A big part of the charm of Asheville, NC has been its arts community and aside from the numerous murals painted on the downtown buildings the most obvious evidence of this are the plentiful street musicians who perform in public places.
I’ve done this myself a few times and it’s nice to get a smile or appreciative glance from passersby. It’s even nicer to get a buck or two in your open guitar case. Over the years controversy has come up about whether these players disrupt or distract from the businesses nearby more than they add to the city’s eclectic character.
There have even been suggestions that regulations be developed and for a time a permit was required. A busker collective was even formed to represented the musicians and protect their rights. To me there was always something heroic about a guy or gal battling city hall with nothing more than acoustic guitar, ukulele, or banjo and the power of his or her voice.
Lately, however, I’ve noticed that more and more buskers have to taken to boosting their instruments and vocals through the use of amplifiers. In some cases distorted electric guitar solos that can be heard several blocks away.
A recent article in the Mountain Xpress newspaper addressed this development. Jessica Wakeman, the writer, interviewed musicians and businesses and heard varied opinions about the phenomena. Some amplified performers say the amps let them better control their volume than playing unplugged. While many business representatives say they appreciate the music and the foot traffic it might attract, some complain that the louder music conflicts with their own store soundtracks, creating an unpleasant listening experience.
I have to confess that I often use a personal voice amplifier when I perform as Bigfoot Troubadour. I’ve found that my mask often muffles my singing, especially when performing outside. I do believer, however, that this small speaker clipped to my belt only compensates for the sound I would normally make unmasked. It’s certainly not as loud as what comes out of most battery-powered amps.
As far as busking is concerned I prefer the unamplified version. More performers can play in a smaller space when they rely only on their own natural voice. Adding a microphone and PA system takes up much more acoustic space. When you start taking up too much physical space on the sidewalk with equipment and annoy people with loud playing or singing it’s bound to bring more regulation. And that’s going to ruin a beautiful thing.