Statistics - March

Greetings and salutations!

Here are some more stats for March. I'm keeping the numbers and figures secret for now, but I can share percentages. Everyone loves percentages!

So, as at 1 April 2012, here's some stats for you. Get ready to continue to be statted to the max!!!

• 44% of people I meet are women
• Therefore 56% of people I meet are men  (down from last month)

I can't be bothered at this stage to tell you about beards, glasses, hair colour. I sound like rain man when I talk about this....So onto the music

• 9% of musicians I have found are carrying brass instruments
• 15% of musicians I have found are carrying woodwind instruments
• 76% of musicians I have found are carrying string instruments
• 0% of musicians I have found are carrying percussion instruments (although I did see an accordian...)
• 26% of musicians I meet express no interest in joining an orchestra for the challenge (the "no"s)
• 53% of musicians I meet express possible interested (the "maybe"s)
• 21% of musicians I meet express a positive interest in joining an orchestra (the "yes"s)
• Therefore, I would say that I have a 74% chance of meeting an interested musician. Of this group, 68% give me their details (with the other 32% of interested people just taking the website).
• Also, of these musicians potentially interested, one third respond back to me. This success rate is staying the same.
• Only 1 person who has not given details but taken the website info has got in touch. This is an improvement on 0 persons....
• Of the musicians that actually respond back, 87.5% of them are happy to be placed on a roster and get involved with the project.

So...based on this information, you could say I have an....wait a minute....a...

• 1.9% chance of finding a brass player
• 3.2% chance of finding a woodwind player
• 16.4% chance of finding a string player

So...to make a full symphony orchestra..I will have to meet....1,527 musicians!!

This, again is good news. Last month I'd need to meet 1,950 musicians but as the success rate increases, and as people get back to me, I now need to meet less musicians. Good news, eh? Only 1,527 musicians.....

Hmmmm......

Mini-challenge update

Ah, I haven't written half of what I should, because I'm been busy playing in Europe and doing all these challenges. More updates to come. Before I start talking about the main 121212 challenge, I thought I'd update you briefly on the 12 mini-challenges.

1. Have breakfast 90% of the year

Yup. Eating breakfast. This is looking good.

2. Stop smoking tobacco

Buckled and smoked in February. Then realised, the title is to "Stop smoking" not don't have a cigarette so I can't keep smoking as long as I stop by 12th Dec. I've cheated. But within the rules. Anyway, I have been kindly offered free sessions of hynotherapy by someone (not sure I can publish who or how. Been told it's a bit patient/doctor like!) so I will do this in September. That's a busy month!

3. Meet 5 friends I've not seen for over 1 year

I actually met up with about 8 friends I've not seen in over  years. But it was a stag party and felt a little like cheating. I will arrange meetings to old friends specifically, but am counting the groom, Mike, as one of my 5. Because I flew to Berlin to see him. That's worthy of 1 of the 5.

4. Learn German fluently

See above. Playing Europe and going to Berlin. Mein Deutsch ist verbesserung. Although I always want to say vergessen. Ironic that it's the word I keep forgetting.....

5. Exercise 3 times a week

Join a gym. Gonna make swimming a regular thing each week.

6. Perform on Jools Holland

Least achieved challenge. Haven't even sent a CD off yet. I'm poor. Will do it this week, I promise (I sound like a 10 yr old cleaning his bed)

7. Do archery & hit a gold (bullseye) - COMPLETED!!!

Completed this challenge today. Did archery with the musician Gaz Brookfield who turned out to be a qualified GNAS instructor. Footage to come soon. But I was pretty good I think. We drew a zombie face on a board and used it's eye as the bullseye. I hit it from 20 yrds which I'm told is good. I'd say about 90% of my arrows hit the target somewhere. Think I like this a lot!

8. Finish the new album

Have been flying to Sweden, to Secret Ingredient Studios, and have finished all bar one song. As our previous record label, 4th St Records, is moving into comic book publishing, we have to look for a new home for the album. It's sounding massive. Full orchestra in places, and big sounds. I'll start whoring it out after my final trip in May/June.

