Cool People Care features NYC SubwayGirl

Cool People Care is an amazing company based out of cool Nashville, who help nonprofits do what they do better. Their website has a weekly series called "5 minutes of Caring."  This week NYC subwaygirl is thrilled to be featured.  'What's Your Inspiration' and 'Sustainability Matters' is something they feel worth sharing on their website.  They've even included my fun video blog about How to Humidify a Guitar with recycled materials.

check it out:   Cool People Care and NYC Subway Girl featured

Not to mention they have co-branded a t-shirt with NYC Subway Girl, which you can order online.

The t-shirts were designed by Mary Neufeld and made with earth friendly inks by Friendly Arctic.   Cool People Care member and Social Media guru Nancy VanReece  stopped by Friendly Arctic shop and spoke with owner Andy Bird, she videoed his Inspiration, Nashville Style.  Check it out!

Be Inspired@NYCsubwaygirl

about Cool People Care 

William Russo, NYTWS

note from Billy after my Joe's Pub concert June 15, 2010

None of your recordings prepared us for the power of your live performance. You filled me to the brim emotionally and your virtuosity on the guitar is thrilling. Your La Vie En Rose had me in tears at the end when you went acapella. You've made my week so much better from having been serenaded by you. 

All the Best, Billy and Richard

William Russo is the managing Director New York Theatre Workshop

'Jungle' Live @ Joe's Pub!

During my recent Joe's Pub concert, I performed my song "Jungle" to videos of the underground to share a bit of my life in the subway with a fantastic sold-out crowd. The audio is live. Inspirations, tappers, kids and rappers: all a part of the tapestry of the New York City subways. What an amazing evening! And I'm so happy I can share it with you.

read some of the amazing comments about my show

thanks to Brendan Padgett for helping put the video together.

Energy consumption in the midst of Oil Spill

If the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico does one thing it should be a wake up call to consider all the energy we waste.  I walked past a store today on Broadway (it's 90 degrees) and the AC hit me on the sidewalk like a huge slap in the face.  You might say, get over yourself NYC Subway Girl, didn't it feel like a cool pick me up? But at what cost? It's time we start adding up cause and effect. Okay it's also shameless marketing, and now it's more than that.  It's even illegal, but stores still do it to tempt people inside. If you see a store with its doors open remind them of the crisis we are in. If enough people complain, things do change.  Why turn a blind eye on this simple act of closing a door?

Turn off your computer and lights and gadgets when not in use, and chargers when sitting idle. 

In the work place, if you notice everything left on all night long when no one is there, start a campaign to change this wasteful policy. It’s easy to install timed sensors that go off when not in use.  At least turn off the computers!

Little things add up to a mindfulness of right action.

Piano's all over NYC to play until July 5th

"Play Me I'm Yours" is an 'art' installation you're supposed to touch!  Where you can play on any of the 60 donated and decorated upright pianos that are installed throughout the city June 21st  until July 5th. Created by artist Luke Jerram this is a fantastic way to let people express themselves through music in public spaces.

If you've been following my blogging, you'll know how strongly I believe in Art in public spaces. It is so important, and a wonderful way to get everyone to stand up and take notice of our creative abilities. Why not activate our senses without needing to believe we could be the next American Idol, or dream to be a rock star? How about music and art for the purest sake that it makes us happier, healthier, calmer and more peaceful.  All things we could use a lot of these days.

So you thought the painted cows that popped up all over the city years ago were cute, or you hated them.  I actually had to perform in front of one in Grand Central, but I digress... get out and play a piano.

Produced by a New York based non profit group called Sing For Hope  “Arts Activism in Action.” Their Social Change mission: Art as a catalyst for charitable giving, community understanding, and positive change in individuals, organizations, and our world.

How about bringing along a parent, grandparent, neighbor or friend to tinkle the ivories-who has a piano these days, and if they do, think apartment living, got to be tough on space and neighbor tolerance.  But people used to, and it was common to stand around a piano to listen and sing.

For locations throughout the city: streetpianos.com

I plan on getting out there and playing this summer while I'm also wandering around unlocking special places with my Key To The City. I'm a lousy pianist, but I love to play and unashamed of my dinking on the keys.

Joe's Pub last night

How could I not write about my experience of what it felt like to walk out onto Joe's Pub stage to a packed house of friends and family and fans waiting to hear me sing.   

I'm still floating, even after 3 hours of singing at Grand Central Shuttle today.  I'm full, am feeling the power of song but the power of amazing energy and how collectively we're capable of setting forth positive, positive vibes.

If you were there, I'd love you to share your perspective below in the comments section.  I'll add more as I unwind.  In the meanwhile here's an amazing drawing made by fantastic Joe's Pub artist Michael Arthur

Valerie Smaldone WOR interview

Here's an audio file of my interview with Valerie on her WOR radio show "Valerie's New York."  

