The grounds of New York City are a perpetual stage. Someone has probably sung a song or danced a dance or posed a pose in every square inch of this city. Some say it is the artist’s dream, a place where the stage is life. Or life is the stage? Sometimes you think you had the worst day, but then you will see a wrinkled man with no legs singing on the subway platform, pouring his soul out on the tracks so you can have a better day.Street and subway performance is one of New York’s oldest known professions, and while it used to be simple enough to bucket drum your way into a couple of dollars, it has now evolved into a governmental process. Now, performing in the subway requires certain rules to be obeyed and offers artists two alternative paths to take: becoming a part of a city-licensed program or being a freelancer. And were any future artists looking to charm New York with their talent, here are the steps to take.Why perform in the subway? Why not perform in the subway? The experience of playing at the same level as the audience instead of an elevated stage has not only birthed many successes, but has also surprised cities with what it brings. One example is Joshua Bell, a musical prodigy who played his violin undercover at a Washington D.C. Metro Station. Roughly one thousand people passed him by without noticing or appreciating the six classical pieces that most people would have to pay at least a hundred dollars to see in concert. Despite the almost humorous fact that this musical genius was overlooked, he was in the subway playing amongst all the other performers and for a moment in time everyone was on the same level.
Where to Start: Audition for MUNY or Freelance
MUNY
Music Under New York, was started in 1985 under the MTA’s (Metropolitan Transport Authority) Arts for Transit visual and performing arts program. The goal was to enhance the experience of subway travel for New Yorkers, and when it began to achieve success it was officially granted as a program in 1987.
Annual auditions are held in Grand Central Terminal and anyone is welcome to apply. The audition application forms are ready to fill out at the beginning of each year (January – March), and those who are eligible will be contacted to audition in front of a panel. These auditions are only one day, live, and open to the public. Each person or group has five minutes to perform, and will be judged on quality, variety, and appropriateness.Once accepted into MUNY, the performers will attend an orientation where important information will be discussed such as rules and regulations, safety and control, and the 30 designated MUNY sites. Performers are given personalized MUNY banners to display during their performances. Some of the designated sites include the Times Square-42nd Street mezzanine, Long Island Rail Road Penn Station, and Metro-North Grand Central Terminal.Is it hard to be selected? Based on MUNY’s past selections, it is safe to say that MUNY is looking for cultural diversity. And while that can be defined in numerous ways, the best an artist can do is bring something new to the table. Only sixty performers will be eligible to audition and about twenty performers will be selected. However, once an artist is selected their membership never expires.For additional information, visit MUNY’s website.
Freelancers and Independent Artists
Freelance artists have a right to play in the subway without permits, but must follow certain MTA guidelines. Such as:- setting up at least 25 feet from a station booth- not blocking access to an escalator, stairwell, or elevator- not interfering with transit services or passenger movement in general- not performing in an area where construction is underway- not performing during a public service announcement- not performing in subway carsOther guidelines refer to the right to perform acoustic music on subway platforms, but prohibit the use of amplification in any form. However, both freelancers and MUNY licensed artists may use amplification when performing on a subway mezzanine. One rule that is often overlooked by both MUNY artists and freelancers is the rule prohibiting sales of any kind of goods – CDs in particular. There is no authorization given to artists to make sales, allowing the Transit Police the full right to ticket and/or confiscate any items.For additional information, see the MTA’s full rules of conduct.How much money can be made?While sales are prohibited, there is no rule against accepting donations from passers-by who appreciate the performance. The amount of money made directly depends upon how much you invest in your performance – where you choose to perform, what times you choose to perform, and what you choose to perform. Ideally, choosing to perform something people can relate to in a high volume intersection at a peak hour will yield greater income. Many artists have made enough money in the subway to pay their rent proving it possible to earn significant money.How about success stories?Amongst other successes, one in particular is Ryan Donowho. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Donowho moved to New York as a musician and played the drums in the subway. His drums were buckets, trashcans, and whatever else his drumsticks could hit to make a sound that worked. Soon enough he was spotted by a modeling agency and made his big break playing the role of “Johnny” from the hit TV series The O.C. He has now gone on to star in indie films, such as The Pacific & Eddy, Imaginary Heroes, and many more.Artists flock from all over the world to New York City in search of self-expression, growth, and dreams. Someone once said that when you are in New York it is as if you rise with the buildings. Expectations trace the skyline in such seduction that artists will feed ravenously on this infinity of promise, hoping someone will spot you in the subway, or bump into you on a busy avenue, or simply stare at you because you are you. You are an artist, you want to be exposed, you want to expose, and you want to shake the world just a little bit…People are in endless motion in this city that never sleeps, train after train after train, and who knows who will hear or see you? Could that person merely be a passerby, or a casting agent? That fate can be left to the moment.