9. Tour with full band (12 musicians minimum) for at least 1 week

Working on this at the moment. More info to come.....

10. Stop biting my nails

Haven't chewed my nails since December 21st. This is looking good!!

11. Perform on the London Eye - PART COMPLETED

The kind folk at EDF Energy London Eye have offered a complimentary pod for one rotation, to allow me to perform with the band. More details to come on dates and how to get tickets.

12. (Secret challenge to be revealed later)

Well, can't say can I? But it's being filmed and documented, so all will be revealed shortly.

Cheers for reading

Shaun

Statistics - February

Greetings and salutations!

Here are some more stats for January and February. I'm keeping the numbers and figures secret for now, but I can share percentages. Everyone loves percentages.

So, as at 1 March 2012, here's some stats for you. Get ready to continue to be statted to the max!!!

• 37% of people I meet are women
• Therefore 63% of people I meet are men
• Again, I cannot be 100% certain the above statements are true, but I am going with my general views on gender. I normally can tell who is a man or a woman. Normally....

Now, the next stats are based on my own opinion of people. I am not conducting a census poll, so I am guessing people's ethnicity and age, based on what they look and speak like. I will publish some of my more opinionated stats at a later date, such as ethnicity and age. But the stuff I am more accurate with I will mention now. I am certain of those that have beards. Unless they have fooled me with a fake beard!....

• 26% of people wear glasses
• 10% of people have beards (yes. All men)
• 47% have brown hair
• 16% have blonde hair
• 16% have black hair
• 11% have red hair
• 10% have grey hair

And onto the music

• 10% of musicians I have found are carrying brass instruments
• 16% of musicians I have found are carrying woodwind instruments
• 74% of musicians I have found are carrying string instruments
• 0% of musicians I have found are carrying percussion instruments
• 32% of musicians I meet express no interest in joining an orchestra for the challenge (the "no"s)
• 52% of musicians I meet express possible interested (the "maybe"s)
• 16% of musicians I meet express a positive interest in joining an orchestra (the "yes"s)
• Therefore, I would say that I have a chance of getting 68% of musicians involved. Of this group, 70% give me their details (with the other 30% of interested people just taking the website).
• Also, of these musicians potentially interested, only one third (yes, 33%!!) respond back to me. This success rate is staying the same. Only 1/3 of people I contact actually respond to me.
• 0% of the people who take the website details get in touch. So I'm starting to realise giving the details out is a waste of space (but I will not give up hope!!)
• Of the musicians that actually respond back, 75% of them are happy to be placed on a roster and get involved with the project.

So...based on this information, you could say I have an....wait a minute....a...

• 1.6% chance of finding a brass player
• 2.5% chance of finding a woodwind player
• 11.7% chance of finding a string player

So...to make a full symphony orchestra..I will have to meet....1,950 musicians!!

So, based on last month's figures, you can see that the success rate is increasing, because I now need to meet less musicians. Good news, eh? Only 1,950 musicians.....

Oh......

Ridiculous month of red tape

OK, well, this was definitely the weirdest month for the challenge, and also the one as you can see where I didn't actually do any updates. This is due to three main factors:

1 - I have been working over in Sweden, recording the new album
2 - I have been working relentlessly to arrange venues and also filming in Winchester all the non-underground stuff
3 - I have been "working" on trying to get TFL onboard with the project

So it's basically a month of phone calls and visits. Not saying I haven't found musicians. That's still much fun and got a fair few interested in February. But still having to work on half speed until the above is fixed. Boo urns.

Good news though - the mayor's office replied. Described it as an exciting project and withed me a lot of luck creating the orchestra. Then put me back in touch with TFL, thereby completing this loop of red tape. If I don't get a response soon, I think I'll have to just guerilla everything. Not one person I speak to on the tube appears to have an issue with what I'm doing. And many strangers also ask me questions about it, and enjoy the idea of what I'm doing. Yet TFL seem to panic that it's going to be really bad for their brand. Ah, I just want to run around the underground finding musicians and playing music. I don't want to sit in board meetings showing pie charts and graphs.

Although, saying that, maybe it's time for some more statistics!!!.....

