Alex Clark is another one of those highly-networked buskers with a great online presence, the kind with space for “subscribe” links at the end of his videos, the kind that posts his 2013 show reel halfway through November 2012.

He has also made inspiring short videos about busking. In this four-part series, he explains what his life is like as a busker. Sometimes funny, sometimes sweet, they’re a great look into what it means to be a modern-day troubadour.

http://itsalexclark.com

PART 1: MY LIFE
“One thing people always ask me is ‘What do you do for a living’? Well, I drive, I fly across the country, I go to unique arts festivals, and I even find funny license plates, and it’s all because I have the most incredible job in the world: professional entertainer.”

PART 2: GETTING STARTED
“And then, one day, I was strolling through Faneuil Hall (that’s in Boston) with my family, and I saw my first street performer, Alakazam. From that moment, I was hooked. I watched every street performer I could. I mean, everything they did was amazing, and they would get the biggest crowds. When I started, I couldn’t even get one guy.”

PART 3: THE FIRST 100
“Every street performer agrees that you have to do about 100 show before you’re any good at all. What are those 100 shows for? Well, you learn how to interact with people, you learn what kind of show you want to do…when you’re first starting out, gathering those big crowds seems impossible.”

PART 4: LIFE FULL OF FAMILY
“One of the hardest parts of street performing is that you’re constantly on the road getting pulled away from your family. I literally have a suitcase. It’s always packed. It’s always sitting by my door, ready to go on another adventure…. You miss weddings, holidays, anniversaries, all because you’re constantly looking for a new spot to do a new show. The good news is that every time I perform at a new festival, or work on a new street corner, there’s a new busker there to greet me with open arms, and say ‘welcome home’.