Teaching via the internet

[EpitaphofSanity]

The quickest way to learn an art form is to have a teacher. But for those of us living away from major busking venues it is difficult to find those who have a well of experience to draw from. Websites like p.net are great for connecting new performers with a hardened professionals.

But could you teach the art of busking through the internet? Not on a mass scale; just one on one, a master/student dynamic. You could use tools like youtube to share visual examples of ideas, skype for free long distance communications and email for daily updates and "homework".

There are obvious drawbacks (no real time feedback on performances), but could these be overcome with a patient teacher and a talented student?

[Marcus Wilson]

The only way to learn how to perform is by performing.

[EpitaphofSanity]

The best way to learn to perform is by performing, but not the quickest.

[Peter]

The best way to learn to perform is by performing, but not the quickest.

WRONG!! It is the quickest method of learning, especially on the street. You know instantly what works. if it doesn't work, tweak it for the next show (the one you're now starting.) When your hats are fat, you got it.

[martin ewen]

Hardened professionals, sweet! Considering a good percentage of the hardened professionals have esteem issues your flattery is a stroke of genius.

Robert Nelson and I were discussing becoming coaches, we would mentor people through their first 100 shows. That's the litmus really, your first 100 shows because if you overcome sucking as bad as you do getting through those and push on then you have what's needed to make a career out of this.

as to online stuff. I've tried. never got any feedback.

http://www.performers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=17048

http://www.performers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=15934

http://www.performers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=15935

Online stuff is simply gaining knowledge, it's the application of it and the adaptation you bring to it dependent on your own unique situation that is the forge by which you fashion your show.

So it's good to do research but you have to apply yourself and start projecting at some point. It's nice and comfy absorbing data and snuggling up to your ambitions. [there's an old trueism, you judge others by their actions but you judge yourself by your asperations]

At some point you are going to have to risk sucking, [and you will]

To be a hardened professional simply means you are post suck, it doesn't matter if, after this point, other people think you suck, if you are doing exactly what you are setting out to do then you are achieving your objectives and sucking becomes a style issue. [I suck at making big hats, I could, but I don't for example,]

[martin ewen]

your quote about the best way of learning is vs the quickest.

Form, content, performance. three elements, you can work on your content prestage, in fact it's best you do. don't practice juggling as a performance for example. Any skills based performance is going to require time put in prior to display.

Form to a lesser degree you can work on beforehand. Form is defined in different ways and it's definition bleeds in and out of performance for me. Some would just call form your costume but I see it more as costume , character, attitude so in part it can be influenced by the live setting of a show.


The only way you get to practice all these things together is to perform.

So when you say 'Quicker' what is it you are talking about specifically?

[davidkaye]

There are obvious drawbacks (no real time feedback on performances), but could these be overcome with a patient teacher and a talented student?

As I've said in a previous post or two, I learned a lot about busking and audiences from reading Jim Rose's "Freak Like Me". While I'm all for the learn by doing school, reading something from someone who's been there can open you up to other perspectives you may not have thought of.

For instance, I had no idea that about 50 to 60% of circle busking is gathering an audience based on preparation schtick that may not have anything to do with the performance, but looks cool and attracts people. Now, honestly, how many people would have considered that idea right out of the bag? Sure, they'd probably eventually discover it, but after how much time?

[Peter]

... Now, honestly, how many people would have considered that idea right out of the bag? Sure, they'd probably eventually discover it, but after how much time?

that's why you always want to get yourself a "Rabbi." Get with a fellow busker and learn from him. Go see Bobby maverick or kosmo, talk to them and they will teach you more in one day. But then you have to apply what they teach and the only way is by performing your ass off. i am working on a 12 minute sidewalk show with ropes only. When i get the moves and patter down then it's on the street and I'll rewrite it as I learn from the crowds.

[EpitaphofSanity]

There are certain formulas that do work and don't work; the one's that do work aren't always apparant. A good example would be when I first wanted to start performing I put togehter a juggling routine. I tried it out on the streets and didn't understand why no ones was intrested in this thing I had created. By chance I happened to stumble upon a juggler from San Fransisco. After I had showed him the little routine I had he asked me, "Are you juggling for jugglers or for a lay-man? Because the lay-man has no idea the amount of work you put into this." That had never crossed my mind. I had spent years learning to juggle from videos that it never occured to me that not everyone knew the level of skill I held my self to.

A teacher is a well of knowledge and experience that the student can lean on. Instead of beating your head against a wall trying to force something to work that has historically not. You could have legitimate feedback telling you why the things you are doing don't work.

While performing on the other hand tells you on the spot whether or not something works. It doesn't tell you why or how to fix it.

[Isabella]

It sounds like you really want to do internet teaching. It sounds like no-one here is going to sign up to be a student for that. So step one is finding a market - with three preconditions:

1) Wants to learn to busk
2) Has no-one near them at their pitch to give feedback
3) Already has enough money to pay you.

[EpitaphofSanity]

It sounds like you really want to do internet teaching.

The opposite actually. Id like a teacher. But this whole thing is me trying to get new ideas flowing. I am hoping people pop holes into the ideas I have established.

[thatjugglingfool]

I've always felt you learn more with the trial and error method. Right now I'm working on acupuncture. It's amazing how fast I've learned where not to stick needles.

[martin ewen]

Being taught, for me, was about someone who I'd seen employ the stuff he was teaching and seeing it worked. Having someone deconstruct various components in such a way they could be isolated and practised however on a level above that I saw that what a teacher does primarily is give you permission to try your ideas. Polished shows are tips of icebergs resting on foundations of compound failure. I had stuff I had no confidence in for what I thought was good reason. Given permission to try them anyway I did and had some unlikely successes.