Playing Music of the Holidays on the Street

I love music, especially when it’s purely acoustic. The raw talent artists share on the streets may be their mere passions but it means so much more to those amazed listening in the streets.  My favorite street artists have been the ones I saw in Asheville, North Carolina.  They host a drum circle on Friday nights and it’s amazing.  So many people from the community and tourists join together to either play an instrument, sing or dance.  Below is a guest post.

If you have been to any large city like Los Angeles, Chicago or New York, no doubt you have seen street musicians playing their favorite instruments as the public walks by on the way to wherever they are headed.

You may have also seen a coffee can or an open instrument case, often with a little money inside. This is the change left by people who say “Hey, you’re doing a great job playing! Keep it up.”

No matter where you are in the country, when Black Friday hits and the Christmas rush begins, the lights and the decorations make it look like Christmas. Face it, you don’t have to have snow to be in the holiday mood. If you play an instrument, you could even get in on the action.

Whether you play a guitar, have a miniature keyboard, a little drum set or a brass instrument such as a saxophone or trumpet, you can plant yourself on a corner and set up for a little holiday music. Hopefully that music brings you a bit of holiday change. Again, you don’t have to be bundled up in a winter coat playing “Silent Night” on a Philadelphia street corner. You could be in Southern California, where the weather is balmy and, unless you go skiing, snow is something you only see in the movies.

For residents who are located on the sunny beaches of the West Coast, you can still learn some snowy winter Christmas songs. Who needs the snow? If you are in the Christmas spirit you don’t need the white stuff to fall. San Diego music lessons are available, and whether you’re located in Los Angeles, Hollywood or Palm Springs, you can always grab some sheet music and learn a few of these snowy winter classics.

Don’t go right out and expect to earn a lot of money. You will need to brush up on the song first. Keep it something simple, a song you can learn quickly and still add a lot of personal flavor when you play it. You may not sound like Kenny G or David Sanborn when you play Silent Night on a brass instrument, but it doesn’t matter. This is about adding your own little twist to it. Make it personal and put your spin on things.

Keep the music positive. There are such things as sad or sentimental songs at Christmas, and you want your audience to be in a holly jolly mood. Jingle Bell Rock on a guitar brings smiles to peoples’ faces. Deck The Halls is a popular favorite that, played with enthusiasm, should bring applause to your street corner.

It isn’t about buying your loved ones presents at the holidays. This job could give you the money to do so, depending on how good you play, but it is more about the memories you make. Learn your favorite song and help everyone to have a good time.