Valerie is a sharp interviewer and asked great questions.  Too bad my land line phone was crackling so much. Valerie has a standing invitation to come underground and let me film her "Inspiration" for this site.  Can't wait Valerie!

Thanks to Nancy VanReece for uploading the file.  

Time Out NY, Joe's Pub

Local singer-songwriter and activist Cathy Grier plays a mean slide guitar and sings twice as beguilingly as pretty much any American Idol starlet half her age; at her best, she sounds like a bluesier Carole King.

check out the comments on my blog about the actual performance

Gio sends a lovely musical message home

I met Gio in Times SQ by the wonderful Mosaics murals. Usually performing in moving subway cars, Gio chatted with me about his inspiration and singing in public spaces.  He serenades so his family in Ecuador can see him via youtube, a beautiful voice, and a wonderful soul.  What an Inspiration. Gracias Gio!

What's Your Inspiration?

Humidify Guitar Tip with Recycled Materials

A sponge, plastic cover, string and a plastic baggie, all could have gone into the garbage.  I certainly could have bought a 'new' guitar humidifier made in some far away place in a nice package that would have lasted as far as the store to my garbage. A humidifier like many things doesn't need to look nice, it needs to be efficient. The inside of a guitar isn't thinking about style, it wants a drink.

There are endless ways we can reuse, reduce and recycle!  What's one of Yours?

Update on 2010-06-28 22:24 by NYC Subway Girl

Strings are made from precious commodities, so don't forget to recycle your strings and of course the packaging, it all adds up and every little bit of mindfulness goes a long way.

Chopsticks

Chopsticks like so many throw away items are more wasteful than you think. Bring your own and refuse the throwaway kind. Why consider taking them in to-go bags if you already have 400,000 at home, okay I exaggerate, but still… take the 2 seconds to say no thank you to the systematic filling of your lunch bag with extra stuff you know you won’t use.  And keep those extras in your pocketbook or briefcase, or save for parties, or that fun picnic you decide to take.  I’ve used them for paint stirrers, left over string bobbins, or poking a hole to plant seeds.  Just throwing them away because, well, you used the plastic fork instead, is somehow odd.

Regarding these choices to consider:

Call it sacrifice,

learn to embrace it, or

better yet, find a solution. 

Doing nothing is the wrong option.

NYC Subway Girl gets Key To The City

Today I got a key to the city designed by artist Paul Ramirez Jonas, and a ‘passport’ with pages full of the mysterious places that the key will unlock, all over NYC.   Ever curious for locating public creativity in all forms, art that is inspiring, art that says anyone can experience, I came upon the Creative Time Kiosk this morning after a chiropractor appointment.  The kiosk would open at 2pm so I put it in my head to return.   What I didn’t know was the project opened last night, nor that my back was too sore to really lug my EQ to Grand Central Station for my allotted gig 12-3pm. 

Guilty for canceling my gig, I thought “well I can stand,” so I headed to Times SQ at 43rd ST and got in line.  It was pretty long, began chatting with now new friends Margit and Alexzandra and later joined by Luz Maria.  In order to receive your key it has to be ‘bestowed’ upon you by someone else, you can’t just pick up a key, but also have to add in an ‘in consideration of’ clause.  Alexzandra gave me my key, writing in my passport, in consideration of “the fact that she is NYC Subway Girl!”  I gave Alexzandra hers in consideration of “her moving to NYC and needing special secret places to discover.”  What a great form of community.  I recommend going with friends, a partner, a family member, or just go it alone if you can, and meet someone like I did. At least chat with the people waiting there, find out a bit about them.  We all have our reasons to want a key to the city.  We all have stories to tell.

For me the fun will begin as I try to unlock all the wonderful places my key will unlock, like a lantern on a lamp post in Bryant Park, or a padlocked gate at Trinity Churchyard. Gracie Mansion?! Louis Armstrong house museum?! How about a mailbox in the Bronx! and meeting other key holders....more stories to tell!

I met curator Nato Thompson, and many of the crew of Creative Time who were about as buzzed as I was.  The best part is I chatted with the artist Paul Ramirez Jonas and he gave me his own inspiration for a clip I've yet to finish, but I'll give you a hint...monuments...more later.

Go get your key and get started unlocking NYC secrets

Alexzandra ponders where she'll go first to use her key..

Margit bestows Luz her key

Guardian Angel Curtis Sliwa

Yesterday at 34th street station a vision from this city's past walked by as I was performing, a guy in a red beret and a jacket that read Guardian Angels.  As he passed me I called out, and he gave me his card. I asked him how long he’d been an Angel “34” years he replied. He took the escalator down behind me and I thanked him, but he was gone too quick before I realized it was Curtis Sliwa the original Angel.

What I wanted to say was, “You made a such difference in our city when I was riding the subways as a youngster.  Set the stage for me to sing and perform underground today safely, from South Ferry to 125th st!  I remember back in the day when riding the subway alone was crazy, or at least after 10pm (that was my own self imposed rule).”  Fortunately I had his card and sent him an email.  Of course now he’s got his own radio show and is still out there doing other things.

