

Being a single working guy making about $12K a year, of course my tax rate approaches 12%, and I had return the 700S, taking some loss, after making a hefty payment to the IRS. I still owe them more money.

It's a sort of carrot-and-stick system. If I raised a bunch of kids, preferably boys, to go into the military to fight our eternal wars, I'd get tons of tax breaks and probably get more back than I pay in. If I'd simply pull on my bootstraps harder and become rich, the same applies. I think once you're earning on the $400K or $500K level, you no longer pay taxes at all and again, get more in than you pay out.

But I am doing neither of those things. And the Getzen 390 I have isn't mine! It's officially the property of the music store I'm leasing it to own from, and so the IRS can't take it away from me.

I chose the Getzen 390 because of posts on here. It's a good honest student horn, with of course the best valves extent, and I've seen posts saying the 390s can play very well. At just under 2-1/2 pounds, it's built like a tank too.
_________________
Yamaha 8335LA with Blessing 3C, 5C, Schilke 11A4A

Richard III · Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 3:00 pm Post subject:

Funny. I spent $75 recently on a Cleveland Superior cornet because the mouthpiece matched one that I already had. I wanted the mouthpiece because in case I ever lose the other one, I have a spare. Tough when the mouthpiece you play isn't made anymore. Anyway the cornet ended up being a great little find in a very sturdy case. Winner winner chicken dinner. I've got so many cornets like that. I have a hard time seeing paying for new when old is so cheap and fits my playing so well. I can pull three or four cornets off the shelf and play any of them. And I do, just for the fun of it.
_________________
Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece