Saxophonist Utril Rhaburn was busking in Central Park in March 2020 when he saw a proposal happening. She said yes. It was a cinematic New York City moment that summoned an applauding crowd.

With his instrument in his hand, a gathered audience, and a newly engaged couple, Rhaburn knew it was his moment to shine. Thinking quickly, he settled on Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr’s “Just the Two of Us,” performing a soulful rendition of the song while the couple danced and onlookers smiled, taking videos on their phones.

After the song, the excited couple approached Rhaburn and thanked him. He couldn’t have picked a better tune — on their first date they had agreed that “Just the Two of Us” was their favorite song. The couple memorialized the moment by taking a few selfies with Rhaburn and then left him to play.

Nearly three years later, Utril would surprise the bride by performing that very same song at her wedding. It was a setup arranged by the groom, who bought Utril a round-trip ticket to Ireland, where the couple was married.

“I got to fly over to Ireland and have four nights in a hotel,” Utril said. “So that was a beautiful experience of traveling to Ireland and getting to bring my talents there.”

Ultimately, the groom had tracked Rhaburn down through his Instagram.

Today, it’s common to see buskers with setups similar to Rhaburn’s. When he busks, he does so alongside an open saxophone case scattered with dollar bills and three large QR codes linking to his Venmo, Zelle and Instagram accounts. On both Venmo and Instagram, Rhaburn goes by the username @iamyoungnomadic, making it easier for people to discover, connect with and pay him.

“I’ve probably been hired for thousands of events through social media,” said Rhaburn. “These apps have made it so much easier if people do want to show some love.”

Busking is one of New York City’s oldest and most recognized forms of public art. But Mayor Fiorella La Guardia, who classified street music as disruptive and vagrant, banned the practice in 1935. The ban was lifted in the 1970s as artists advocated for busking's return and redefined it as a tool to enhance public space through self-expression — and self-employment. Tipping buskers is a long-standing part of the craft. Though payment typically existed in the form of dollar bills and loose change, many buskers are adapting to a cashless economy by setting up digital payments.

When Utril first began busking in Central Park six years ago, his only digital payment option was CashApp. He said many people would walk by and apologize for not carrying cash. Ultimately, he set up a Venmo account because people were asking.

“A lot of people, they say, ‘I don't have cash,’ but it's not them saying, 'Oh I don't want to support what you're doing,' it's just like, ‘hey, I actually don't carry it,'" Utril said. “[When] I got my Venmo tag, and I started making double what I’m making in cash on Venmo,” Utril said.

Rhaburn, who was born in Brooklyn to Belizean immigrants, discovered his knack for the saxophone as a teenager. Due to his mother’s position in the army, Rhaburn moved to Germany, where he fell in love with jazz by listening to his stepfather’s old records. As a teenager, Utril challenged himself to learn pieces by ear. He made friends with the kids in his high school’s jazz band, and together they would busk in the streets of Germany.

Rhaburn’s passion led to a scholarship at his dream school, Berklee College of Music in Boston. Since graduating in 2015, Rhaburn has played all across New York City at venues like the Blue Note Jazz Club and the Plaza Hotel. Despite his success, Rhaburn keeps returning to the park.

“Central Park has been this beautiful space where I can spread my wings, meet people, and talk about what life is and what music means to them,” said Rhaburn.

Nearly one-third of New York’s creative workers are freelancers, independent contractors, or self-employed, according to this 2025 report from the Center for an Urban Future.

The overall number of people working full-time in New York City’s creative economy has been steadily declining since 2019, which the Center attributes to the city’s broader affordability crisis. With the higher cost of living, many artists are choosing to leave the city and take jobs unrelated to their careers — or hit the park.

Indeed, financial support factored into guitarist and singer Aloro's decision to start busking. Aloro was born in New York and studied audio engineering in college. He began street performing in Manhattan over the summer between semesters when he couldn’t find a job.

“I think the joy for me out of it was just practicing,” Aloro said. “And then if people stuck around, if they decided to listen, it’d be like an affirmation.”

Aloro lives in the Bronx, but commutes to Manhattan to perform. His decision of where to busk considers a few factors, from areas with the best acoustics (like the L train platform off of First Avenue) to areas with high foot traffic (like East 17th Street and Broadway, right above Union Square).

Aloro said he receives more cash tips, though people tend to pay him higher amounts on Venmo. Americans tend to tip nearly 15% more when paying digitally than with cash, according to a Forbes Survey from 2023.

One time while singing jazz ballads on a subway platform, Aloro noticed a pedestrian eyeing his hand-drawn sign. Aloro gave the man a friendly smile and he responded by complimenting his voice. He watched the man waiting for his train, looking at his phone. After he left, Aloro checked his Venmo, and saw he had a $100 tip.

Kanami Kusajima, a dancer known as @ lethairdown on Instagram, began performing in Washington Square Park nearly six years ago. She is recognized around the park for her long black hair, her graceful movements, and her craft, which combines live painting and improvisational dance.

“As soon as I graduated, it was lockdown,” Kusajima said. “I was a dance major in college, and I was just so ready to start working as a dancer.”

But finding opportunities in the middle of a pandemic was a challenge. Kusajima tried everything, including online dance performances from her bedroom. Yet nothing could replicate the feeling of dancing before an audience. So she turned to Washington Square Park.

Venmo, in its own way, allowed Kusajima to connect with the people of the park. When people send money over Venmo, the app prompts them to write a note alongside their payments. She often receives messages from photographers and other artists wanting to connect. But the most memorable messages go beyond these opportunities to collaborate.

“Sometimes I get incredible messages,” she said, recounting a message that said, “‘Thank you for dancing. That music you were using was my father’s favorite,’ and her dad passed away a couple of months ago.”

People often ask her why she doesn’t perform in theaters, wondering if she’s able to find opportunities outside of Washington Square Park.

“I do those, too,” she said. “You just don’t understand how beautiful the experience here is.”

In April 2026, Kusajima participated in Busker Ball, a one-day event in Tompkins Square Park celebrating street performance, public space, and human connection. The event has been happening for over 15 years and is organized by buskers themselves.

Alongside Kusajima, Busker Ball 2026 included a lineup of 10 performers. A man played the didgeridoo, a handful of guitarists sang original songs, and there was even a balloon artist conjuring up flowers and ballerinas.

Pedestrians walked leisurely through Tompkins Square Park, curious about what the weekend could offer. Some passersby sat on nearby benches to witness the performances. Others walked by, only pausing to record videos or take photos on their phones. Some buskers shared their Venmo and Instagram usernames via QR codes. Others collected cash in buckets and instrument cases. Some shared nothing at all but their performances.

“Sometimes you like it, sometimes you might not, but it's gonna be there regardless,” said Aloro. “Wherever people are, the buskers will be.”