London, Aug 9 - For 44-year-old Steve Aruni, busking is a way of life. More commonly known as street performers, buskers are people who sing or perform at public places for money.

Aruni is a professional, self-taught singer who has completed a quarter of a century in this field. A badge dangling from his neck states he is a licensed busker. 'I love being a busker because of the freedom and peace of mind, there's no stress involved,' Aruni told IANS amid the hustle and bustle of the Piccadilly Circus tube station.

This is one type of live music that commuters here have been experiencing since 2003 at the main Central London tube stations after then mayor Ken Livingstone and the London Underground made the busking scheme legal. Some performers do wonders with their fingers on the piano and saxophone. Sir Paul McCartney had once busked in disguise during the early 1980s at Leicester Square and actor Pierce Brosnan was a fire spitting busker long ago.

London Underground buskers are considered to be the best as they get to perform after crossing several hurdles. There are currently 34 pitches - performance areas marked by a coloured half moon - at 26 stations in the London Underground.

While they are sometimes referred to as glorified homeless people, many love their art and their freedom. Aruni, for instance, enjoys travelling andhas even an anecdote to share from his trip to India in 2003.

'I saw a beautiful eight-year-old girl singing at one of the trains seeking alms and it touched my heart as she was doing something which I have been doing as an adult,' said Aruni.

Though theirs is not a fixed or paid job, the love of music draws many artists to busking. That's what happened with Wayne Myers who tossed his IT job for it.

'Busking is not a highly paid job; there are other benefits such as contacts made while busking which can lead to paid non-busking gigs,' said 38-year-old Myers.

Busking enabled him to form his own music band and perform at Glastonbury, the largest performing arts festival in the world, and the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank. Myers sings blues, with a bit of jazz, folk and rock thrown in, in strumming his electric guitar.

Though there are commuters who are critical of the quality of music the buskers offer, many love their presence and listen to them oblivious to the trains passing by.