I had just moved to Toronto and was spending most of my time setting up audition times and scoping out singing gigs. I knew no one in the city and, two weeks in, was frustrated that I had moved to Toronto to sing and wasn't singing. Inspired by my time at Burning Man I decided that I wanted to offer free songs on the street.
I wanted to connect with individuals through an intimate and yet public experience. I didn't want money; I didn't want to promote myself; and I didn't want anything in return. This was the bedrock of my project. I wanted to show the people I connected with that not everything had to be transactional.
I made a sign that said "Free song and arias," affixed it to the front of my music binder, grabbed a music stand, and set up on the corner. Holding the binder like a canvasser, I actively engaged with every person that passed me. "Do you have a moment for a free song?" I would ask. Some people passed right by without answering, others stopped and closed their eyes as I sang to them, others made requests.
For me, this was an act of social justice. I spoke to every single person who passed me. I didn't discriminate according to age, race, or perceived social standing.
This stands in stark contrast to some of what our discussions of buskers has involved, the main difference being the idea of money. Does explicitly refusing money change the nature of the interaction? Am I someone who gets to be "socially just" while other buskers get social justice "done" to them or not? Clearly I think that the answer is no, but I think this example does some work for thinking about the role money might play in our thinking about social justice in street performing contexts.
Thinking more aboutt this project I wonder what other questions could be posed. One thing you note is the idea that refusing money might change the situation. Perhaps people feel more comfortable with the idea of stopping because they know that there isn't a catch. But perhaps there are other things that change the situation, like the fact that you are approaching these people rather than letting them come to you. With the Christopher's project he notes that people who reach out in conversation to passerby did better in terms of making money. Though that was not your objective, I wonder if it was the same effect. I wonder, if you had done the same thing, only instead of approaching people, let them come to you, if the results and interactions would have been very different?
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