"I still believe from the dictionary definitions that Busking is Begging and will do until someone comes up with a better argument than yours . . . ."

This do it for you?

I have auditioned for various things in my life: song writing contracts, recording contracts, teaching jobs, etc. Basically, I was doing what buskers. I wasn't begging. I was busking. Sometimes they liked my performance enough to hire (pay) me. Sometimes not.