Within the mix of breakdancers and one-man-bands that give Bay Area streets their vibrancy, two PHS freshmen have found their place: a spot on Piedmont Ave., space for a drumset and lots of walking traffic for tips.

“I don’t want to be like, ‘It’s our spot,’ but that’s kind of how we think about it in a jokey way,” said street performer, saxophonist, drummer and vocalist freshman Andrew Pinkham. “Our main spot’s Piedmont Ave; that’s the jam.”

Pinkham and guitarist and vocalist freshman Emmett Reed, both members of a band called Rooftop Collective, began performing pop and rock songs in public places in December to fundraise for their a cappella trip to New York.

Reed plays the guitar and Pinkham plays the drums for shifts that last three to four hours on weekend afternoons. They do not practice songs much beyond looking up the chords online. Songs from artists like Death Cab for Cutie and Sam Smith have been successful with patrons.

“It’s more than minimum wage and you get to pick your hours,” Reed said.

Pinkham then said, “Why not make as much as $100 per time?”

Since they have met their goal of making around $300 each for the a cappella trip, proceeds now go to their own spending money. Most of their tips come from parents passing by who give their children money to tip them.

“Young children are really easily entertained,” Reed said. “The parents are happy because their kids are happy.”

Tips can arrive throughout a shift inconsistently, but income does not vary much from day to day, Pinkham said.

Performing during times with the most foot traffic, 12 to 4 p.m. or 4 to 8 p.m., can boost tips, Reed said. Displaying a sign explaining their fundraising goal has appealed to parents, but not as much as Pinkham had predicted, because fewer people look at it than he had imagined.

Luck helps too: one of their biggest tips came when they were not even playing their instruments.

As the duo was on a short break, a man walked by. Seeing the guitar and the drumset, the passerby gave them their first ever $20 tip. He asked, “Wow, you guys brought a whole trap kit out here?”

“I was like, ‘I’m not even playing but all right, I’m fine with that, I’ll take it,’” Pinkham said.

Randomness extends from their tips to their patrons. After biking past Reed and Pinkham one night, a stranger named Anthony Anderson walked back to listen to them more. He turned out to be a producer who really liked their sound, Reed said.

Over weekends in March, the boys recorded covers of “I’m Not the Only One” by Sam Smith, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie, “This is the First Day of My Life” by Bright Eyes, and “Talk” and “All I Want” by Kodaline. Rooftop Collective will record with the producer in May. The duo plans to sell CDs as they busk, another term for street performing.

Senior Tiger Leet, one of the people who found out about Pinkham and Reed, has seen total strangers singing, dancing and clapping along with the duo.

“They’re very talented and draw a lot of people in,” Leet said.

Leet, who lives near Piedmont Ave., sees the pair playing almost every Saturday when he leaves his house.

“Sometimes I sing along from across the street,” Leet said. “Not only do they rock the look, but they do it in their free time. It’s incredibly inspiring.”

While their songs may impress people, Reed says that performing does not come naturally to him.

“I get really nervous,” Reed said. “I think doing it more and more really helps.”

Junior Daniel Champion has seen them perform about three times.

“Emmett was all hunched over like a very angsty indie musician, and I noticed his pale skin glistened in the light of the evening festivities,” Champion said.

Champion, who already loves seeing live music on the street, said seeing people he knows busking made the experience even more exciting.

“It really inspires me that it’s what they’re passionate about and are applying to the outside world while they’re still in high school,” Champion said. “I’m pretty jealous of their ambition.”

Reed and Pinkham have come to appreciate the performers who use their talents in genuine performances more.

“Now you really know what it feels like to stand up in front of strangers you’ve never even seen before; it’s a really personal moment,” Reed said. “To be given back money, you feel like you’re doing something right.”