It’s been a long time since I last wrote for UndercoverNY. I have been very busy with a thousand different projects – I’m not sure I’m even exaggerating! – and this website was out of commission for a long time. Now that it’s up and running, better than ever, I thought I’d update all you fine ladies and gentlemen about my escapades under NYC.

Since I started busking in September 2009, I have spent many hours in a handful of subway stations around Manhattan, trying to earn enough money for a meal or two on any given day. I’ve spent the most time at the Delancey/Essex station, Lower East Side, on the Queens-bound F train platform; but I’ve also tried busking at 14th Street/8th Ave, 7th Ave/59th Street, 6th Ave/14th Street, Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Ave and several others.

To be quite honest, it has been a huge challenge. The most I made in one day was $20; but typically I earn $5-10 over a couple hours. No bueno.

Nevertheless, I’ve kept at it because I LOVE performing in the subways! It’s fun, I meet interesting people, and it’s a great way to get folks to hear my music – all different kinds of people who would otherwise never become aware of my existence or my art.

Most importantly, it is a huge honor to bless the city with a message of peace and love through song.

It’s been so long and I could hardly recount my widely varying experiences! But I will make a (very) short list of funny, interesting, quirky, awesome, and/or infuriating things that I have done and experienced while busking over the past nine months:

1) I was interviewed about busking twice.

2) My busking performances were featured in two documentary videos.

3) Weirdest thing dropped in my case: a latex glove full of pennies.
Most obnoxious: arcade tokens.

4) Was asked by police officers to “move on.” I heeded most of the time.

5) Asked an MTA employee whether I could busk at her station. She said, quite bluntly, “No. I will call the police.” After some thought, I replied, “well you can call the police if you want. But I have bills to pay. I’ll be busking.” The police didn’t show.

6) Was told by officers on the mezzanine that I couldn’t play there but the platform was fine. Was then told by officers on the platform that I couldn’t play there but the mezzanine was fine.

7) Asked by a police officer whether I would attempt to perform in Bloomingdales.
Seriously… Bloomingdales.
Was then told to move on.

8) Was ignored by police officers (it’s interesting how many different reactions one might get from these folks)

9) Started a dance party and have video footage to prove it.

10) Had an impromptu busking performance with a drummer named “King One.” We earned $30 in about an hour. Never heard from him again.

11) Made a 17×11″ sign to promote my album and sold several copies to commuters.

12) Busked at the Newmindspace Pillow Fight at Union Square Park on 4/3/2010.

13) Submitted my album to be considered for a MUNY permit. Was denied.

14) Received honorable mention in several blogs from across the country.

15) Busked in Boston.

16) Wrote a song about busking called “Vagrants and Vagabonds, Outlaws and Thieves”

17) Sang “We Shall Overcome” with the church, labor, and political leaders who were arrested for civil disobedience in opposition to the Arizona immigration law.

18) Posted YouTube videos of my performances and thoughts on busking.

19) Gave back to dozens of buskers – musicians, dancers, artists, comedians, poets, and magicians – who, like myself, are struggling to make ends meet as they attempt to conceive beauty, peace, laughter, and freedom in NYC.

20) Began a blog page of my own to document my adventures in NYC: http://gandollo.weebly.com

I have some plans for busking this summer, but you’ll have to stay tuned to UndercoverNY to hear more.
Until then, peace.

GioSafari

gandollo.weebly.com
myspace.com/giosafari
facebook.com/giosafari
youtube.com/user/GioSafari09

Well,
here’s just a short video about the beginning of June. What fun it is when the sun comes out! Must have gotten a good ten acts in, which I’m fairly proud of. Hope you enjoy, and some of them are up elsewhere on the site too.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Well, I’m a little surprised that it’s already been a year since the last museum mile – obviously I’ve not been doing enough since the last one. However, it was really nice to see all the familiar faces, not least the three kids who bring their strings out and gather a crowd. They’re a little young to be technically perfect, but they have certainly learned one thing to perfection – that this is the only tway they’re going to make any money playing classical music (don’t tell any of my classical musician friends!). They have two fantastic assets. 1) I assume they live on the Upper East Side. 2) They’re still cute. I keep trying to work out whether this is the average product of a wealthy hard-working American father trying to teach his kids the value of hard work, or the canny decision of forward thinking future world leaders. I hope it’s the latter.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Also at the festival was this cool cat giving out what must have been thousands of posters, bookmarks and prints. His name’s Michael Albert, and from what I gathered he’s the e-banker with a turn of heart type. “Why are you giving all this stuff away for free?” I asked. “Because it’s more fun than selling them,” he said. Were it that more bankers thought the same way.

I’ve taken a few photos, and I’ve gotta apologize – I’m sitting in a pub, but I don’t actually condone drinking on a Monday morning. Wait, it’s now the afternoon. But anyway, I’m sorry this post isn’t longer! Well, enjoy the rest. There are lots of reasons to do the mile festival. I assume some of it is to do with the museums themselves, but I’ve never looked.

