Last Tuesday outside Berkley鈥檚 Market in downtown Dallas, singer-songwriter Alexandra Pritchard stood atop a yellow decal that read 鈥淥fficial Busking Location.鈥�
People sat scattered around the concrete patio, a few absorbed in conversation, others eating sandwiches and salads or scrolling through their phones.
As Pritchard, 28, began to play, some directed their attention to her. Strumming her guitar, she performed acoustic renditions of throwback pop songs like 鈥淕enie in a Bottle鈥� and 鈥淭eenage Dirtbag鈥� interspersed with original music.
In a brief aside, she expressed gratitude for being able to 鈥渟oundtrack鈥� the onlookers鈥� lunch break.
Pritchard is one of 18 musicians in the inaugural cohort for Dallas Sounds Amplified, a busking program that launched on April 3 after a pilot run last fall.
Led by the Dallas Music Office, the initiative transforms high-traffic spots around downtown into pseudo-stages for emerging local acts. The current roster of talent will remain through the end of the year, and the program plans to expand to Deep Ellum in the fall.
Bringing live music into public spaces
In 2021, Dallas was designated as a music-friendly community by the Texas Music Office, a certification bestowed upon places committed to 鈥渁ttracting and developing music industry growth,鈥� according to the office鈥檚 website.
But Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart, director of the Dallas Music Office, frequently heard a question from industry colleagues: 鈥淚f we鈥檙e a music-friendly city, how come you don鈥檛 hear it in the streets?鈥�
The short answer: musicians would get ticketed.
鈥淲e will never be considered as a destination for music if you don鈥檛 hear it in public places. It should be infused in daily life,鈥� Kirkenaer-Hart said.
Dallas Sounds Amplified is modeled after Music Under New York, a busking program that allows artists to perform at transit sites across the Big Apple.
鈥淒allas is nowhere near the size of New York City,鈥� Kirkenaer-Hart said. 鈥淚t seem[ed] like something I could easily implement.鈥�
The office used artificial intelligence to determine where and when foot traffic was at its peak in downtown Dallas. Performances will take place at five locations, including the Main Street Garden Park and outside Wild Bill鈥檚 Western Store toward the end of the workday.
Instead of playing for loose change or bills, buskers will have QR codes that onlookers can scan to give tips.
At the end of the year, the performers will be placed in a public for-hire directory. Although the Dallas Music Office does not pursue jobs for them, Kirkenaer-Hart said, it does provide resources on negotiating contracts and navigating corporate gigs.
A platform for artists
After her two-hour set last Tuesday outside Berkley鈥檚, Pritchard praised the Sounds Amplified program for giving local acts recurring opportunities to perform.
鈥淎ll artists really crave is just people that actually have pull and influence to see you and to say, 鈥榃e really need to platform this art,鈥樷�� she said.
There aren鈥檛 many places for smaller artists to play in town, Pritchard added.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so hard to get into those bigger rooms unless you have the audience that can sell tickets. But you can鈥檛 get the audience unless you play shows,鈥� she continued, calling this a 鈥渧icious cycle.鈥�
Busking, which may at times have a less attentive or interactive crowd, allows Pritchard to test out new material with lower stakes than at a traditional venue, she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a really good challenge to see what鈥檚 going to make an audience member鈥檚 ears perk up.鈥�
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This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, The University of Texas at Dallas, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and 四虎影院 retain full editorial control of Arts Access鈥� journalism.
