I've cobbled together some "stuff" that I had in storage for a while. I'm getting my street act back together. I may even start working with my old playing partner again.

Anyway, I got a hold of the "kick" drum (bass drum with a foot pedal for those unfamiliar) from a kids' drum set that a friend had laying around. It's actually a decent-sounding kick for what it is. Problem number one is that the foot pedal is NOISY... sounds like a rusty gate. It's not rusted, it's just cheap and squeaky. I will try WD40 and see if that works; otherwise, I have to try and come up with a different foot pedal and see if it will fit.

Now, here's what I have, and what I am thinking of doing with it all:

I have a travel trunk similar to the ones on this page: Example of similar trunk

I'm thinking of mounting the trunk on wheels so it doesn't have to be carried. I'm hoping to find an old baby buggy or something similar, so I can pirate the wheels from it. I want the trunk and wheels and everything to kind of have the old "medicine show" look. Inside, I will have the aforementioned bass drum, my washboard, my spoons, my kazoos, my harmonicas, my uke, and some other odds and ends, like my vintage milk-can tip jar.

On top of the lid of the trunk, I am going to mount some threaded bases for goose-neck microphone stands. These stands will screw onto the bases and will serve to hold my harmonica, kazoo, siren whistle and bulb horn. I am working on modifying some various mic clips so that they will hold the assorted instruments.

(The great thing is that almost every one of these items was purchased at a toy/hobby store or in the "toy" section of a department store, so none of them are those pesky "assets of value" that the county social worker was so interested in! Even the uke was $20 and sold as a kids' instrument. What I don't think the store realized was that this particular uke is solid mahogany! The tuners are junk, but I am hoping to find some geared tuners to replace the plastic friction tuners this uke came with.)

What I am trying to figure out is this: Should I somehow attach the bass drum TO the trunk, maybe cut a hole in the front of the trunk and have the front of the bass drum showing through, or should I just take the drum out and play it from my seated position behind the trunk?

If I attach the drum to the trunk somehow, I will likely have to jerry-rig a foot pedal that is long enough to play from behind the trunk but will still reach to hit the drum with the beater.

I'm also thinking of attaching a limberjack toy to a high-hat cymbal stand (the high-hat or hi-hat is the pair of cymbals that are mounted horizontally, like two pie plates, on a stand. The foot pedal on the stand makes the two cymbals close together or separate.) This sort of stand is very easily adapted to accommodate the limberjack and the board it 'dances' on.

I've practiced at home with the bass drum and I am pretty confident that I can play at least a solid strumming rhythm while singing and playing the bass drum.

FYI, the trunk I have is about 32 X 17 X 12 inches and weighs 25 pounds or so. With the wheels attached, it will be very easy to pull with a rope or by one of its handles.

Anyway, I am going to be doing some old-timey songs, some old country tunes (like Hey, Good Lookin'), some ragtime, some blues (especially Piedmont and jug-band style, with some Delta tunes from time to time) and some "decent, honest, traditional religious numbers for Mama". ;)

Suggestions for songs? There'll certainly be some Jimmie Rodgers, some bluegrass, some Jesse Fuller, some Brownie & Sonny...

what else?

You guys have really inspired me to take a lot more of the near future into my own hands. I can't thank you all enough. While I am scheduling follow-up visits with the eye specialist and with a doctor for dealing with my other issues, I am working on streamlining this busking act so it can be both portable (as much as possible) and profitable.

Looking forward to your suggestions!