STREET MUSICIAN'S TRIALS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 2, 25 September 1937, Page 15

STREET MUSICIAN'S TRIALS

£2 4 / - In 60-Hour Week

The streets of London are not paved with gold, if the experieuces of Moore Eaymond are typical. As a journalist, he was commissioned by his editor to go out and see how much he could' earn at various jobs. Here is the result. The first hour as pavement artist brought him in 2d, but that was followed by 1/- dropped into His cap, and at the end of five hours he had collected 3/8. At that average he would have made £2 4/- for a aixty-hour working "week. Another day he sold toys — birds that llapped their wings when you pulled their tails. He made them himself oul of paper so that the Id for which they sold was practically all profit: he mandged to sfell about three dozen in the day. With a repertoire of three tunes —"Men of Harlech," "Thero is a Tavern in the Town. " and "Massa's in de Cold. Cold Ground"— he spent another day playing a mandoline. That waa less successful as long as he remained in the street. His fortune turned, however, when he went into a public bar and ordered a beer. "Someone asked him for a tune, and after he had played "Men of Harlech." went round with a hat. The emall crowd contributed 1/6, but when the musician suggosled he should buy a round of drinks, his beuefactor grabbed him by the arm and hustled liim to the door. "You take that dough home to youv aiissus, " t>6 said, "and don't go boozing itl'"

Buii if the material rewards of M*. Eaymond 's' experiment were slight, he gained a good deal of useful information. "To make the best of singing in the street," he learned, "is to make for the queues outside a place of entertainment, beeause the people who are going to a cinema or theatre, and who have to stand in a queue to do so, are custdmer3 who xiot oniy have money I® spend, but also have time to listen t« you," If you're a flower-seller you don't, of course, expect to do big business all th6 year round. Spring is always the best time beeause people who havexi't seen flowers for months are always more anxious to buy them. See that you have something w.orth selling at a reasonable price. As in all forms of business, you should try to satisfy yotxt customer so that he'll come back for more. If you are a street musician you ought to show that you are skilled enough to deserve a reward. You might make quick money at the game that grafters call fly-pitching, but in the long run it isn't worth it. Next, don't appear too prosperous. On the other hand, if you're too ragged it makes prospeetive customers self-con-scious and they miglit avoid you. Try the middlo line — which is neat but rather threadbare — aud don't smoke: it looks too prosperous. Next, give your customer a smilo aud a word oi thanks. He goes off thiukiug he's donr a good decd which is appreeiated,' an'c' he won't try to avoid you nest time.