World Busk for Haiti
Monday 7 June to Sunday 13 June, 2010
Help us raise $50,000 to rebuild music schools in Haiti.
Before the devastating earthquake that struck on 12 January, Haiti had a flourishing music education system. The Holy Trinity Music School, Haiti's premier conservatoire, was just one of many music schools destroyed. We're asking musicians in America (North, South and Central) to get out there to raise money to rebuild music education in Haiti.
All contributions to our US donations site (at Fractured Atlas) between 1 May and 31 July, 2010 will be used to help re-establish Haitian music schools so please be as generous as you can. As well as helping to rebuild schools in Haiti, you can support Musequality projects in Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, Thailand and India by giving to our UK donations page.
Last year, the very first Musequality World Busk raised nearly £15,000 for music projects around the world. With buskers on every continent (including Antarctica!) it was a truly global event. It was a lot of fun, too, as any of the 800 musicians in 29 cities in 17 countries who took part will tell you.
If you believe that music can make a difference, please join in with us.
It’s easy to get involved. Just sign up, find a place to play (legally, please) … and get busking!
World Busk 2009 Outcome
We estimate that 811 buskers in 75 locations in 17 countries on 7 continents and one sea performed in the first Musequality World Busk raising a whopping £14,719, a fantastic result.Please register now for 2010.
First row: Barbershop Chorus Light Relief, New Zealand. Falkland Islands’ police chief
witnesses Vocalise with Shirley Adams Leach MBE. Angela Amato’s Sirenide for Musequality, Italy.
Second row:Craig Ogden. Royal College of Music Junior Departmernt string quartet. Sam Meredith and Nick Booth. Jocie Juritz awaits speed busk. Rob Juritz. Wind Chamber Orchestra, St Pancras International.
Third row: London: Tutti Flutti, Chiswick. Heidi Goldsmith, South Kensington. London Tango Quintet.Taro Hakase with
London Tango Quintet, St Pancras International. Senior officers as Peruvian pipers,
HMS Illustrious. Primary school violinists, Woking.
Fourth row: Mark Fennell, Isle of Wight. Royal College of Music Junior wind quartet. Kensington Symphony Orchestra beside the Thames. Goan picnickers join the busk, Middlesex
Fifth row: Nine year old Sarah Gordon, London. Kier the Street Musician, Weymouth. Barbershop Capital Chorus, London. Guitarist Simon Green, London. Acephale the magician, Seattle. The Wandering Skewers, Padstow
World Map 2010
Please register to appear on our World Map.
Musequality
The world busk aims to raise money for Musequality, whose mission is:
- supports music projects for underprivileged children in the developing world that will foster self-confidence and growth in their social, intellectual and spiritual capacities.
- provides financial assistance to these projects as well as through exchange programmes and training.
- facilitates partnerships between established music organisations and Musequality beneficiaries.
Musequality supports projects in Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana India and Thailand. By joining the world busk you will help us continue funding these projects – and set up more.
www.musequality.org
World Busk on YouTube
These are some the amazing people who supported our 2009 World Busk::
- the coolest buskers on the planet, the Antarctic Minkes
- the ship’s company of HMS Illustrious who held a hymnathon for the world record on the Sunday as well as a whole day of busking the previous Wednesday.
A week of busking
Though most buskers turned out for our record-setting busk, many busked on other days or, in the case of Michael Partington, Seattle, (right) 
and Amery Hill School, Alton, everyday.
The Royal College of Music Junior Department drew crowds in South Kensington
tube station as did Capital Chorus, a Barbershop quintet; Festive Flutes flattered the City of London; Taro Hakase stole the show in St Pancras International one day ;
two days later Alan Rusbridger, editor of UK newspaper The Guardian, dusted off his clarinet to play there in a wind chamber group.
Fiddles predominated with old time favourites and French folk songs in Victoria, Canada; a string quartet in Paris, France; classical and jazz violin in Dorchester, England. Solo guitarists, singer songwriters, Chiswick Baroque, Tutti Flutti, a bassoonist, a saxophonist and others joined in. Thank you, all.
What you've told us
“We had a ball! The sun was shining, the wind dropped down, although there were still frozen fingers on instruments, and we played from 11.45am until 12.35pm in front of a very appreciative audience. We raised £223! Still to add any sponsor money to that of course but we were really pleased."
“We had a Ball!! Can't wait to find out about the overall results. Ready to Prep for Next Year!"
“We had a good time busking. Haven't done anything like that for a long time. Everything went well. Even the weather was on our side."
"Well that was fun!!! The response was wonderful ... All in all it was the kids who loved it the most ... they just stayed the whole time and listened ... you gotta love them!"
"We're all already making plans for how to do it bigger and better next year"
Media coverage
The Times, UK, 10th June
There’s no business like snow business – and it’s all in a good cause. More
BBC World News, 5th to 8th June
Clips of a few busk rehearsals were broadcast around the world.
