Pierre Bensusan US tour

Pierre Bensusan was interviewed by Scott Simon on NPR yesterday.  I was driving to NJ to visit my sister and happily tuned in to Pierre's interview.  He has been touring around the US since January 15th to promote his new recording "Vividly".  In an email to me he explains, "C'est grand l'Amérique :)"  If you haven't heard of Pierre, he is one of the most accomplished and celebrated guitarists of his generation.  Born in North Africa and living in France he has a unique guitar styling that captures his musical heritage and passion for harmonic resonance.

I met Pierre in Paris in the early 1990's where I was living and working as a musician and singer songwriter.  He asked me to translate a powerful and deeply metaphorical lyric written by Jaques Higelinentitled "Awali," I jumped at the chance.  I even experienced a day of his guitar mastering when he gave me a workshop on the open tuning DADGAD.  Check out Pierre Bensusan.  He's a world class treasure.

Public Library with miles of books

Today I heard that Borders is going bankrupt.  Apparently they are losing 2 million dollars a day in the NYC stores they will be closing.  Okay I'm not a mathematician, but I always thought the rise of the mega bookstore was somewhat out of balance, so I'm not surprised with the news.

Yesterday I did something empowering and fun.  I walked into my local public library and took out some books.  It has been years I must admit and have felt guilty many times running into a Borders or Barnes and Noble when I could have easily checked out a book from the Library.  When did we stop collectively caring about the Public Library?

Here's my sustainability tip: Don't fret over the closing of Borders, go to your local library.  Here's a link to the NYC Public Library locations

And if you really want to own a book or give a gift, instead of ordering online where books need to be packaged and boxed and shipped, consider buying from an independently locally owned book store.  A used book is even better. Here in NYC we have the amazing Strand Books

The Public Library is a beacon of hope, support it to keep it before it's too late.

MUNY audition applications in by March 17th

The Music Under New York annual auditions are coming up soon.  If you are a musician and are interested you still have time to get your application in.

MUNY Audition application 

And as a commuter, if you ever want a really wonderful NY experience I urge you to go to Grand Central Station this Spring for the annual Music Under NY auditions.  I'll be posting the exact date once I know it.

Don't forget to tell a street/subway performer how much you appreciate their presence underground!

Also, Divas Underground @ Union Square this year is Thursday March 17th all day women artists from Music Under NY perform at Union SQuare 14th Street below Pavilion entrance.

check back for the full schedule, if you want to have an amazing experience try and get over to Union SQ and catch the women of Music Under NY.

here's a clip from last year's event

R Train To Park Slope

I am happily back in NYC restarting my subway gigs today (Staten Island Ferry), you can check out my locations and performances on this site under the heading Gigs. Last night on my way to tech rehearsal for this Friday and Saturday's performance at BAX, I took the train and marveled at the power of people, community and song. With a notepad always at the ready, here's what I jotted down:

Remnants of winter storms

potholes

strange ice bumps on sidewalks and streets

old brown snow hardened mounds, no fluff

granite like the city's bedrock

Dogs in sweaters

misplaced glove

R Train to Brooklyn

subway performer strums a Mexican folk song

woman next to me hums sweetly

I can hear it, subconscious nostalgia

next stop another performer enters

muffled into the bodies down the car

"Amazing Grace How Sweet The Sound..."

smokey, Billie Holiday voice

wandering closer, spirit full

eyes blind, plastic bucket in one hand

walking cane in the other

"We've Only Just Begun To Live,

White Lace and Promises..."

my heart swells

She asks to no one in particular what stop this is.

Jay Street, next stop Dekalb Avenue

as she passes I say in her direction, beautiful voice

Thank you she replies, then repeated a heartfelt

Thank you

I start back in cozy comfort

It's been an interesting winter break due to all the snow and so many cold days. I wrote, took time to work with my two now 8 month old pups and shoveled a lot of snow (my back isn't so happy about it). But I keep thinking of my subway performing friends who have kept going. If you're reading this I'd love to get some perspective on what it's like to perform this winter with so many snow days, slush and ice.
Tomorrow I return to perform and  I'm thrilled to start off in cozy radiant heated Staten Island Ferry terminal, AND it's above ground with window views of the NY Harbor. 
  • Thursday February 10th 3pm-6pm
Whitehall station Staten Island Ferry

Staten Island Ferry terminal (manhattan side)  It's a great inside spot where commuters have to wait for the ferry, so I’ve got a great crowd to perform to.

Winter time care for your Guitar

Since it's time to check on the humidity in your guitar I thought I'd repost this great tip.  Especially in over heated NY apartments, can you say dry, dry, DRY?

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?

subway map musical morph

February 2011: I feature Alexander Chen who has created an amazing musical experience from actual current subway line movement.  I can watch/listen to it all day, very soothing, something we can't generally say about riding these lines.

Conductor (2011) by Alexander Chen.  this clip above on vimeo isn't interactive.  If you want to watch this art in real time go to mta.me

Conductor turns the New York subway system into an interactive string instrument. Using the MTA's actual subway schedule, the piece begins in realtime by spawning trains which departed in the last minute, then continues accelerating through a 24 hour loop. The visuals are based on Massimo Vignelli's 1972 diagram.

More details and his other work

follow Alex on twitter

Creativity, blocks and workflow. How do you Stay creative?

Today I submitted a short essay on creativity for a book designed to help people get out of a creative rut, by artist writer Noah Scalin for a  follow-up to his recent book 365: A Daily Creativity Journal.  I also found through Noah Five Tips for Endless Artistic Inspiration by Beth Brown

I'd love to hear what keeps you creative?

Creativity, blocks and workflow. Tough Love of a full time artist. By NYCSubwayGirl Cathy Grier

Keep a journal of ideas and inspirations.  It provides great resource material when you are blocked. I find journaling in the morning is a great way to awaken my creativity. I sometimes journal while listening to Pubic Radio. I often hear interesting stories that inspire creativity to riff on. In addition to being a great writing exercise, journaling provides an endless source of material to draw from when I’m creatively blocked.

Bookmark sites and stories that can inspire material. On my computer I keep a bookmark folder in my browser of interesting people, stories or places I have discovered. When I need a creative nudge, I frequently go to that list. However, it’s important to be mindful of internet distractions and the temptation to click off topic. 

Schedule creative time. Daily!  It’s easier to stay focused on my writing when I establish a routine, especially when I don’t have a particular project I’m working on. With tough love I schedule my creative time or I can get lost in the art of multi-tasking self-promotion. To ensure I get the best results, I experimented to find the time of day when I am most productive and stick with that time.

Use performing as a means to stimulate creativity. When I have an idea for a song or need a new arrangement, I work it out during a subway gig. The chaotic environment of commuters provides a rhythmic texture that’s inspirational. It’s a collaboration of creativity in movement. I love learning through this process what songs suddenly stand out and get attention.

Nothing is gained by stressing. Believing in yourself doesn’t save you from ever being creatively stuck. But it should help you get through those moments when they do come. I believe my life’s work is wholly designed for creativity, so when I’m blocked I have learned not to stress about it. I quickly try to do some mundane task until I feel I’ve distracted myself away from any potential negative or unproductive thoughts. Then I go back to my creativity. If that doesn’t work, I take a walk, have a tea break, or listen to the radio with my journal in hand.

Creativity like a good friend needs to be nurtured and supported with consistent authenticity.

Blame the Snow? Would MLK Jr?

Blame the Snow on not honoring Martin Luther King Junior's  Birthday?  It's been 25 years since Congress passed into legislation Martin Luther King day, a commitment to serve the common good. And 43 years since his assassination.  Shame on Charlotte North Carolina and some Georgia school systems that will not honor this holiday because they have to 'make -up' for snow days. In the wake of last week's gun violence in Tucson as a result of hate and mental instability, I do hope these schools will take the opportunity to use the day to teach the life and devotion of  MLK who challenged our society to be better. For those who do have the day "off" consider the benefits of community service, of shared civility and compassion, much needed lessons for us all.  

Let's remind and teach about the birth of the Civil Rights movement and the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr and the speeches and beliefs he was able to deliver.  Transcript I Have A Dream speech.

The tragedy of King's death has not been in vain, we lost a great soul, but his passing paved a road to the White House unimaginable in 1968. We still have a way to go.  Let the children lead the way.

NYCSubwayGirl is about compassion and authenticity, of ethics and right action.  To try and understand the human condition and to embrace our ever growing and challenging world with empathy not apathy.  With the belief that we all have a place at the table, on the streets, or in our workplace and homes to make a difference.  We can agree to disagree and through conversation move our nation forward not backward into hate and fear.

Update

on 2011-01-21 14:09 by NYC Subway Girl

I received this email from Michelle Obama:

The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., is usually remembered for his heroic leadership of the civil rights movement -- he led the successful Montgomery bus boycott, delivered the "I Have A Dream" speech at a time when such words were still controversial, and ultimately gave his own life to the cause of equality.

But Dr. King was much more than a civil rights champion -- he was a man who lived his entire life in service to others, speaking out against poverty, economic injustice, and violence. Wherever he saw suffering, he did what he could to help, no matter who it was that needed him or why they were in pain. Through his leadership, he showed us what we can accomplish when we stand together.

Each January, we remember Dr. King on his own holiday -- and one of the best ways to preserve his legacy is to engage in service ourselves. As Dr. King told us, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"

That's why this Monday, January 17th, Organizing for America volunteers will be participating in service projects all across the country in Dr. King's honor. There will be food drives, neighborhood clean-ups, education projects, blood drives, and more.