A small poem

Dunno why, but this popped out yesterday after being on the train.

THE CHALLENGE
Down the escalators again
A ritual I am now used to
I close my eye to the people coming up
Running after them isn't easy
I get to the platform, everyone waiting
Not me, I'm on the hunt
I move up and down, surveying everything
Two policemen are here
Do I look suspicious?
The train arrives and I scan each carriage as it passes
Like a badly formed terminator looking for it's target
Nothing
I board the train, passing through people
Busy
All busy
Reading newpapers, books, kindles
Listening to music
But not an instrument in sight
It will be a long day
At every stop I get off and move to the next carriage
Scanning and reviewing everyone I see
I see more than most now
But still no instrument cases
Exhausted, I get off and wait for the next train and start all over
On one carriage I see the two policemen again
Surely I look suspicious by now?
They don't care
I continue on my quest, but still no instrument cases
No obvious musicians
A cute girl plays with her headphones
She looks at me
We smile
I wonder what it is I am actually really looking for....

My letter to William Hill, bookmaker

After reviewing the calculations for my challenge, I realised that this was quite a big feat. Maybe not possible. And I needed some inspiration to drive me on. As I'm doing this completely for free, with no pay, I thought a monetary gain would be helpful.

Not wanting to detract any donations from the charity, I set about writing to a man called William Hill. I hear he likes bets. Below is my e-mail to him.

Dear Mr Hill,
My name is Shaun Buswell and I perform musical challenges for charity. The latest is something called The 12.12.12 Underground Orchestra Challenge, in aid of Music4Life, a project ran by the charity Kick4Life (http://www.kick4life.org/).
The challenge is to form an entire orchestra (30-100 piece) made up of strangers I’ve met for the first time on the London Underground. I have to approach anyone on the tube who carries an instrument and try to form an orchestra which must then perform at one of the top twelve London venues on the 12th December 2012. More information can be found at http://www.121212.org.uk/
To date 7 of the 12 venues have declined and based on my calculations here - http://www.121212challenge.blogspot.com/2012/02/statistics.html I estimate I will have to meet 2,620 musicians before December.
Based on this, and taking into account at least 1 month of rehearsal time, I believe I will have to meet 291 musicians each month. 67 a week. 9.5 a day. I'm not sure how to meet half a person.
Considering the enormity of the challenge, I think this falls into the category of "not very possible". And considering you're a betting man, I was wondering if you would like make a bet with me.
I think the odds are probably 121212-1, but I'd settled for a reasonable 12-1. I'm a very fair man, you see.
I look forward to hearing about which outlet I can visit to make such a bet.
Kind regards
Shaun Buswell

Statistics

I thought some of you would want to know some stats about what I'm doing.

I'm keeping the numbers and figures secret for now, but I can share percentages. Everyone loves percentages.

So, as at 1 February 2012, here's some stats for you. Get ready to be statted to the max!!!

• 38% of people I meet are women
• Unsurprisingly, 62% of people I meet are men
• I cannot be 100% certain the above statements are true, but I am going with my general views on gender. I normally get it right.
• 15% of musicians I have found are carrying brass instruments
• 15% of musicians I have found are carrying woodwind instruments
• 70% of musicians I have found are carrying string instruments
• 0% of musicians I have found are carrying percussion instruments
• 35% of musicians I meet express no interest in joining an orchestra for the challenge (the "no"s)
• 50% of musicians I meet express possible interested (the "maybe"s)
• 15% of musicians I meet express a positive interest in joining an orchestra (the "yes"s)
• However, although you could say 65% of musicians express some interest, only half (well, 55%) give me their details. The rest take the website.
• Also, of this 65% of musicians interested, only one third (yes, 33%) respond back to me.
• Of the musicians that respond back, 50% are happy to be placed on a roster for further details.

So...you could say I have an....wait a minute....a...

• 1.6% chance of finding a woodwind player
• 1.6% chance of finding a brass player
• 7.5% chance of finding a string player

So...to make a full symphony orchestra..I will have to meet....2,620 musicians!!

And that's assuming I have no chance of getting my timpani!! :)

Oh.......