8b_streetart_articles

Opinions: Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Robert Doyle is against 'dodgy buskers' performing so to get rid of the 'below standard' buskers the mayor has proposed to hold busking auditions. He says //"We've got to audition them, simple as that. We've got to have a bar where we say Look I'm sorry, below that you don't make it on the streets//." The mayor says he's recieved continous complaints about buskers, and in 2009 topped the list of complaints about noise. //"Sometimes it is about noise, sometimes it is about repitition, sometimes it is about blatant lack of talent."// He feels as if people are being attacked on the street by the buskers //"People don't want to be assailed with wailing people as they come in, they dont want handbills shoved under their noses as they try to make their way down the street, they don't want to have to pick their way around people who are doing a gigantic artwork of no artistic merit on our footpath, and I think that's reasonable."// In late 2008 the Mayor promised to cut down the busking in Melbourne saying that "//People are sick of someone warbling out of tune every 10m or so. You have got to have some talent atleast. they seem to be a little short of talent."// //.// Buskers say otherwise, Jessica Paige a busker of 10 years disagrees with Mr Doyle and says //"The world is crushing enough without people saying sorry you can't be a busker."// and thought to be judged before you busk would be 'a bit weird'.

Jorge Cuba, a busker of 30 years and regular at Bourke Street Mall says //"We like to make beautiful music for the people"// and defends the buskers by saying //"most buskers are talented musicians trying to make a living and improve the city, we have a lot of people coming up to say thankyou for the music. It makes them feel good and it is good for the street."// //.// //"I think it's lovely the music makes Melbourne"// //"if people have got a bit of talent, it's great that we can see them in the city"// //"buskers add to the CBD's atmosphere and ambience"// -Opinions of Emelia and Anna Colafella, members of the public.

My personal opinion of busking is that to me, busking is an iconic aspect of Melbourne. If I were a tourist I would love to walk down the streets of Melbourne to see people performing all sorts of acts because it's the kind of thing that makes you smile.

Audition: The audition concept hasn't yet made it to the streets, but the basic idea is that to eliminate 'dodgy buskers' you go through an audition process and have a panel of judges watch your performance, the judges would include council members and another suggestion was to have people from the arts and culture branch, the busking community and the entertainment union judge the acts, and it was also brought up to hold auditions on a wednesday morning at City Square as a sort of Melbourne Idol. If the audition idea were to be put into action buskers with a repertoire and a certain level of skill and understanding the noise levels and rules would be accepted and given a place to perform. "//So that we are maximising people's enjoyment in the city rather than them feeling that it is just a continual assault on their ears//" - Robert Doyle