NYC is actually like a small town
Today I felt lazy, but I forced myself to go. I knew that once I started to play I’ll be glad I came.
As I got to Times Square I met my long time friend the singer who walks with a cane. He introduced me to his new singing partner. They sang a song just for me, like they often do when they see me. What an honor it is to have a song sung just for me! As they were singing their 3rd singer approached and joined in. These guys are amazing. Not only are they amazing harmonizers, and totally together, but they have a warm spirit tht shines through their singing. They are real subway angels. Their singing totally energized me to start my day.
The artist who has been making huge NYC canvases on the streets walked by and stopped to show me his newest canvas – a smaller one than usual, with a subway huge map on it on which he added confusing routs. He has finished his ‘Brooklyn’ and ‘Queens’ canvases but still needs to work on the other boroughs before he can have an exhibition.
The tall spokesman for a group of dancers asked me if I would sell them my spot… what – and miss out all the fun of playing at Times Square – the heart of the center of the world?! No way. Not everything is about money.
A spray-painter who works on the streets asked me about getting permits. He said the police gives him tickets and that painting on the street is only allowed after 11PM. Isn’t that rediculous?
‘Saw’ joker of the day:
Guy said to me: “Can you do that and saw a piece of wood at the same time?”
It’s so nice when people notice and remember:
A lady said to me “I’m waiting for next Halloween so that I can see you in your witch costume again”.
It’s amazing how NYC is actually like a small town – everybody knows everybody! At least in the music world. As I was playing the theme from ‘Star Track’ a guy told me he will be playing percussion in the March 30th concert I will be playing on. Just the other day I discovered how the composer of our piece in this concert knows a friend of my husband’s. And the percussion guy – he turned out to be the guy who e-mailed me questions about old Deagan bells he has. When he told a fellow percussionist who played with him in the band of a Broadway show about e-mailing the ‘Saw Lady’ it turned out that his friend wrote the poem my husband composed and I played on… It’s like a knot – everybody is connected to everybody else in the NYC music scene. So cool.
Delta Dave showed up for his spot with a nice lady (his wife?) who helps him (Delta is in a wheel chair). Real nice people. We talked about – what else – how cold the weather is, and how many layers we are wearing in order to keep warm while playing 🙂
Natalia,
I enjoyed your blog. I don’t recall buskers in the subways in mid ’70’s. On the streets, yes, to some extent — and some in Washington Sq. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention. I had some weekly job tasks around 5th Ave in the 50’s and I remember jazz & symphony type players busking. I really enjoyed my 2 years in your city and reading your blog makes me miss it. How conventional wisdom came to portray NYC as a cold & impersonal place, I’ll never know. NY, NY, it’s a wonderful town!
JB
Hi John,
Thank you for visiting my blog and for your nice comment.
I totally agree – when I first came to NYC people from back home told me to be careful because NYC is full of criminals and “one can get murdered on the street and no one would stop to help”. What BS!
Playing in the subway taught me that New Yorkers are the nicest, friendliest, most caring people. NYC really feels like a small town to me – people say ‘hi’ to you on the street, the people in the post-office/supermarket recognize you.
NYC misses you, John 🙂
Natalia