120 Jobs That Won’t Chain You to Your Desk

The Princeton Review has a new book out, titled 120 Jobs That Won’t Chain You to Your Desk.

I just bought the book, and it was an amazing experience for me – I went to ‘Barnes & Nobles’ bookstore, bought the book and set there to check out the ’street performer’ chapter. It felt so surreal to read my own name in a book!

What I am really happy about is that this book chose ’street performer’ as an equal profession to all the other professions mentioned in the book. It gives ’street performing’ the legitimacy it deserves as a regular job (which it is, but some people still don’t get that).

120 Jobs That Won’t Chain You to Your Desk highlights those dream jobs that won’t leave you with desk-job slouch at the end of the day. Each job profile in the book includes quotes from people in the field as well as practical advice on launching a career. Some of the jobs profiled require college (and even an advanced degree), some require professional school, and some others simply require a very strong individual will. Many of these professions are tempting but might seem out of reach, since the path is not as direct (or well-traveled) as, say, that for an aspiring attorney or an accountant.

One of the jobs featured in this book is that of a ‘Street Performer’ (page 274).
The chapter includes the subjects of:
-A (Relatively Typical) Day in the Life
-Extreme Day in the Life
-Preparing for Success
-Getting Your Foot in the Door
-Biggest Challenges
-Best Perks

The Princeton Review chose ONE person from the USA to represent each job discussed in the book. Guess who was chosen to represent the job of a street performer?

Quote from the book:
“…When Natalia Paruz was hit by a taxicab and could no longer continue her dance career, she found a new calling: the saw. After 10 years of playing the musical saw – beginning as a street performer in New York City – the Saw Lady, as she is affectionately known, has since performed on Good Morning America, Live with Regis $ Kathy Lee, in movies, on radio shows such as A Prairie Home Companion, and at some of the world’s greatest concert halls and clubs. She even has her own CDs, but she still plays on the street. “People have a misconception that street performers cannot get work elsewhere. But many choose to perform on the street. They like it and they crave that kind of interaction. It’s an art form all its own, and it is a great community. If you feel lost in a foreign city, just find a spot and start playing. Immediately you will have friends and feel welcome”.
Natalia says it is tough to describe an extreme day because of the intense nqture of the work. “You’ve got to really love people. On the street, the audience is right there, in your face”. Natalia says she loves every day of her work. “My father says, ‘The New York City subway is Natalia’s office’, and it’s true. Today I had a rehearsal for an opera I’m working on and afterward I went to play on the street. Last week I had an audition for Spike TV (I got the job) and afterward, same thing. It’s not something I do in between or until my career picks up. Even when I was a dancer with the Martha Graham Company, I would take a board and tap dance on the street. I love the freedom and I love meeting people”. Natalia says that talent, courage, optimism, and a love of people get street performers through the worst of times. “If they tell you you’re horrible, it doesn’t mean you’re horrible. You have to just brush it off. It takes a lot of energy, but you get that back tenfold.”…

Published by: Random House
Format: Trade Paperback, 320 pages
On Sale: April 2007
Price: $16.95
ISBN: 978-0-375-76598-8 (0-375-76598-0)