ConspiracyUkeist
Well-known member
I was up in Santa Cruz for a few days so on the 3rd day I got the uke out and tried playing on Pacific Avenue.
I'm a real beginner so I knew I'd not sound all that great. In fact, I found that my voice would shrink like a mouse while I was trying to get the chords right - I need a LOT more practice.
I did wear a nice Aloha shirt though!
Frankly I thought I'd get a few coins just for being out there and not sounding utterly horrible like *some* buskers out there.
But I got nothing.
Frankly, as beginner as I am, I think any tips I'd have gotten would have been out of pity and I don't want those!
A very nice lady came by, who I think is a member of the Santa Cruz ukulele club or this site or both. She was wearing a sort of Hawaiian pendant, I think a sea turtle with a ukulele on it? I handed my uke right over so she could play a bit, and she played and sang with a very SWEET voice and encouraged me to keep working at it. I'd like to thank her.
A couple of other older ladies who'd wait near me while their kids went into the surfing-themed clothing store to shop, told me my uke sounded good and that was a great reward.
I actually think a lot of people could probably not HEAR me. It's loud on Pacific. A good clear singing voice, which I could not summon up, and perhaps a uke like an Ovation tenor may be the ticket for venues like that in the future.
Fortunately a lot of places I want to play don't have as much background noise and as the uke playing becomes more automatic my voice should come out of hiding.
Santa Cruz is a tough crowd anyway. I'd been away for a couple of years and there are a LOT of people with their hands out for various things. Lots of down-and-out people and while many are polite, some are pushy and it does not make for the best atmosphere. In contrast, Castro Street in Mountain View is very relaxed.
So, these were my observations.
I'm a real beginner so I knew I'd not sound all that great. In fact, I found that my voice would shrink like a mouse while I was trying to get the chords right - I need a LOT more practice.
I did wear a nice Aloha shirt though!
Frankly I thought I'd get a few coins just for being out there and not sounding utterly horrible like *some* buskers out there.
But I got nothing.
Frankly, as beginner as I am, I think any tips I'd have gotten would have been out of pity and I don't want those!
A very nice lady came by, who I think is a member of the Santa Cruz ukulele club or this site or both. She was wearing a sort of Hawaiian pendant, I think a sea turtle with a ukulele on it? I handed my uke right over so she could play a bit, and she played and sang with a very SWEET voice and encouraged me to keep working at it. I'd like to thank her.
A couple of other older ladies who'd wait near me while their kids went into the surfing-themed clothing store to shop, told me my uke sounded good and that was a great reward.
I actually think a lot of people could probably not HEAR me. It's loud on Pacific. A good clear singing voice, which I could not summon up, and perhaps a uke like an Ovation tenor may be the ticket for venues like that in the future.
Fortunately a lot of places I want to play don't have as much background noise and as the uke playing becomes more automatic my voice should come out of hiding.
Santa Cruz is a tough crowd anyway. I'd been away for a couple of years and there are a LOT of people with their hands out for various things. Lots of down-and-out people and while many are polite, some are pushy and it does not make for the best atmosphere. In contrast, Castro Street in Mountain View is very relaxed.
So, these were my observations.