Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Trieger.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Buskerfest Miami began in 2013 as a response to the lack of activity in Downtown Miami after 5pm. A group of five people (Amy San Pedro, Gary Ressler, Colin Worth, Ben Jervis and myself) got together and decided to take one of the signature bits of transportation infrastructure (the Metromover) and create a program like Music Under New York, the group that activates NYC’s subway system with local performers. Each year we organize a variety of events celebrating local artists, but our signature event is the December Street Performance Festival. On that day (December 15 in 2017), we program nearly 50 different groups of various disciplines next to the downtown Metromover stops. The festival culminates in Bayfront Park with a performance by a prominent local band. This being year five, we are ready to celebrate with expanded programming and incredible activations.
I’m a lifelong musician and composer and spent several years in NYC. I have a huge fondness for the beauty street performers bring to mundane everyday happenings. Miami also has few venues that can help emerging bands reach the next level. We do, however, have amazing public spaces and beautiful weather – perfect for busking on the street!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
From the beginning, it has been clear that there is a hunger for opportunity among local artists. We have been overwhelmed by the number of applicants we receive each year to play the festival. Miamians clearly desire authentic local experiences and have come to regard Buskerfest as a quality organization with a finger on the pulse of the local performing arts community. Our audiences have been very supportive and love attending our events. We also collaborate with other private and nonprofit organizations regularly, which has enabled us to reach extensively across Miami Dade County. We have also had a very supportive and willing partner in Miami Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works. They have supported the festival with free permitting since the beginning.
The most difficult challenge for us is funding. Miamians are not used to paying for live performances and while local foundations and the government provide a lot of financial support, the sustainability of any institution depends on varied sources of income. We also rely heavily on volunteers and despite having a dedicated group of core people, volunteerism is generally lacking in Miami. We really have to search for people willing to donate their time for the cause.
Please tell us about Buskerfest Miami.
Buskerfest Miami is nonprofit organization dedicated to improving civic life in Miami Dade County through public street performance. We bring together local musicians, acrobats, comedians, dancers and artists of all types to activate public spaces and add vibrancy to our neighborhoods. Our work is closely tied to transportation infrastructure and we have been proud collaborators for our annual December festival with the County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works since we started five years ago. Over that time, we have presented more than 200 local artists in our various programs and have co-produced events with a wide cross section of Miami’s private and public sectors. Much as the transit system is the physical infrastructure that connects us, Buskerfest Miami is the soft infrastructure that connects the grassroots arts scene.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Is it too bold to say that there’s not much we would change about the way we formed and operate? Honestly, the success of the organization is tied directly to immense expertise our board possesses. Amy San Pedro, one of our co-founders has an incredible capacity for organization and tons of experience in community development. Our Board Secretary, Monica Soderman, boasts over 20 years of experience stage managing productions of all sizes in South Florida. Board Member Gary Ressler is from a family with deep roots in Miami and has the social network to reach all levels of government and the private sector. Our Board President Chris Sopher is heavily entrenched in the Miami media landscape and knows how to draw attention to a cause. Rather than tell you what we would do differently, I will tell you that any venture’s success is entirely dependent on the core organization having diverse and wide reaching skill sets. Set yourself up for success by working with incredibly talented and dedicated people. No one person can do it alone.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.buskerfestmiami.com
- Email: info@buskerfestmiami.com
- Instagram: @buskerfestmiami
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuskerfestMiami/
- Twitter: @buskerfestmiami
Image Credit:
Julisa Fusté
Christopher Jean-Jacques
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