Jane Milward of Ormiston hands out another pilot’s cap and the flying busker becomes the Flying Buskers.
Ms Milward started busking with her ukulele in 2015, seeking the support of the Royal Flying Doctors Service and putting out her hat to raise funds. She is now an accredited fund raiser. To date she and her fluid group of fellow musicians have raised about $5000 for the service.
May 17 was a particularly poignant day, given it was the service’s 90th birthday and the Flying Buskers celebrated by busking outside Fish on Fire at Cleveland from 9am. The public shared in the birthday with free cake and chocolates, donated by Coles, Cleveland.
“This was the anniversary of the inaugural flight of the then named Australian Aerial Medical Service, which was later renamed. It was a flight from Cloncurry to Julia Creek and there was no navigation or communication aids in those days,” Ms Milward said.
In creating the Flying Busker(s), Ms Milward combines her passion for playing ukulele with doing trips out west.
“My husband died in 2010 and we used to do a lot of campervanning. I decided I would continue to carry on and I go out west every winter. And now when I go there, I usually set up outside a supermarket and busk. The grey nomads are there and they often say they will catch me on the way out, and they do,” she said.
Her first gig was outside the IGA at St George in 2015 and since that time she has continued to busk at street corners, festivals, hotels, markets and senior centres. Ms Milward said she was regularly joined by other musicians, hence the change from singular to plural busker(s).
“They become honorary flying buskers for this time. I was busking outside the IGA in Barcaldine one time and a man asked if he could join me. He had a mandolin on board and he could play any song in any key with melody and chords. It was amazing,” she said.
She has also invited her ukulele friends from the Redlands to busk with her around the Redlands. They have busked at the Renaissance Spring Fair, Coochiemudlo and the Cleveland Twilight markets.
Ms Milward said she first took up the ukulele through Dukes of Uke, at Cleveland.
“I saw them playing one day in the arcade and they looked like they were having lots of fun. I joined and now I’m mad about it. Ukuleles are portable, inexpensive and have great depth and versatility. I have to pay tribute to Karen and Les Henderson of Binary Music who do a lot for music in the Redlands. It would be a sorrier place without them,” she said.
For busking Ms Milward said she preferred the ‘golden oldies’ of the 1960s, playing toe tapping rather than the slower songs.
She continues to play with Dukes of Uke, but also plays with Chrysalis uke-estra ensemble.
“Most groups are strum and sing, but Chrysalis is exclusively jazz and classical,” she said.
On June 21, the group will celebrate International Make Music day by busking somewhere unexpected in the Redlands.
“This is the one day I don’t collect. On this day the Flying Buskers will be singing for the joy of it. It’s a one off,” she said.
She will travel to Anakie for its gem festival in July.
“Playing the ukulele has been a wonderful way of meeting people. It has changed my life in a phenomenal way. We are all connected through our music.”
