Dozens of musicians will audition at the CNE Friday to Sunday for one of 75 licences to play in Toronto’s subway stations. The busking licences are coveted; 188 musicians auditioned in 2009. The Star spoke with three of the successful performers about their experiences playing for TTC commuters.

Cole is a roots singer-songwriter who quit the law firm where she had worked for seven years as a legal assistant to focus on her music career. She is finishing her first year in the busker program.

Have you had any especially bad experiences busking?

There was the day that a girl at Spadina — the spot for us is right across from the garbage bins — and she threw up right in front of me. I asked her if it was a statement about my performance. She said no.

Have you developed as a musician by doing this?

I truly, truly have. I’m just finishing up my second CD; I’d recorded the tracks before I started busking, and I’m listening to the vocals thinking, “Wow, I wish I could redo all of these.” Because singing in the subway has really changed and opened up my vocal performance. One hour of playing in the subway to people is probably worth 10 hours of playing by yourself at home.

Is it frustrating to play for a lot of people who walk by without paying any attention to you?

As musicians we’ve all played gigs where you’re wallpaper; you’re playing some cocktail party and you’re off in a corner, and you are being completely ignored. So that’s hard. But in the subway, for every one person who ignores you, there are two who smile at you, or throw a $5 bill your way or, and this is one of my favourites, I say “Thank you,” and they come back and say, “No, thank you.” That’s the payback.

Rumball, an acoustic blues and folk singer-songwriter formerly with the Juno-nominated band Grievous Angels and now with Beauty Saloon, has played in subway stations for six years.

Are there misconceptions about buskers?

I worry sometimes about public perception; some people confuse us with the homeless. The question you should be asking people is, “What are the funniest things you’ve ever been given?” Because my first year I got a kielbasa one day, like a shrink-wrapped kielbasa, and a winter coat the next week. And I got a salad once.

Are people ever nasty?

People can be rude, and occasionally you can get kids coming by who want to steal your money. But I focus on who I do it for, people who say, “Aw, you made my day,” or they’ve got a big smile on their face. They’re not giving money but you know you’ve touched them.

You told me Queen Station is weird. How so?

I’ve had some odd experiences there. One guy heard my music and disappeared down an escalator, and I had a feeling he was coming back, and he did come back, and he said, “You know what, I think your music would be so incredible for” — and this story will make more sense to you if you go to my MySpace page and play my music — “for my basketball practice.” Oh my God. I actually followed this through. I went to a practice and I watched, and the music was playing, and I was like, “This is totally surreal.”

Peters and her husband, Dwight, who works in fundraising for an Africa aid organization, play folk roots songs with social justice themes. They have played in the subway system for five years; they also play regularly at the Cameron House on Saturdays.

Do you and Dwight play together?

Yes. I also play on my own. Because he has a day job. One of us has to.

What has kept you coming back to the program?

It’s a great way to get exposure, to get music out there. You can rehearse stuff in the subway; people are walking by, so they don’t have to hear every single bit of a song, and you can rehearse material without it being a problem. And I’ve found that it’s made me less rigid in my playing.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

You write on Facebook about your busking experiences. What types of things do you write about?

Different things. Last week I was at Osgoode Station, singing a song called “Little Child Big World,” which is the title of our CD, and when I finished she came over and she said, “That just gave me goosebumps.” And hearing that — I almost cried. They happen all the time, those sorts of little gems that kind of make your day down there.

A lot of people, who are my Facebook friends now, say that my writing has helped them see busking in a different light. They realize it’s a legitimate musical venue, not just somewhere you go when you don’t have other options.