Wednesday 29 February 2012

Ridiculous month of red tape

OK, well, this was definitely the weirdest month for the challenge, and also the one as you can see where I didn't actually do any updates. This is due to three main factors:

1 - I have been working over in Sweden, recording the new album
2 - I have been working relentlessly to arrange venues and also filming in Winchester all the non-underground stuff
3 - I have been "working" on trying to get TFL onboard with the project

So it's basically a month of phone calls and visits. Not saying I haven't found musicians. That's still much fun and got a fair few interested in February. But still having to work on half speed until the above is fixed. Boo urns.

Good news though - the mayor's office replied. Described it as an exciting project and withed me a lot of luck creating the orchestra. Then put me back in touch with TFL, thereby completing this loop of red tape. If I don't get a response soon, I think I'll have to just guerilla everything. Not one person I speak to on the tube appears to have an issue with what I'm doing. And many strangers also ask me questions about it, and enjoy the idea of what I'm doing. Yet TFL seem to panic that it's going to be really bad for their brand. Ah, I just want to run around the underground finding musicians and playing music. I don't want to sit in board meetings showing pie charts and graphs.

Although, saying that, maybe it's time for some more statistics!!!.....

Thursday 2 February 2012

A small poem

Dunno why, but this popped out yesterday after being on the train.

THE CHALLENGE
Down the escalators again
A ritual I am now used to
I close my eye to the people coming up
Running after them isn't easy
I get to the platform, everyone waiting
Not me, I'm on the hunt
I move up and down, surveying everything
Two policemen are here
Do I look suspicious?
The train arrives and I scan each carriage as it passes
Like a badly formed terminator looking for it's target
Nothing
I board the train, passing through people
Busy
All busy
Reading newpapers, books, kindles
Listening to music
But not an instrument in sight
It will be a long day
At every stop I get off and move to the next carriage
Scanning and reviewing everyone I see
I see more than most now
But still no instrument cases
Exhausted, I get off and wait for the next train and start all over
On one carriage I see the two policemen again
Surely I look suspicious by now?
They don't care
I continue on my quest, but still no instrument cases
No obvious musicians
A cute girl plays with her headphones
She looks at me
We smile
I wonder what it is I am actually really looking for....

Wednesday 1 February 2012

My letter to William Hill, bookmaker

After reviewing the calculations for my challenge, I realised that this was quite a big feat. Maybe not possible. And I needed some inspiration to drive me on. As I'm doing this completely for free, with no pay, I thought a monetary gain would be helpful.

Not wanting to detract any donations from the charity, I set about writing to a man called William Hill. I hear he likes bets. Below is my e-mail to him.

Dear Mr Hill,
My name is Shaun Buswell and I perform musical challenges for charity. The latest is something called The 12.12.12 Underground Orchestra Challenge, in aid of Music4Life, a project ran by the charity Kick4Life (http://www.kick4life.org/).
The challenge is to form an entire orchestra (30-100 piece) made up of strangers I’ve met for the first time on the London Underground. I have to approach anyone on the tube who carries an instrument and try to form an orchestra which must then perform at one of the top twelve London venues on the 12th December 2012. More information can be found at http://www.121212.org.uk/
To date 7 of the 12 venues have declined and based on my calculations here - http://www.121212challenge.blogspot.com/2012/02/statistics.html I estimate I will have to meet 2,620 musicians before December.
Based on this, and taking into account at least 1 month of rehearsal time, I believe I will have to meet 291 musicians each month. 67 a week. 9.5 a day. I'm not sure how to meet half a person.
Considering the enormity of the challenge, I think this falls into the category of "not very possible". And considering you're a betting man, I was wondering if you would like make a bet with me.
I think the odds are probably 121212-1, but I'd settled for a reasonable 12-1. I'm a very fair man, you see.
I look forward to hearing about which outlet I can visit to make such a bet.
Kind regards
Shaun Buswell

Statistics

I thought some of you would want to know some stats about what I'm doing.

I'm keeping the numbers and figures secret for now, but I can share percentages. Everyone loves percentages.

So, as at 1 February 2012, here's some stats for you. Get ready to be statted to the max!!!
  • 38% of people I meet are women
  • Unsurprisingly, 62% of people I meet are men
  • I cannot be 100% certain the above statements are true, but I am going with my general views on gender. I normally get it right.
  • 15% of musicians I have found are carrying brass instruments
  • 15% of musicians I have found are carrying woodwind instruments
  • 70% of musicians I have found are carrying string instruments
  • 0% of musicians I have found are carrying percussion instruments
  • 35% of musicians I meet express no interest in joining an orchestra for the challenge (the "no"s)
  • 50% of musicians I meet express possible interested (the "maybe"s)
  • 15% of musicians I meet express a positive interest in joining an orchestra (the "yes"s)
  • However, although you could say 65% of musicians express some interest, only half (well, 55%) give me their details. The rest take the website.
  • Also, of this 65% of musicians interested, only one third (yes, 33%) respond back to me.
  • Of the musicians that respond back, 50% are happy to be placed on a roster for further details.

So...you could say I have an....wait a minute....a...

  • 1.6% chance of finding a woodwind player
  • 1.6% chance of finding a brass player
  • 7.5% chance of finding a string player

So...to make a full symphony orchestra..I will have to meet....2,620 musicians!!

And that's assuming I have no chance of getting my timpani!! :)

Oh.......

My letter to the mayor of London

Below is the e-mail I sent to Boris Johnson, mayor of London. For footage of the football tackle I reference in the letter, watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOivzoRc0I8. It's amazing!

Dear Boris,

Forgive me emailing you out of the blue but I wondered if I might lay bare my challenge to you to inform you of something I am doing which I also believe promotes the great city of London.

My name is Shaun Buswell and I perform musical challenges for charity. The latest is something called The 12.12.12 Underground Orchestra Challenge, in aid of Music4Life, a project ran by the charity Kick4Life (http://www.kick4life.org/).

I aim to form an entire orchestra made up of strangers I’ve met for the first time on the London Underground. I have to approach anyone on the tube who carries an instrument and try to form an orchestra which must
then perform at one of the top twelve London venues on the 12th December 2012. We are also aiming to screen a premiere of the documentary being made to accompany the challenge.

More information can be found at http://www.121212.org.uk/

The reason for contacting you? Well, as with many things in life, you can rush into things with a lot of passion and good-heartedness, but not think out all the consequences (your amazing tackle against Maurizio Gaudino springs to mind here!). I have started this challenge on 1st January 2012, and really want to promote this as an example of how close and connected we all are in London. But I now realise this may affect the brand of TLF, which could seriously affect the challenge and the charity.

I am keen to highlight the transport in a very positive way and think this is something that can really assist post-Olympics in boosting people's moral. Numerous PR companies, The London Symphony Orchestra, The Strad magazine and many others have already plugged and supported this as an insprirational tale of one man battling odds to show the beauty of London. I really only want to consider continuing with this if that same beauty can be seen by the mayor and TFL.

Any endorsement or assistance you or your team could provide would be greatfully appreciated.

Kind regards

Shaun Buswell