First of all, lets start with some good news. I’ve been contacted by a lovely real estate company in Manhattan that is thinking of doing a street musician program in a cute little park in Midtown – and wants me to run it. I’ll tell you more when I hear more about it. However, if you’re looking to do some sanctioned street performing (you know, where you’re guaranteed a time and an audience), or to connect me with some performers, get in touch in the usual way – undercoverny@gmail.com

Second, I’ve been contacted by three people looking to do documentaries (okay, two of them were making them for school, but still, it’s nice to be recognized), and by America’s Got Talent and American Idol. I offered to sing down the phone at them, but they made me understand that’s not what they wanted (obviously they’d seen my last attempt). So, instead, they pleaded with me to stop, and then to send on some info of performers I know in town. I did as requested, and I think a couple out there went in for an audition. I won’t tell you how well they did, or give names, but they got a good response from the crowd, at least.

And finally, I’ve got one of my more grandiose schemes going – a world tour of street art, from the graffiti in the favelas of Brazil to the monkey dances of Jakarta, and everything in between. I will DEFINITELY be talking more about this in the future.

That’s it, for now. I know I said I had a lot to say, and there’ll definitely be more, but I’ve gotta catch a plane to Texas. Don’t worry, I’m coming back in a couple of days, with more news. I’m sitting on a couple of videos I took in the park last week, but I’m waiting for a Final Cut Pro lesson to edit them. Thought it was high time to get a little advice, perhaps learn a little more – to do you guys justice, if nothing else.

Summertime, when the living is easy…

Nick xx

After a huge amount of redesign and so on, we’re finally back for the Spring Season, with a whole new list of things to see in New York City. Spring in New York is probably this city’s most beautiful time – when it’s not raining – and I’ve already noticed more performers on our streets and in our subways. So, I’ve only got one step left until I’m fully back-in-the-saddle; getting a new cheap camera with video capabilities. It’s payday on Thursday, so this weekend is looking good for that.

A couple of good things:

• first, site numbers are not down. We’re still getting a good number of people, and the average time-on-site is also making me happy. Once I’ve set up a mailing list (any suggestions for a WordPress mailing list plugin?), we should get a few more numbers.
• I’ve been talking to a friend, and I think I might have a venue for our first Undercover New York live event. This won’t come until the summer, but at least things are looking good.
• We’ve got a designer making leaflets, soon to be released
• Finally, there’s interest in our leaderboard!

I’ll keep you all up to date. Until then, enjoy the site, and check out some of our new features:

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Undercover New York is currently going through major changes, in an effort to make it as user-friendly as possible. Everything, from the style and feel to the navigation and content is being rearranged. The best part about it? I’m colorblind. So, if you want to help me out, either contact me or comment on the various pages. Enjoy your experience!

Have you checked out our articles or performers yet?

“I just know I’m meant to be here right now,” I said in confirmation of John Lennon’s line – there’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be – a line I’ve had to repeat to myself just to find solace in the midst of my financial quagmire. Paying rent is indeed difficult when one has no income.

And the search continues.

Since I’ve moved to New York City, I’ve spent a lot of time scanning online lists – craigslist, idealist, TGC listserv – looking for work. My objective and hope has been to find a tolerable part-time job working 15-20 hours per week and making the same amount per hour so that I could focus full-time hours on music: practicing, gigging, busking, instructing, composing/arranging, etc. After hunting for a month and a half I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was existentially frustrated, physically exhausted, and financially drained. I felt as though I had no other choice. I would have to take to the streets. Finally. Once and for all.
I tried Central Park, sitting alongside the bike/walking trails playing and singing to the passersby. Over the course of a couple hours I met and had conversations with some interesting people, but I only made one dollar American and a slight bit more Canadian.

This was not good enough. I could not afford to be playing for two fifty (in mixed currency) per hour. Surely I would fare better along busy streets, I thought.

A couple weeks later I tried the corner of Houston and 1st Ave but the rain and cold got the best of me. My icy pink fingers and guitar were displeased. For only a few dollars, it was still not worth the suffering; so I took the nearest subway train to the Broadway/Lafayette stop, where I opened my case on the platform between the Brooklyn-bound lines and played for pittance.

A few days later I tried the platform at the Jackson Heights stop in Queens, through which five different lines run. A pair of pretty p’licemen approached me asking whether I had a permit, though they could tell I didn’t. They graciously told me that their superiors were roaming the station (not a terribly common occurrence, they assured me) and that if I was spotted by them, the officers would be forced to ticket me – something that they admitted they did not want to do. “I don’t want you to either,” I confessed. They directed me to the mezzanine, where I would be able to play without interference. Before I had even finished setting up on the mezzanine another officer approached me with the same bad tidings. It was apparently not the best day to perform in that particular station.

