Faux Buskers And Folk Bands: An Essay On Social Commitment

Faux Busker (n) fo busk'/ er

Definitions: 1. One for whom busking is an avocation

2. One who busks for diversion

3. One who does not have to sing for one's supper

Real buskers, I certainly do consider you worthy to busk for social causes; however, I just know that in order to survive, one ought to take care of #1 before ever considering being a sounding voice for others more desperate. The message in today's blog is directed more to faux buskers because they do not have to sing for their supper (see definition #3). Faux buskers can spend a significant portion of their between-busking times reflecting in divergent and creative song writing for concrete and abstract causes, homelessness and world peace for examples. I've also included folk band members because generally speaking, if ever a busker were to join a band, it would be a folk band; generally speaking, if ever a busker came from a band, it would have been a folk band.

In Psychology, when one is generally speaking it is generally true; when one is specifically speaking, general truths are proven not to be true. For example, generally speaking, if people choose to live a healthy lifestyle, they'll live longer. Specifically speaking, I had a smokin' uncle who puffed a pack of cigarettes every day for over fifty years, drank rye whiskey for breakfast, ate only fried meat and boiled potatoes, and lived to be 96 years old. (Each of us has such a relative!)

Back to social commitment. Folk bands usually employ traditional melodies to speak on particular topics. Typical folk bands often address social and political issues, such as work, war, world and public opinion. Set lists of folk bands are often about life that exists, existed, or about to exist. In a line, I am referring to those ethical ideologies or theories that faux buskers or folk bands should be obliged to act upon in order to benefit their communities and even societies at large.

Some Psychology candies to crunch:

• Faux buskers and folk bands can effect and influence societal views in every performance. Faux buskers and folk bands need not necessarily be ambuscades for reform, but rather minstrel reminders of how the world ought to be.

• Neither faux buskers nor folk bands need to be the apotheosis for revolution and reform; we are but strummers and thrummers, the human hummers of what is really going on.

• Because faux buskers and folk bands have lots of opportunities for bully pulpit performances, they can most certainly be the Paladins and champions of particular and passionate causes.

• Folk songs can be the vicarious experiences of those who've suffered for the benefit of others, a shared experience made powerful through the lyric and melody of world rights and wrongs.

• Faux buskers, in their wanderlust, experience change, and can therefore sing praises of change.

Faux buskers and band members, I do not mean that one or all of us ought to continually ululate songs of despair and world crises on our street corner pitches and during our night club performances.

I just know what all of us know –

There's a lot of spilth happening on this planet, and someone ought to be singing about it!