Posts Tagged ‘NYC’
Certificate of Conduct
A gentleman helped me bring my busking gear up the stairs at the subway station. He told me that he has seen & heard me numerous times at 14th street and at Times Square. I told him I’m on my way to 14th street now and he asked how I determine where to go to…
Read MoreMusic Under New York Audition 2009
Yesterday I was at the annual Music Under New York audition – the audition for performers who want to get permits to play in the NYC subway. Having passed that audition myself many years ago I can identify with the musicians flocking the audition. This year 270 musicians, dancers and living statues submitted an application…
Read MoreMy Bow Got Caught on My Pants
On the subway platform at 59th street a guy was playing accordion. On the subway platform at 14th street the Chinese dulcimer player who never says ‘hi’ was playing. On the mezzanine at the Music Under New York busking spot Sixto and Louis were playing Andean music. I haven’t seen Sixto in the subway for…
Read MoreHypnotizing Victims
While waiting for the train on my way to my busking spot of the day, a lady told me she saw me at Times Square. “I heard this strange sound and I said to myself – this sounds like a musical saw”, she said. I told her Times Square is where I am heading to…
Read MoreNew York Curiosities
How many people do you know whose resume reads: musical saw player, bell ringer, New York State attraction…? Well, my resume doesn’t actually say the last bit, though now it officially can: A new book (available at major book stores) is ‘New York Curiosities’ by Cindy Perman, recommends the most interesting things to see in…
Read MoreNYC Musical Saw Festival 2008
I am the founder and director of the annual NYC Musical Saw Festival. This is the 6th year in which the festival took place in Astoria, NYC. The first festival had 5 musical saw players participating. This year we had 30 musical saw players. My, how the festival grew! Participating saw players came from Germany,…
Read MoreSubway Conductors’ Window Habits
As I was setting up to play at the Music Under New York site at the 59th street & Lexington subway station a lady wearing an MTA coat walked by, leading a bicycle. She called out to me “Natalia, you’re all right”. That means she bothered to read the MUNY permit banner which I hang…
Read MoreNo Gallstones
At 11:40am there was a Chinese lady on the subway platform at Union Square, beating on her two-toned drum. Upstairs at the Music Under New York spot there was a freelancer, a young guy with glasses, playing acoustic guitar and singing the blues. Both benches were empty and remained empty for the 20 minutes I…
Read MoreFamous Violinists Who Busk
My blog still gets a lot of hits from people searching information about the incident last year when famous violinist Joshua Bell played in the Washington DC subway. Another famous violinist also busked in the streets, but as he didn’t do it as a publicity stunt most people don’t know about it… Fritz Kreisler (1875…
Read MoreHappy New Year!
I guess I must be really tired from the exhausting holiday season – while I was on the train going to my spot I realized I forgot my watch, my Music Under New York permit, the New Year’s Eve hat I always wear on this day and the camera! Good thing I didn’t forget my…
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