Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?

Subject: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 09:56 AM

Story in today's UK press about a French lawyer who plays street accordian as part of her town's traditional festival and has been called before the lawyers' governing body to answer a charge of bringing the profession into disrepute.
Now I know there are some people who think lawyers are worse than accordian players, and I know the combination of the two may send a shiver down some spines, but this seems very harsh to me.
No axe to grind, tho' I do find box players a bit , er, loud at times.
RtS (not trying to get my own back for the cruel remarks about kazoos, honest)

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: GUEST,Busker
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 10:01 AM

At least she might drive away the bloody Big issue fraternity!

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: Mountain Dog
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 10:20 AM

Which profession is she charged with bringing into disrepute? (Surely something good must eventually come out of this, as a double negative always implies a positive...)

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: MMario
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 10:28 AM

if she was playing accordian during a trial; or if she was dispensing legal advice while busking - they might have a point.

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 10:29 AM

Richard Bridge and other Mudcat lawyers - beware !

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 10:37 AM

Au contraire, she should get an award for playing music; it can only enhance the reputation of the profession of law!

Rich McCarthy

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 10:50 AM

On the USQRS (Universal Snobbery Quotient Rating Scale) LAWYERS score a 9. THE FRENCH score a 9. Therefore, FRENCH LAWYERS score a cumulative 18 which makes them SUPERSNOBS.

ACCORDION PLAYERS score 1/2. They need all the friends they can get.

Bonjour

Bruce

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 10:50 AM

Imagine they'd love my priest husband in full vestment glory (brocade, lace, about nine yards)... with a banjo slung up his back while he preaches. No tip jar though; and the plate goes to the church!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: Midchuck
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 10:56 AM

I shall go forthwith to France and start performing music and practicing Law.

Hopefully, they will disbar me in short order and I can concentrate on music.

(Actually, I'm taking the coward's way out - staying here and waiting for Social Security to start before I quit the law and just do music.)

Peter.

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: catspaw49
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 11:49 AM

Look Skiff, here's an idea for you.......Why not go join in with him on Kazoo? Give him that aura of respectability that only a retired kazzo player can impart............Take money for bail.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 12:57 PM

The only thing worse than a busking French lawyer playing the accordian is a busking American lawyer playing the uilleann pipes on the streets of New York!!

Seamusducking&runningforcoverbeforeLarryseesthis.

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 01:14 PM

I don't know what they'd make of Larry (InOBU) with his uilleann pipes.

Any Morris Dancers who are lawyers? Or vice versa?

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 04:19 PM

Seamus, Larry doesn't play on the streets, except to those gathered near the windows outside his East Village home. Please bear in mind that pipers used to be specifically banned from many municipalities. Accordion, banjo and concertina players were merely disapproved.

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: Bert
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 04:21 PM

Well, she could have been playing a Hurdy Gurdy, then she would have sounded like an accordian and The Uillean Pipes at the same time.

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: Marion
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 04:27 PM

If busking without a licence is illegal in the town in question, I can see where they're coming from - should lawyers be openly and routinely breaking the law, even if it is a silly law? But since this was "part of" a festival, I doubt she was doing anything illegal.

Marion

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: Bennet Zurofsky
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 06:16 PM

I am a lawyer and I frequently sing in the streets. With some its improved my reputation. With others its hurt may reputation. Of course, the opinions of those others is not worth a fig. Most don't seem to care one way or the other. Judge my legal work by my legal work and my music by my music.

Of course, I've almost been arrested a couple of times, but when the cops learn I'm an attorney they usually decide not to bother. Those First and Fourteenth Amendments are such a bother for the police. No one has ever suggested that I be hauled before the local Professional Ethics Committee, however.

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: InOBU
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 06:43 PM

EBarnical! You should take the subway more and sell that old Volvo! Of course I play on the streets, when the subway is too hot! How do ya think I make a living a vic? Playing in ALL the folk clubs in this folk forgotten city! Hey Bennett! Am I going to run into you at the NLG convention in a few weeks? I believe I am going to be there to speak about the Toogood event. Cheers Larry the busker...

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 06:58 PM

If she'd been playing in court it might be different.

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: harpmaker
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 07:23 PM

Where there's a will there's a way! Busking built my workshop, and tooled it out!! Look at what I build today, www.dolphinharps.com support your local busker!! I say. It can allso pay the mortgage when times are bad.

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 01 Oct 02 - 11:45 PM

G'day WYSIWYG,

"Imagine they'd love my priest husband in full vestment glory ... with a banjo slung up his back while he preaches ...
~Susan"

Hey! Didn't Sydney Carter write a song about that (The Vicar is a Beatnik ( ...and ought to be defrocked ...!). If you have not seen it, I'll send you a copy - since Sydney's family don't want his work to appear on Mudcat (personally, I think a firm presence on Mudcat is the best way to stake a claim on his wonderful songs!).

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Oct 02 - 01:16 AM

Bob,

Love it!

[e-mail]

Be sure to include the word MUDCAT in the subject line to survive the spam filter!

Could use a bit of cheer, husband could too. GREAT timing.

Thanks,

~Susan

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: alanabit
Date: 02 Oct 02 - 04:25 AM

Anyone who is willing to practise two of the world's least reputable professions can have a beer with me!

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: Bennet Zurofsky
Date: 03 Oct 02 - 05:28 PM

Sorry Larry, I won't be at the Guild Convention this year, but which pub do I have to frequent to collect that brew from alanabit?

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: alanabit
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 07:10 AM

Any decent boozer in Cologne, Germany usually, Linz (Upper Austria)if you are there for the "Pflaster Spektakel" next July or The Coachmaker's in Callington, Cornwall on one of my rare visits home! I may even make it to the Staes next Spring/early summer - so watch this space! Happy busking.

Subject: RE: Busking lawyer 'disreputable' ?
From: Willie-O
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 08:17 AM

Hey, last I heard busking musicians are disreputable too according to the rules of the American Federation of Musicians. Now my rulebook dates from the six months during 1979 that I was a paid-up member in good standing, and it specifically states that members aren't (weren't) allowed to perform in a public space for indefinite remuneration! On the grounds, I believe that it's
1. undignified
2. doesn't usually pay scale

Anyone know if this is still on the AFM books?
I made a hell of a lot more busking than I ever did as a union musician!

W-O