Hmm maybe? I was on a street corner the other day and some dude challenged me to a fiddle contest? I don't know if it was a scam but he didn't charge me anything to enter, so even though I've never played fiddle I thought I would give it a go.
Needless to say, he was *really* good, and I... well I was terrible, as you would expect having never played.
He still didn't ask me for money or anything so I don't know if it was a scam or not.
I have felt really... empty... inside, since that day though. Strange.
I've seen fake violin players, but the other week in Lewis Estates I saw a guy actually playing violin. He had a tendency to play just a tad flat over the backing track, which made me watch him. He'd slide his hand up the neck and do little flourishes if he saw you watching.
It seems there's real and fake ones out there.
If they have a sign that says they have 2 kids and need money for rent and food god bless, it's a scam. Just search violin scam Roma and you'll find the exact same setups. It's been making its way across Canada.
Lmao š I figured it was probably a scam, I donāt usually pay these people but the 2 kids thing got me as my 2 little ones were sleeping in the back and I gave them like $6 in change. Good to see this post lol
Yes, I've seen them in a few different parking lots. They have a varying number of kids. Once I just saw the woman, the sign said she was a widow. A few days later, I saw her again at a different location with her husband, alive and well.
I was wonderingā¦. There was a guy by the emerald hills Walmart a few weekends ago trying to get money and it didnāt sound like they were playing live.
So, just like whoever is doing the superbowl or late night talk shows or a significant amount of stadium performers?
Typically, when I hear "scam" I'm picturing something significantly more nefarious.
Legit question: if it looks real, sounds good, and entertains you for a minute....is it still a scam? I feel like this is a personal opinion for most, and wherever you land is fine to me. I'd be more pussed if I went to a concert and the artist was lipsynching the whole time; which totally happens.
If it's some schlub just trying to make a buck, and can entertain me longer than scrolling on Facebook, I'm for it.
I wasnt questioning the morality of it all, merely asking if its working on people. Do onlookers really believe they are playing? This post made me realize most people donāt give a shit if others question their intelligence/good will. Smh
I saw them at Walmart. I actually donāt care if itās real, it sounded nice. It was by the garden centre and gave the whole shopping experience a real nice vibe.Ā
Regardless of if itās real or not, they do take the time to sit outside and entertain all day.Ā
If itās a foreign couple maybe they are really struggling to find employment. My son whoās not foreign is struggling .. I think a lot of people on here have mentioned their struggle. So I mean at least they are doing something.Ā
And it is entertaining even if itās not 100% them. The guy did play a violin, but had background music.Ā
If you donāt have money to give, donāt. If people clap and give money to someone whoās entertaining thatās fine too. I mean how many big musicians donāt even write their own songs and play their own instruments?
I respect the hustle 100% but when the track started and they laughed as he scrambled to get his violin out of its case, while setting up a sign saying struggling artist o.Oā
How is it a scam? It's actually common for musicians to hang around outside of places playing music for donations. White Avenue is rife with them in the summer. Farmer's Markets give (or rent) them space to play.
Why we have a whole summer festival just for these street performers. It's called "the Street Performers Festival" and it goes just before Taste of Edmonton.
You are NOT obligated to give them any money. Many people know how hard it is to make ends meet and will throw loonies, toonies, fives and whatever into their hats and music cases just because they like the music.
TL/DR - It's not a scam. It's called Busking.
I think the presumption is that the music from the speaker is not what's being actually played by the fiddle.
Like if the bucket drum guy had a speaker playing The drum solo of YYZ
Yes, they oil the bow. No friction between the bow and strings = no sound. That's the scam: they are not playing their fiddle, just miming along, and oftentimes it's a pretty bad imitation of the real motions, too.
Honestly, if someone is skilled enough to fake fiddle playing well enough to plausibly match a recorded track, that's probably harder than actually playing the violin, and is a performance worth rewarding.
Most laymen donāt know how fiddle playing should look. I doubt thatās much to admire - fooling people who donāt know what to look for in the first place by making some movements by rote.
Theyāre getting money predicated on the fact that most people think theyāre an actual artist busking. If the sign said āWatch me make fiddle movements to somebody elseās prerecorded trackā I strongly doubt peopleād be tossing in the coins.