If you weren’t around in the sick days of muggings and violence daily in the subway’s you might not have known about the Guardian Angels.  But those were tense days, not that the police terror squad as a daily presence today in the stations (they were at 34^th st too) doesn’t make me tense for what they portend, but that’s another story for another day.  The city continues to adjust.

Now that’s a touch of history folks, still riding the subway!

June 5th World Environment Day = WED

You know about Earth Day, but do you KNOW about World Environment Day? Read on, make a choice to do at least one thing, start a conversation with your kids or neighbors about what you=we can do make this world cleaner, healthier and saner.

World Environment Day  WED

World Environment Day (WED) 2010 is aimed to be the biggest, most widely celebrated, global day for positive, environmental action.

Commemorated on 5 June since 1972, WED is one of the principal vehicles through which the UN stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action.

Through WED, we are able to give a human face to environmental issues and enable people to realize not only their responsibility, but also their power to become agents for change in support of sustainable and equitable development.

WED is also a day for advocating partnerships among all stakeholders or perhaps, even more correctly, among all species living on this one planet and sharing a common future.

WED 2010 is aimed to be the biggest WED celebration ever and we count on you to make this happen! We call for action – organize a neighborhood clean-up, stop using plastic bags and get your community to do the same, plant a tree or better yet organize a collective tree planting effort, walk to work, start a recycling drive . . . the possibilities are endless.

Whatever you do, tell us about it. We will post your activities on this website and make it part of the ‘Wide World of WED’ map.

Jason Green

Jason Green performing at LIRR

Wendy Sayvetz

Folk singer Wendy Sayvetz performs @ LIRR

we greet the end of this season with… RELIEF

IDOLERS!!!!

It’s our penultimate communication… Who will win?  Who is guest appearing / performing tonight?  Will the show be a spectacle leading up to revealing the new Idol?  Or will it be all about Simon’s farewell?  Will Simon be naughty or nice?  So many questions, which we will now answer with a question: WHO CARES???  Without a doubt this has been the most BORING season of Idol.  No truly interesting personalities, no real upsets, nothing to get passionate about.  Simon agrees:

"After a while, you start to go on automatic pilot," Cowell told Oprah Winfrey during an interview. "And there were too many times, Oprah, where I was sitting there bored, and I thought, 'The end of the day, the audience doesn't tune in to watch me being bored. They deserve more than that.' But I can't hide it when I'm bored. I just can't fake it."

And thus we greet the end of this season with… RELIEF. 

BUT there is still tonight!  We heard a rumor that PAULA ABDUL may return!  Oh please oh please let it be true!  And please oh please let’s hope she sniffed some airplane glue before putting on her rhinestone QVC line and marching out on stage.  That might spice things up a bit!  And maybe Crystal’s boyfriend (who was noticeably ABSENT last night from her clan – replaced by Dad whose interviews were edited just enough to make it seem like he can speak in complete sentences) will wear the American flag pants again!  We can hope.  We think it’s Crystal’s win tonight, but then again crazier things have happened… We’ll see who America chose!

And speaking of the winner, have you ever wondered what the Idols “get” for winning the show.  Well, they get money.  We found a fun little article on popeater that we thought might interest y’all (pasted below).  Alright, before we start acting way too interested in the grand finale tonight, we better go (and make sure the DVR is set to record…! J)!

Meyer & Abramson – OUT!

More greener life tips, Printing and Paper

• When you print documents use the font Century Gothic. 
A Wisconsin college did a study that shows Century Gothic uses 30% less printer ink than Arial.

• Certainly if you have to print, there’s no excuse not to use both sides.

• I save paper by reusing the old.  Unless the dog ate it! Here’s what I do with junk mail, or any paper with a blank side, I rip or cut into sheets for scrap, notepaper.  My scribbling and song ideas, notes to self, reveal on the other side a funny strange time capsule of marketing campaigns, old drafts and my world is full of them stuffed here and there.

Memorial Day parties are fun, but remember .. Remember

My brother sent me an email today mindful of the irony of Memorial day, with cartoons of BBQ's and a picture of the only person standing at a parade was an old man in a wheelchair.  This Memorial Day our Military is still fighting 2 wars and also attempting to stop a huge oil catastrophe in the Gulf Of Mexico using our Coast Guard and National Guard.  

Many lives are lost every day to give us the world we believe we want to live in.  

Politics aside, this is a day to remember those fallen. 

This Memorial day go out and find where people are gathering to remember.  Maybe it's a local VFW remembrance, or a visit to a cemetery, especially with your children, they need to know.  

Be a part of honoring our fallen men and women who have lost their lives for our Country.

MEMORIAL DAY not just a party...

Memorial Day cartoons by Joe Heller (used by permission, thanks Joe)