A day in the life of a street musician Susana Martinez is from Argentina, but she’s travelling around Europe at the moment. Back home, she is a classical musician who plays the violin in an orchestra, and she’s using this skill to make money while she’s travelling. Susana is a ‘busker’; a street musician who spends her days performing for passers-by in the crowded streets of Europe’s big cities. Check out this interview with Susana, and find out about her life right now.
Where are you right now?
At the moment, I’m staying with friends in a suburb of Paris. Every morning, I get up really early before all my friends wake up and I travel to the streets of Montmartre which is near the centre of the city. Then I find a good place to play, put a big hat on the floor in front of me, and get out my violin. Sometimes I sing, too.
What sort of music do you usually play?
Well, I’m keen on classical music, but what I play changes – I play what I think passers-by will be interested in. I want people to notice me, so I play songs that people know, or songs that make them smile. For example, if it’s raining, I play a song about the rain. In the morning, during the rush hour, I usually play lively music that wakes people up. In the evening, when people are tired and stressed, I play something relaxing. Here, in Paris, there are lots of tourists, so I often play French songs – they’re visiting Paris, so they want to hear something French, right?
Do you make a lot of money when you play your music in the streets?
Well, some days, when the weather’s bad and there aren’t many people around, I can come home with nothing. But on other days, especially when I find a good place to play, I can make over fifty euros an hour. People think that the best places for street musicians are where there are the most tourists, but I don’t think that’s true. Busy shopping centres are good because there are a lot of children. Kids are always looking for something unusual and fun, so when they see me, they stop. That makes their parents stop, and then they put some money in my hat.
Some people think that being a street musician isn’t really a job. Are you worried about that?
I’m fed up with hearing people say that. I’m not ashamed of what I do. Being a street musician is no different to being an artist or a writer or any other creative job – you perform and you only make money if people like what you do. And I make people smile every day. When somebody stops to say they like my music, I feel happy and proud of myself.
6 Read the text. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?
1 Susana isn’t living in Argentina at the moment. ___
2 She works as a street musician in Argentina. ___
3 She travels to the city centre with her friends every day. ___
4 She plays the same music all day. ___
5 She plays French songs for the local people.___
6 Sometimes she doesn't earn any money at all. ___
7 She prefers playing in the parts of a city where there are lots of tourists. ___
8 Children aren’t usually very interested in her music. ___
9 She agrees that being a street musician isn't really a job.___
10 People sometimes thank her for her music when she's playing in the street. ___
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