PSYCHOLOGY BUSKING a la wordswords: IQ, EQ, AND BQ: AND A MILLION BUTTERFLIES LATER

RUDY'S AT REGINA BEACH

IQ (Intelligence Quotient) is a score derived from one of several standardized tests used to measure human intelligence.

Approximately two-thirds of the human population taking any of these standardized tests score between IQ 85 and IQ 115. Just five percent of the population scores above 125.

This is all good; however, Psychologist, Nicholas Humphrey, believes that it is Social Intelligence, rather than this quantitative intelligence (IQ) that defines humans.

In exactly this regard of Humphrey, EQ, as of late, has been widely coveted and certain studies have shown that people with high EQ have greater mental health along with better job performance and better leadership skills than the rest of the human population.

EQ (Emotional Quotient) is the ability to recognize one’s own or other people’s emotions, and measurable abilities to use this emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.

In both IQ and EQ, the word, QUOTIENT, is used in reference to the degree or magnitude to which a specific quality or characteristic exists; the celebrity’s likability quotient is high, for example.

BQ (Buskology Quotient), I’ve decided, is the social capacity to effectively negotiate a complex social relationship in the context of any busking environment.

Take for example, yesterday at the REGINA BEACH ARTS FRENZY. Every August, RUDY’S owner, LORI ZAK, sponsors an Arts and Music festival for a cause, the proceeds for this year going to mamas 4 mamas. RUDY’S is a fun and funky beach shop that sells unusual items (cultural masks, buffalo hats, hand drums, driftwood signs, beach ponchos, clothing items, and Buddha wall hangings) from around the globe, but only items made with partner who employ fair trade practices.

By invitation, traveling with my favorite buskmate and drummer, BARON, we drove through a blizzard of a million cabbage butterflies on the way to the beach. (This hot, dry weather we’ve been having, apparently, is conducive for the cabbage butterfly to procreate up to five generations in a single summer season.)

NOT MY CAR ... BUT ONE THAT DROVE THROUGH THE SAME BUTTERFLY BLIZZARD

Participants at the FRENZY yesterday included dozens of vendors and artists in a semi-circle around a main stage. I was invited to busk there by my friend, JAY GREENMAN, principal organizer for the event and … first in the entertainment line-up on stage was singer-songwriter, Regan Hinchcliffe, a virtuoso guitarist of significant renown. (Regan and I and others shared the stage a few months back at THE SIX SINGER-SONGWRITERS SUMMER SHOWCASE hosted by the BUSHWAKKER BREWPUB … see my blog posting June 7^th, 2015.)

Anyway, dozens of cool artisans displaying their unique wares of paintings and pottery and varied jewelry products, were situated in a semi-circle around the main musical entertainment stage.

“Busk anywhere you like, Neil, the entire place is yours!” explained Jay.

Baron and I did a quick walk around. Hmmm … to busk during the main stage performance would have been outright rude. Hmmm … to busk for 10 or 15 minute between performances would have been noticeably cheesy. Hmmm … to busk anywhere on the semi-circle somehow seemed demeaning, not necessarily for us, but for the entire event in general. Hmmm … and to busk elsewhere down the street in this little beach town would have been quite unproductive, speaking strictly from a mercenary point of view. Hmmm ... had I known Jay arranged all of this as a mamas 4 mamas fundraiser, I would have gladly performed on the main stage for zeroth dollars.

It’s all about the BQ (the BUSKOLOGY QUOTIENT), of which I consider mine to be quite high (if I don’t say so myself). I know a busker who takes off his shirt, sweats and stinks profusely while blocking the shoppers' entrance to MIKE’S INDEPENDENT on BROADWAY AVENUE. I consider his BQ to be quite low.

I know another busker who insists on forcing his crappy guitar playing skills on a wait-in-line ice-cream outlet, THE MILKY WAY on VICTORIA STREET. I consider his BQ, too, to be low.

I must confess, however, that such social comparisons, comparing myself against other buskers is an exercise in arrogance (on my part) and futility (so what can be done … so what do I care what other buskers do). For me to represent myself as perfection as a busker is certainly an aplomb illusion, especially since I’ve employed only the ad hominem social comparison model. Besides, how biggity and pretentious am I … really?

A more enduring and appropriate, academic social comparison (this is not an oxymoron) would be a temporal comparison; that is, my today self as compared to my yesterday (or yesteryear) self. This still may be an illusion, but at least I’m not discrediting other buskers in their attempts to eke out a living. Rather, I am adding just another page in my busker bildungsroman. (This is being more humble and having a human compassionate attitude, one that I ought to always present.)

Having a high BQ means to never busk uninvited near a captive crowd, an outdoor pub or eatery. Having a high BQ means to busk near vendors without their permission. Having a high BQ means to not vocally solicit people for money. Having a high BQ means to never infringe upon anyone’s privacy. Having a high BQ means to always exercise common sense.

I shall explain my metaphor.

I AM A BUSKER. I PREFER TO BUSK ON THE SIDEWALK ON SOME BUSY STREET WHERE THERE ARE ONLY PASSERS-BY.

I AM A BUSKER. WHENEVER I TAKE A BREAK I SIMPLY SIT ON THE SIDEWALK BY MYSELF OR WITH MY BUSKMATE, SIPPING WATER OR AMERICANO DECAFS, AND SOMETIMES EVEN HAVING A FAST-FOOD SUBMARINE SANDWICH.

I AM A BUSKER. I AM NOT WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED AND DELIVERED TO A BIGGER STAGE. I PREFER NOT TO BE IN THE LIME-LIGHT. I PREFER NOT TO HAVE APPLAUSE FROM A STATIC STAND-AROUND CIRCLE OF AN AUDIENCE.

I AM A BUSKER. I PREFER TO BE ON MY OWN SCHEDULE, PERFORMING WHATEVER SONGS I WANT, WHENEVER I WANT, FOR AS LONG AS I WANT.

I AM A BUSKER. HMMM … BUSKING AT THE REGINA BEACH ARTS FRENZY WOULD HAVE BEEN BUSKING IN A FISH BOWL –

I PREFER TO BUSK IN THE SEA.

Stating all of the above -- I NOT WANT TO DISS MY FRIEND, JAY GREENMAN, in his laudable endeavor, who invited me to the REGINA BEACH ARTS FRENZY. In spite of not busking, I did have a good time. I purchased a didge bag from BOOMTOWN DRUMS (one of the vendors); I perused RUDY’S; I met all the musicians; I even walked down to the beach!

Besides, I did certainly have a palmy morning (pun intended) this same day at the FARMERS MARKET in downtown Regina.

Here are some of the characters, who marched in my CHAUCERIAN PARADE this past week, all which taken at the REGINA FARMERS MARKET: