Street music (busking) has been constantly present in the soundscapes of everyday life since ancient times (Belis, 2004). The aim of this research is to highlight, through the stories of the musicians with whom I spoke, their own perspectives on what unfolds during street music performances, as well as the unique relationships that are formed with the city's residents, in two major urban centers of Greece—Athens and Thessaloniki. Furthermore, I examine the extent to which street music can influence people's perceptions of the quality of public space and the urban landscape (Doumpa, 2012). The sample consisted of 14 street musicians (7 in Athens and 7 in Thessaloniki), of whom 7 perform solo in the streets, while the other 7 perform as or within musical groups. The methodology was based on field research, and the research tools included participant observation, field notes, and semi-structured interviews. The main contribution of this study is its anthropocentric, socio-political and cultural dimension (Wees, 2017), while it is the first ethnographic research on street musical performances in the city of Athens. The key findings showed that street music transforms public spaces into spontaneous recreational areas, where participants (musicians and audience) create a spatial experience of true recreation of public space.  Busking helps not only to revise the aesthetic perception of public space (Doumpa, 2012), but also to redefine the degree and manner of its appropriation by citizens. Through street music performances, spontaneous social interaction is enhanced, human connections are developed, and social relationships are promoted, while everyone is provided the right to free, equal, and unmediated access to art and entertainment (Tanenbaum, 1995; Wees, 2017). Street performances can function as points of reference where the local community gathers and interacts, thereby creating a sense of “belonging” and identity (Doumpa and Broad, 2014).

• Social musical settings
• Music and communities

Vasiliki (Vanessa) Pentogalou is a graduate of the Department of Music Science and Art at the University of Macedonia, with honors, and a graduate in Jazz Singing from the Athenaeum Conservatory, also with honors. In October 2024, she was admitted to the Master's Program "Music and Society" (specialization: "Music Education and Community Music") at the Department of Music Science and Art at the University of Macedonia. Her research interests focus on music pedagogy, teaching music in formal and informal learning environments, ethnomusicology, music education for socially vulnerable groups, the creation of new educational tools for teaching singing, and the study of traditional music.