Will you find and sign up for an event in your area, and help make this country an even better place?

This movement is about so much more than politics -- it is about coming together through progress, change, and community. Lifting each other up in dedication and service is one of the best ways not only to honor Dr. King, but to honor each other. By giving service a new role in this country, we can establish a new foundation for our economy and a brighter future for our children.

That is why service is key to achieving our national priorities, and why Barack recently helped out at a Boys and Girls Club service event. Since moving to Washington, D.C., two years ago, he and I have gotten to know the community through similar service projects, including past Martin Luther King Day events. I treasure those opportunities, and I look forward to another one next week. Every time we pitch in, we get so much back, and always learn amazing things from our neighbors.

All of us have something to contribute, and all of us can make a meaningful difference in someone's life. It's a great way to remind others that they are not forgotten, and to remind ourselves that there are always things we can do.

Please help Barack and me honor the legacy of Dr. King, and join us in service to our country once again this year:

http://my.barackobama.com/MLKday

Thanks,

Michelle

local guys running their own tshirt company

BQT Shirts came into existence at least in part as a result of the Great Recession. Laid off from our jobs at one of the nation’s largest junk mailer and spammer (or as polite society calls it, “direct marketer”), Dan Gordon and myself, Frank Nunziata, wanted to start a business that we could call our own. Something fun, something creative, something that resonated with our fellow New Yorkers, especially in our home boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. We sought a venture that stood in direct contrast to the old-fashioned, wasteful and unimaginative companies we had worked for over the years.

T-shirts, in all their simple, practical and accessible glory seemed to be a good place to start.  T-shirts can advocate, make a political statement, be funny and of course have style. Plus, they’re an excellent vehicle for many of our friends who are designers, artists and all-around creative people.

So in September 2010, BQT came to life. Trains, bikes, dogs, parks, bridges, the day-to-day milieu that every New Yorker simultaneously abhors, adores and ultimately tolerates and celebrates—these are the things that BQT is all about. And always with a splash of style and spunk that New York’s creative community is famous for.

We’d like to thank Cathy for allowing us to contribute to her wonderful blog and we invite all of you to visit us at http://www.bqtshirts.com. We will be expanding our product line monthly and submissions of t-shirt ideas and designs are always welcome. We look forward to hearing from you. 

Update on 2011-01-24 22:17 by NYC Subway Girl

Nice to see blogging life come full circle, here's the comment from the BQT Shirts website

January 20th,2011 Cathy Grier, aka NYC Subway Girl, is a dynamic singer-songwriter, activist and all-around cool person. You might have seen her perform; since 1999 she’s participated in the MTA’s Music Under New York Program. So while we may do quite a bit of MTA bashing around here, we have to give them credit for at least one thing: bringing Cathy’s funky, groovy, folked-up blues to our chaotic underground.

When we told Cathy about our Dislike The Fare Hike shirt, she was kind enough to let us post a guest entry on her  blog, nycsubwaygirl.com. There’s lots of great stuff to read, listen to and watch on Cathy’s blog, so check it out. We promise it will be a much more pleasant experience than your daily commute.

Resolution 2011 Reduce Reuse and Recycle

If you're someone who likes to make New Years resolutions, here's one that worth sticking to. Learn how to reduce, reuse and recycle in NYC. The Lower East Side Ecology Center is just the place to show you how.  Their mission is to work towards a sustainable New York City. If you're like me, you cringe every time you see the curbs full of garbage that could and should be recycled, and transformed into something else.  I've seen far too many garbage trucks filled with easy recyclable items heading to landfill because so many citizens of this amazing city can't be bothered.  The city is growing and with it a huge amount of construction creating vast amounts of waste. There should be a comprehensive plan to reduce, reuse and recycle the tons of construction debris leaving sites heading for burial and not rebirth. And why is it that office buildings having the lion share of waste are not mandated to recycle?

Funny how another term for garbage is refuse, is it because we refuse to accept our responsibility for dealing with our own excessive waste? Why are we so apathetic? Waste has to got to go somewhere, and in the city we cart it away making grotesque toxic mountains in a whole lot of someone else's back yards. Or it's shipped onto floating barges to nowhere-and if some "accidentally" gets dumped into the sea, who's being held accountable? Garbage costs the city=us so much. We waste with our waste. But wait, there's money in them thar hills and garbage islands floating off the starboard bow!

The city's waste should be revenue based. It's a mountain of a challenge (pun intended) but we have to be up to the task, because sooner or later we'll come to our collective senses and see the value in making our city landfill free.

Here's one action to start the New Year: learn how, where and when you can recycle your e-waste. Make it a point to collect your junk together and instead of easily dumping onto your sidewalk, take a tiny bit more time and take your stuff to one of the listed e-waste locations. Feel good about being part of the solution.