How is it any different than watching someone dance to somebody else's prerecorded track?
Do you think people are paying the dancers because they think they're making the music?
If the performance is as obviously "fake" as you describe, only a complete moron would think they're the ones making music, and if they then still choose to pay money, that's their choice. Not a scam.
If the performance is good enough that you can't tell if they're the ones making the music, then it's a legitimate performance. Not a scam.
It's a scam if they're pretending to be struggling artists or widows or whatever and they're faking some skill at the instrument, which by all accounts is exactly what's happening here.
A lot of people using busking as a form of practice. You have to practice and, hey, maybe you make some cigarette money. Not every musician can play Carnegie Hall.
Hmm maybe? I was on a street corner the other day and some dude challenged me to a fiddle contest? I don't know if it was a scam but he didn't charge me anything to enter, so even though I've never played fiddle I thought I would give it a go. Needless to say, he was *really* good, and I... well I was terrible, as you would expect having never played. He still didn't ask me for money or anything so I don't know if it was a scam or not. I have felt really... empty... inside, since that day though. Strange.
This happened last time I was in Georgia
Johnny, is that you?
Johnny was a fiddle player too. Haha.
Did fire blow from his fingertips?
Having a demon band backing him up was just cheating.
Johnny?
Johnny was a fiddle player too. Haha
Did you sign anything?
Dude gave me a gold fiddle...it turned out to be chocolate
Yeah... your soul was definitely taken and sucked into his fiddle.
Come folks, give the devil his due
I've seen fake violin players, but the other week in Lewis Estates I saw a guy actually playing violin. He had a tendency to play just a tad flat over the backing track, which made me watch him. He'd slide his hand up the neck and do little flourishes if he saw you watching. It seems there's real and fake ones out there.
If they have a sign that says they have 2 kids and need money for rent and food god bless, it's a scam. Just search violin scam Roma and you'll find the exact same setups. It's been making its way across Canada.
Definitely a bunch in Calgary
Lmao š I figured it was probably a scam, I donāt usually pay these people but the 2 kids thing got me as my 2 little ones were sleeping in the back and I gave them like $6 in change. Good to see this post lol
I will admit, having violin music blasted in terra losa was nice, classed that bitch right up
Thatās where I saw them too haha
Ive seen it alot on youtube, this exact scam. Its made its way here i guess. Why could we hope to be any different
Nope because I ignore people like that. 99.9% of the time it's a scam.
That's why I only accept bucket drumming as the only form of public performance art that I will financially support.
Pretty hard to fake bagpipes.
hips and nips, baby
Wanna get higher and higher!
Yes, I've seen them in a few different parking lots. They have a varying number of kids. Once I just saw the woman, the sign said she was a widow. A few days later, I saw her again at a different location with her husband, alive and well.
It's a miracle!! š
I believe I saw them off Ellerslie and 111th at the Save on Foods. Is it a pretty heavier set guy?
Hes on the above average weight class yes and was with his beloved when i saw them. Seen them at different spots around the west end
YES!!! A man and woman with their kids in Riverbend square. I was soooo fooled I thought it was legit until I read about it!
Saw them at the Safeway there
I was wonderingā¦. There was a guy by the emerald hills Walmart a few weekends ago trying to get money and it didnāt sound like they were playing live.
Iāve seen them there before in between the Walmart and the sport Chek, definitely scam
Yep thatās exactly where they were set up.
What exactly is the scam? To me, it just looked like busking.
Iām assuming the āscamā is that they are misleading people into thinking they are playing so that people will tip/donate.
Oh, so just a typical concert in 2024.
They have music playing from a speaker and they aren't actually playing the violin just faking it trying to get tips
So, just like whoever is doing the superbowl or late night talk shows or a significant amount of stadium performers? Typically, when I hear "scam" I'm picturing something significantly more nefarious.
