Zakaz Gry na Instumentach Muzycznych

For those of you who don't understand Polish, this sign which was located in the Old Town in Warsaw means 'No Playing Musical Instruments' or in other words ' No Busking Here'.

The first recorded instance of laws affecting buskers were in ancient Rome in 462 BC. The Law of the Twelve Tables made it a crime to sing about or make parodies of the government or its officials in public places; the penalty was death (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busking). Nowadays it is not always necessary but in some countries you do need to have a permit to play. Nowadays, it seems to depend on each city and the local councils. In Germany, it is necessary in some cities to pay for the right to busk and you may even need a work permit as it is considered a job. I've read that in some cities you can get permission to play for certain periods of time and have to pay up to 10 Euros to do so.

In my busking days, I never looked for a permit and I always just took out my guitar and started playing. In Vienna I was told to move on by the Police after first being asked for a license which I didn't have. Playing dumb worked in this situation. In Krakow, I never had any problems with busking and the Police never interrogated me although I was asked to move once or twice by residents. Even though I've never really tried it, in Ireland busking seems to be tolerated and a license is not always necessary. I even read that begging was legalized in 2007 which brings me to an important question - is busking similar to begging?

In my opinion, it is not similar as this is, or at least should be, a creative act for which the performer should be rewarded if the passerby has the desire to do so. For this reason, I dislike being approached by people who are trying to collect money for the performer. This, in my opinion, is a form of begging. Once, when I was playing, a man asked if he could do this and later on we would split the proceeds between us but I declined as I believe that there should be no pressure on the passersby to pay for the performance and the busker should play for the fun of playing. Of course, the sound of a coin hitting being thrown into my guitar case was always welcoming but it was usually not the amount that mattered but the feeling of being appreciated that was satisfying.

Busking is appreciated by the number of busking festivals which take place every year and promote street artists. You may call them a nuisance which clocks up streets and creates a racket or an attraction which creates some magic in the air. I for one believe that it takes a lot of courage to perform in public and everyone should have the chance to do try so I hope that I don't see too many more of these signs in the future.