Apprenticeship

[Mark Wessels]

Hey everyone,

I was thinking, remember in the old days when people used to take on hard working boys and girls as apprentices and teach them their trade? I think that must have been really cool. Why don't we have that anymore? More importantly, who needs me? I can do stuff like juggling and unicycling and other interesting tricks. I can carry stuff around. Umm... I can read and write. PLEASE? someone rescue me. Let the bidding begin. (please god)

mfw

[Chance]

Hey Mark,

I'm not sure how much of your letter is serious or just tongue-in-cheek, but I'll assume that you are at least a little bit serious.

My fortè is magic and escapes, and I tend to specialize with escapes. Sometimes it is possible to find an experienced older magician that will tutor you (I did, for one summer as a teenager), but with escapes I was completely on my own and had to learn, quite literally, the "hard way" -- through trial and error.

Where I grew up in the midwest there was no such thing as busking; still isn't.

But when I was maybe 12 years old I was taken under wing and apprenticed for several years by a retired Hollywood actor. He had quite an interesting career which started about the time that movies got sound. He had a regular part in the "Our Gang/Little Rascals" and later became an understudy to Bela Lagosi where he learned all about makeup and early special effects. In essence, this makes me Lagosi's artistic grandson.

He taught me nothing about magic or escapes, per se, but I learned volumes about stagecraft and professional integrity.

For example, here is how he taught me make-up: He would go into his dressing room and close the door, and only later would he call me inside. He would be sitting in front of the mirror with only half of his face made up into the character he wanted me to practice, split right down the middle.

All of the paints he used would be there on the counter, but he would not say a word. It was up to me to figure out which colors to use and in which order simply by inspecting the half already finished. My job was to create a seemless whole, with him acting as my manequin. Only when I thought I was finished would he speak and give hints on how to do it better next time.

This is how he was taught so this is how he passed these things on to me.

As for your situation, Mark, there you are in a city that has a thriving busking scene with many good acts playing in front of you daily. (Except for the JimShow on Sundays, but hey.) It seems to me that a summer spent watching and learning from these guys can be just as effective as learning everything just one person can teach over a few years -- maybe even better.

In addition to that, spending time reading over the archives here and actively participating in various discussions is another good way to get experience. Would to God that boards like this had existed 30 years ago! Jim really deserves a lot of credit for making this happen, so use it while you can. Just keep in mind one very wise addage: "Believe only half of what you see, and none of what you hear." For these boards that's the best advise I can give. The rest is up to you to work out through trial and error.

But, failing all that as a last resort, and if you really want to learn some cool monster special effects from the earliest days of Hollywood, all you need is a plane ticket to Vienna. We might have to ask Martin first, but if he is in a good mood he might even allow you to sleep on my sofa. (God save us all if he were to find out afterwards!!)

Take Care ...and take it easy on Jim. He has a bad heart, you know?

[LUCKY DIAMOND RICH]

Let the STREET/your CROWDS/and anyone that will listen to you, be your teacher!
It is a process not an event!


LDR

[Mark Wessels]

Chance- thank you for your excellent advice and generous offer. I did today take your advice and hopped on down to Faneuil Hall (which I today learned to spell) and saw some great performances. (gazzo, stitches, a magic guy i dont know, jim, jim, jim) and DO think i learned quite a bit. I was amazed and surprised and all that good stuff. Thanks.
LDR- Good advice, and i plan to do it. I was just hoping someone might smooth the transition. It was a half-joke. Thanks for your input and I'm glad to hear it worked for you. I can't wait to start doing shows myself.

mfw
(aka Mark)

[Peter Voice]

Mark, it still happens, there are plenty of people out there willing to teach and mentor. It often happens when you least expect it. Chalk Circle has unexpectedly acquired 3 new young artists in only the last few days. It is a serious commitment from us to them and vice versa. We are really looking forward to seeing what they can do with our resources.

If you're out there and willing you will always learn some-thing from some-one.

[LUCKY DIAMOND RICH]

Peter,
good advice,but the only thing is that if you are going to be a preacher then you might have practise what you preach,for people to have faith!

LDR

[HiveQueen]

[quote]Originally posted by Lucky Diamond Rich:
<strong>if you are going to be a preacher then you might have practise what you preach,for people to have faith!

LDR</strong><hr></blockquote>

Not based on the evidence at hand, you don't.
It's a nice thought, but people really don't seem to be that discerning.

Then again I haven't had any coffee yet.
Ignore me & go on getting down with your happy idealistic self.

[martin ewen]

You can gain a lot by getting out there and being inspired.
You can look at a show and go away and have something to work on ( I know I can...clunk, I know I can...clunk--Please buy my book- "the little busker who couldn't.")
While personal perserverance is a major part of anything creative I think those of us who for various reasons are still performing on the streets after a decade or so could quite easily bring to mind individuals who have taken us under their wing showed us some techniques and probably more importantly given us permission to make our own rules.
Its scary to get out there with your own content and risk failure.
Thats why generic shows are so plentiful.
I was very lucky to have a teacher, ( and a soft hearted probation officer) How to create a stage in public, how to create an audience, how to create a show with a bigginning a middle and an end, how to ask for money.
Theres heaps of ways to do each of these things .
It helps to know what some of them are.
Marks just asking for some pointers.
You don't have to earn kindness.
You just have to have faith that some people are kind.
(stop looking at me like that)

[Mark Wessels]

today i decided that this weekend i am gonna check out harvard square rather than faneuil hall. It occured to me that, though it is probably a harder environment to start in, it is almost definately where i will start and where my show will grow. I think I will learn about gathering a crowd that isn't there to see you and competing with distractions and such. I learned a lot at Faneuil Hall but it's time for me to get real(er) and take a peak at where I have to begin. I still love to see a show in Faneuil Hall but I think I better study in HS to get the real deal.

sorry, i'll go now

Mark

[Jim]

Go all over town, Mark. Harvard Square is where I got my chops. It is definitely a more 'real' street environment than Faneuil Hall. You will see a much more diverse array of acts over there. Everyone from total beginner to hardened veteran... all working side by side and cranking their amps to out-volume each other. It's a great place to observe. If you can work Harvard, you can work almost anywhere. It's kind of a tough nut to crack. Definitely intimidating for the newbie. But if you try it out and keep at it, you will learn very fast and be better for it.

And don't forget to go underground and watch how musicians work the subways. Making money doing 60 second shows always baffled me.

Study, study, study, but remember that the only way to really learn the street is to DO THE STREET.

Jim

[Danny Hustle]

[quote]Originally posted by Mark Wessels:
<strong>I still love to see a show in Faneuil Hall but I think I better study in HS to get the real deal.


</strong><hr></blockquote>

Hi Mark,

As a rookie to this busking thing I don't have much to offer in the way of advice. The most important thing I've learned so far is don't be afraid to have an awful show, and do not be discouraged by not being able to draw an edge or hold one once you get one.

I read a lot of books and talked to a lot of people and the two things they never wanted to talk about were:

How much money they make

How awful they were when they first hit the bricks.

A good show is developed over time. This is the big part of paying dues. Every bad show should be a learning experiance. Every good show should be put in your pocket to be pulled out anytime you start to think about hanging it up.

In my very limited experience it seems to me that confidence and tenacity are two things that should stay in the top of your bag of tricks.

Stick with it and you'll do well.

Best,

Dan-

[Spinners' Wacky World of Tops]

Mark,my motto is "I have no shame" half of the worst shows i've done the audience did not know it.For a long time I would play to the one child that was sitting up front mesmerized by "YOU" then when its over you thank that one person for showing interest/then you go back to the drawing board losing sleep telling your self you should of done this or that.

[Mr.Taxi Trix]

Scroll to the bottom of the page and go the library here: a lot of mentoring awaits you, from some salty pros who would just as soon dance on a lilly pad as take you under their wing but for some reason can't resist writing how to info.

Lucky, does your "practice what you preach" schtick mean you'll be blowing off festivals in the future to stay pure?

[Dan Tastik]

Do shows and suck and go home rejoicing in your suckness knowing that at least you did shows. The most valuable thing I have been told and what seems to be the recurring theme through all these posts is that the only way to get good at the street is to do the street.

I recently finished a year long partnership in street shows and a show that had finally got to the stage where it didn't suck (regularly at least...) was ended. Now i am doing a solo show and am perversly excited at the opportunity to suck again, the staleness has gone from my attitude to the street and everything is fresh and exciting, there's a spring in my step and a sparkle in my eye...

(one or more of the above statements may be an exaggeration..)

[jonnyflash]

I say get all of your props and equipment together, go to the pitch early, and get yourself in the mix. Wait and watch the vets for a bit...watch for the concepts they employ, rather than the lines they use. then get in there and do a show...go slowly, don't rush. Exude confidence. In order for the audience to think you're King Shit with something great to provide, you must act like King Shit. When you can convince yourself and your audience that you really have a great thing going, then you're past the hardest part.