Busking the Big Apple

Ithaca College Television (ICTV)

Producers:
Christopher Burt
Christopher Cucci
Sarah Justine Woodhouse

Busking the Big Apple (pilot) documents the life of individuals who earns a living through busking, also known as street performing. Busking is the act of performing live in a public place to entertain people. Through taking a cinéma vérité approach, we captured many of these performers in their attempt to make a living wage performing. We wish to bring attention to a New York City subculture that often goes unnoticed; a hidden subculture that reinvigorates us with color and life in contrast to a concrete gray environment.

This short piece promotes the understanding of music in the community, even if it is on the streets of a concrete jungle, for it humanizes the our individualistic isolated society. Music in unconventional locations breaks apart our daily routine, creating a rich human experience. It may be a man drumming on a bucket in a tunnel, the sound of a Kena flute echoing off downtown skyscrapers, or a man strumming a guitar in his underwear.

The video you see here is a cut specifically created for the 2009 Association of Higher Education Campus Television Administrators Student Production Awards. The original piece is a 15minute pilot. Please contact info@smallscaleprodctions.com for more information.

Living in New York City during the summer, Producer Chris Cucci became fascinated with individuals who performed on subways, street corners, and in parks. After pitching the idea to our peers, we traveled down to New York City in search of street performers. Originally, we wanted to create a verses piece: Buskers vs. The Police; Buskers vs. The City; Buskers vs. Their Audience; but as this documentary pilot evolved we became more interested in these performers as people. As we met the Naked Cowboy, Mossi, Yovanni, and other musicians and performers the project took shape into a documentary pilot piece.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• buskingh264
• ICTV

[thunderscratch66]

I HATE ppl who think busking is the same as begging. It's SO NOT the same. these ppl have something to give, and try to be creative. It's also the perfect audience: If you don't wanna hear the music, you just keep walking. unlike concerts (the captive audience) or cd's that you pay for first and quite often walk away wanting your money back. If you like it, you stand there and listen a while. this kinda stuff livens up any city. its good for the soul.

[hellbound102]

"what would i be taking a break from? im standing in the middle of the street in my underwear playing my favorite song" lmao

[MaconGaBlues]

To all the kids at Ithaca that produced this video: this is a really nice piece on busking, very professional, video and background music is top notch, the subject matter is well presented, as a west coast busker I found it both entertaining and informative with regards to east coast busking. If you are ever in Portland OR or Seattle WA please do a piece on the Portland Saturday Market or the Pike Place Market in Seattle. Lots of genuine, dedicated buskers here. You Rule!

[MTMtelevision1]

PLEASE READ: We are a recently set up youth broadcaster from London and are promoting musical talent from all over; we need as much promotion as we can. One thumbs up could help our channel grow :)

[MTMtelevision1]

@thunderscratch66 Well said. Please check out our Busking Session with Billy Cooper in London, it's on our channel :)

[jackvincent90]

@thunderscratch66 thats why i illegally download, if i like them then ill but their stuff

[fantastichumore]

Great video ! NY-3

[WasteTime4Passwords]

@thunderscratch66 I definitely know that busking is not the same as begging in Seattle. The musicians I know walk away with less than ten bucks for a whole day, while the beggers hats fill up with 5s and 10s, in just an hour.

[Kokorasfbi]

NEW YORK <3

[999jesse999]

looks like the cray pedo guy off green mile