I’ve made valorous attempts at a number of other stations, but I believe I’m averaging only about $4 per hour altogether.
Thankfully, I have not been insulted or publicly ridiculed as was my experience in Orlando. Still, this consolation and my meager earnings are not enough to pay rent next month. I’m going to have to figure out how I’m going to make busking worth my while… at least until I join that other demographic – the 80% of New Yorkers with stable income. You know, the ones who can afford to pay November’s rent in USD.

Anyway, yesterday I called the city, 311, pretending to be a new street performer who is in town and looking to perform legally here. I just wanted to know where I could play, and how. The lady said the only law she could find in New York regarding this issue was that you needed a permit to use an amplifier, otherwise you were okay.

Not convinced, I went to my local police precinct to ask them what they thought. They told me I needed a license to play. I told him that the government said there was no law on a license for those without amplifiers. The policeman said he didn’t know about that. Also, that he couldn’t give me the information about where and when it’s all right to play until I got a license.

Stupid.

So I thought I’d clear some things up by quoting this article summing up our rights. Here goes:

1) History. “Street performing is as old as streets.” Benjamin Franklin used to sing poems for cash. In 1930 Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia made it illegal, calling street performers beggars. During the 1970s and 80s the laws were reverted on the streets and in subways to rescind the ban.

2) Rights. The New York City Transit (NYCT) approves this:

“Public speaking; distribution of written materials; solicitation for charitable, religious or political causes; and artistic performances, including the acceptance of donations.”

So you can it’s completely legal to be a subway musician. These activities are protected by the first amendment. The only restrictions a government can place on street performing (or any other public expression) is if the restrictions serve a substantial government interest (not endangering, blocking or hindering etc etc), which it is hard to see any subway musician infringing upon.

You don’t need a MUNY permit. You have the right to perform on platforms, but you can’t sell CDs anywhere.

In 1989, the Transit Authority (the old name of the NYCT) proposed to ban music on subway platforms. At some remarkable public hearings, subway musicians, subway riders, politicians, and civil liberties attorneys spoke, sang, and juggled in opposition to the ban. The Transit Authority listened, but it banned amplification devices on platforms instead.

3) Transit Police. You can object to them, but it might increase your chance of them screwing you. You could comply, but challenge later in court. If you’re being harassed, take their badge numbers and ask pedestrians to be your witnesses.

4) Transit Police Fact Check
a) Subway musicians don’t need a MUNY permit.
b) They can perform for donations.
c) Music is allowed on the platforms.
d) No station has a ban specifically. They cannot keep you out of a station permanently.

5) Street Performing in the Parks. You are allowed, but you have to apply for a permit, and go by their rules, which are not necessarily the same as the law. Don’t know how that would hold up in court. The permit needs to be applied for a ridiculous 21 days in advance.

That link again. Go here to see more.

A Big Thanks to Susie Tanenbaum and the Street Performers Advocacy Project for all the work they have done compiling this. They are a huge help to subway musicians and street performers everywhere.

I know this site is supposed to be “Undercover” and about the people who people. But this week I went to one of the latest free things to do in New York — to spend 30 minutes scoping out perhaps the latest and greatest public space in which to perform. Within the last month or so another park has opened in Manhattan — The High Line.

Sitting between Gansevoort and 20th Street, the High Line is a green snake winding through Manhattan’s ugliest district. It’s all in the name, really – the Meatpacking District. Yukky. However, once the site of mutilated animals, now that section of town is frequented by other types of meat, namely the rich young boys and girls who go there to get wasted and hook up on a Saturday night.

Thankfully, this city has a way of adapting for the better, and the High Line is just that, a 500 meter length of calming beauty in a concrete ditch. With over 200 hundred flowers, grass as far as the eye can see (as long as you are looking north or south), and raised high enough to avoid much of the grey, bleak… Sorry, actually I love New York’s edginess, but it’s quite usurped by this half kilometer garden. They are extending it too, to about 2km. What pleasure!

And what could make it better than some pleasant, relaxing music? Really, I think that would be just grand. However, I’d also say that any street performer hoping to go up there and make a noise, remember the intention of the park (to give people a chill out space), and play accordingly. This isn’t the right place for drummers. Perhaps a violinist, or some other socially acceptable art form.

I saw park police up there, by the way, scoping out the High Line’s many visitors. I’m sure they’ll kick anyone out without one of those ghost-licenses they say you need (which, by the way, I asked NYC.gov about, who they said that on the whole, no street performer needed a license). And I doubt they’ll accept the argument that you are just another one of the many free things to do in New York. Keep whatever you’re doing low-key, and pick a spot that’s in open space (not that there is much). Good luck!

(These are the flowers I saw there, of which there are over 200 varieties)

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