The Ecology Center offers free public compost collection and education, electronic waste recycling, stewardship of public open space, and environmental education. Their programs focus on offering opportunities for all New Yorkers to learn about environmental issues facing NYC and to take responsibility for solving those problems.

So here's to the resolution to think before you throw away, and my bet you'll have a better time sticking to this resolution than giving up chocolate and you'll feel much better for it.

snowman NYC style

well so far it's been quite a few weeks of crazy snow, even in the most unexpected of places, like where my brother lives in Atlanta and my Mom in N.C (both born in the Bronx, so at least have a memory of it).  Me I'm happy to be stuck upstate, but do miss the beauty of snowfall in the city.  

snowman nyc.jpg

Michele took this picture on her way to work today.

Update

on 2011-02-01 21:51 by NYC Subway Girl

thanks to a comment I've discoverd NYCSnowman.  check out some wonderful snowmen and women in NYC.

America needs more than a moment of silence

At 11:00 am our President has asked us for a moment of silence for the victims of the shooting violence that brought Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords close to death, 6 others tragically murdered, and 14 others wounded. A moment of silence is appropriate.

When is enough enough? Back when President Reagan was shot and James Brady was injured for life, the Brady Bill to stop gun violence got some momentum, but vehemently and successfully opposed by the NRA.  Columbine Shootings? Virginia Tech?  So many tragedys past and yet it is of a catastrophic proportion that a moment of silence isn't enough. Now we must act, because if we continue to be marginally sad and horrified without doing anything, we are part of the problem.

I Googled keywords-American gun violence statistics 2010, and got about 4,260,000 results in 0.26 seconds.  Fortunately keywords-Peace and Love in America, about 9,570,000 results in 0.33 seconds. But Peace and Love have a formidable enemy.

Enough apathy, enough rhetoric about a mentally unstable person who might have fallen through the cracks (I say gaping holes of our health system) would have found a way to kill.  But on this proportion?  This murderer, this shooter for me remains nameless.  It's not his name but his act that scares me.  The names I want to know are the victims, and the hero's that did tackle the shooter to save more lives at their own potential peril.

A New York state representative was quoted as saying "Acts of violence against American's is unacceptable."  I'd say that sounds too much like political rhetoric.  Suffice to say violence is unacceptable, period!  

Yes a moment of silence indeed, then pick up the phone call your representatives and demand to review America's violence trends and start the heavy task of ending gun violence in America.

Update

on 2011-01-10 18:00 by NYC Subway Girl

Thoughtful op ed piece in NY Times today.

and this from Drew Weston on Huffington Post: Drew WestenPsychologist and neuroscientist; Emory University Professor Posted: January 10, 2011 12:50 AM

Gun Violence and the Lessons of Tucson: Will the Chambers Once Again Be Loaded Against the American People?

how Escaped cows compare to commuters

Life for me isn't always underground, I enjoy heading upstate to write and be with family. On New Years weekend I awoke to see the local farmer's cows grazing across the street having broken out of their pasture. Needless to say they needed to be herded home, so Michele and I did what we do best as a team, we figured it out.

The picture was taken on one of the more lighter moments, when the cows seemed comfortable being led home and this NYC Subway Girl was smiling.  

cowhand.jpg

Ask me if there's a difference between rushing commuters and a herd of cows......actually after the chaos everyone is just happy to be heading home. 

Happy New Year

Eat what you already have in stock

 

I follow Sam Davidson's educational Cool People Care site, where he proves that with only 5 minutes out of your life you can make a difference.  Here's to the New Year and reducing food waste right in our own homes. Here in NYC many people I know use their oven for storage-no kidding. Maybe it's time to change that and actually cook something in it, think of the savings.

Follow his hyperlinks below to discover more tasty stuff that you can do to make your world=our world healthier, happier and less wasteful.

5 MINUTES OF CARING THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2011

Don't Shop By Sam Davidson 

If you've managed to keep your New Year's Resolution of saving money because you haven't been to the store yet, see how much longer you can keep it up. Chances are, you've got plenty of food sitting right in your pantry - why go to the grocery store? Unless you need perishable items, commit to eating everything in your pantry and fridge until you restock. You'll be surprised at how long it will last, and if you're not going to eat something (and it hasn't expired), donate it to your local food bank. An uncluttered house never tasted so good!

Winter Break

I'm taking a winter break to write and catch up on my blogging and video clips, I'll be writing some new music too.  Stay tuned for more Inspiration clips and this year I'll be adding a podcast of my subway performances.  For all my subway performing friends who are still out there in the cold and crazy snow and ice, stay warm and safe. See you in the subway in February.

Happy New Year, may 2011 bring us all more authentic right action and community connection.