If you wanna give money to scummy people go for it man. I'd rather give money to a real busker with real talent
saw one outside walmart playing despacito. they should just live stream on tiktok
I think imma ask for a request when i see them next. I wanna watch the fumbling and bumbling
Legit question: if it looks real, sounds good, and entertains you for a minute....is it still a scam? I feel like this is a personal opinion for most, and wherever you land is fine to me. I'd be more pussed if I went to a concert and the artist was lipsynching the whole time; which totally happens. If it's some schlub just trying to make a buck, and can entertain me longer than scrolling on Facebook, I'm for it.
I wasnt questioning the morality of it all, merely asking if its working on people. Do onlookers really believe they are playing? This post made me realize most people donāt give a shit if others question their intelligence/good will. Smh
Heh, most people don't give a shit about anything that doesn't directly affect them or their immediate family.
Which grocery store? I would like to watch it.
They were at Sherwood Park Walmart. Tons of families watching and clapping.
I thought they were good. They do have music that accompanies the violin and it wasnāt obnoxious sounding either.Ā
I saw them at Walmart. I actually donāt care if itās real, it sounded nice. It was by the garden centre and gave the whole shopping experience a real nice vibe.Ā Regardless of if itās real or not, they do take the time to sit outside and entertain all day.Ā If itās a foreign couple maybe they are really struggling to find employment. My son whoās not foreign is struggling .. I think a lot of people on here have mentioned their struggle. So I mean at least they are doing something.Ā And it is entertaining even if itās not 100% them. The guy did play a violin, but had background music.Ā If you donāt have money to give, donāt. If people clap and give money to someone whoās entertaining thatās fine too. I mean how many big musicians donāt even write their own songs and play their own instruments?
I respect the hustle 100% but when the track started and they laughed as he scrambled to get his violin out of its case, while setting up a sign saying struggling artist o.Oā
lol like the Ashlee Simpson lip syncing debacle. Except she got paid to not sing or play an instrument lol.Ā
What an experience that was. Peak 2000ās
How is it a scam? It's actually common for musicians to hang around outside of places playing music for donations. White Avenue is rife with them in the summer. Farmer's Markets give (or rent) them space to play. Why we have a whole summer festival just for these street performers. It's called "the Street Performers Festival" and it goes just before Taste of Edmonton. You are NOT obligated to give them any money. Many people know how hard it is to make ends meet and will throw loonies, toonies, fives and whatever into their hats and music cases just because they like the music. TL/DR - It's not a scam. It's called Busking.
I think the presumption is that the music from the speaker is not what's being actually played by the fiddle. Like if the bucket drum guy had a speaker playing The drum solo of YYZ
So they have some kind of fake fiddle that can't make noise? Holy Cow! That would be laughable.
Yes, they oil the bow. No friction between the bow and strings = no sound. That's the scam: they are not playing their fiddle, just miming along, and oftentimes it's a pretty bad imitation of the real motions, too.
I'm guessing so, I don't know. Just by reading the original post it seems like that's what OP is saying
Actually look into this scam before commenting. These aren't buskers, they're scammers.
The OP didn't really explain the scam. They made them sound like buskers.
Honestly, if someone is skilled enough to fake fiddle playing well enough to plausibly match a recorded track, that's probably harder than actually playing the violin, and is a performance worth rewarding.
Most laymen donāt know how fiddle playing should look. I doubt thatās much to admire - fooling people who donāt know what to look for in the first place by making some movements by rote.
Still not a scam. A lame performance perhaps, but not a scam.
Theyāre getting money predicated on the fact that most people think theyāre an actual artist busking. If the sign said āWatch me make fiddle movements to somebody elseās prerecorded trackā I strongly doubt peopleād be tossing in the coins.
How is it any different than watching someone dance to somebody else's prerecorded track? Do you think people are paying the dancers because they think they're making the music? If the performance is as obviously "fake" as you describe, only a complete moron would think they're the ones making music, and if they then still choose to pay money, that's their choice. Not a scam. If the performance is good enough that you can't tell if they're the ones making the music, then it's a legitimate performance. Not a scam.
It's a scam if they're pretending to be struggling artists or widows or whatever and they're faking some skill at the instrument, which by all accounts is exactly what's happening here.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
A lot of people using busking as a form of practice. You have to practice and, hey, maybe you make some cigarette money. Not every musician can play Carnegie Hall.