I met Myah one afternoon in the Union Square subway station, we chatted about how God and poetry inspire her. She's also a basketball player, the combination of poetry and sports really inspired me. I asked if she would recite a poem and she took the mic and haltingly recited her poem "Misunderstood." Make no mistake she truly owned that moment. These are the beautiful things that happen underground that I love to share.
NYCSubwayGirl chats with Trixie Starr event organizer of the Hudson NY Pride at Promenade Park during the Pride Rally.
What inspires Trixie? People coming together for the Pride festival.
NYCSubwayGirl chats with Matthew Hamilton during the 2nd annual Hudson, NY Pride. His homemade t-shirt says it all, "I might be straight but I'm not narrow."
His passionate plea to "make it happen" while describing how his mother and her partner of 21 years aren't able to marry. "Brittany Spears can be married in 36 hours, but not my mom."
June 24 10:30pm bill 1545 passed in NY Senate 33-29. To Senator Tom Duane who so eloquently stated in voting for this bill tonight, "there are no villians in this room, only heros," Senator Duane, you are the hero. Uniter of hero's. Thank you. I'm proud to be a New Yorker.
To Matthew Hamilton, your Mom and Christine can now get married. So can I. Congratulations to us all, it feels good to be finally on the right side of history.
I met Roberto Sanchez and his wife Mary Jo who were traveling through LIRR station while I was singing. Inspired to listen to my song Jungle, they stopped and we had a chance to chat. A LEED certified Architect, he gave me a passionate and spontaneous conversation about the environment and his definition of Sustainability.
"Sustainability is the art and science of giving information to matter." Using rain water more efficiently, storing it in cisterns, using it to flush toilets, for golf courses and irrigation. Solar using sun rays to produce electricity and to heat water.
"A way to be kind to Mother Nature."
and here's Part 2:
LEED certified Architect Roberto Sanchez gave me a passionate and spontaneous conversation about the environment. The Fukushima Nuclear plants 2 months later are still burning since the earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11, 2011
read the latest news from International atomic energy agency
His wife Mary Jo listened intently to her husband rattle off the top of his head the things he is helping to work on to make our world a more sustainable planet:
Waste to energy, garbage to electricity, something he is doing in Costa Rica. Many Florida plants produce 600 kwh's per ton of garbage conversion.
"Land fills are a crime... an ecological crime, flushing toilets with potable water is a crime." "There are so many alternatives that are incredible."
Thank you Roberto.
check out Roberto's What's Your Inspiration clip on this site
Update
on 2011-06-27 19:19 by NYC Subway Girl
from Robert Sanchez:
HELLO CATHY !
I got it, it is great! I love it. You capture the moment.
Have sent it to a few good friends that understand and are aware of "respect and love to Mother Earth" Yes.
I am now working on a project in Chile: A Secondary Road that collects torrential rain water from the shoulder:
I explain: The shoulder is made from shredded rubber made from discarded auto tires (pollutants) . The water filters through into a perforate pipe below and collected at the valleys of the terrain.
Tanks below grade make it available for irrigation of large vegetable fields, also it is filtered and purified for potable water of 3 small villages the road passes by.
Cost of the water: 0
Fiber optic cable under the rubber ( actually a soup of shredder rubber+ glue = paving surface) is energized buy small solar panels during the day, at night a sensor discharges the electricity an illuminates the edge of the road for SAFETY.
Cost of electricity : 0
LIRR was full of gutsy, honest and passionate commuters today willing to share their raw talent with LIRR station. Never having met before, Diana and Rubin arrived at the same time and with the same thing in common, love of music. And the support of yours truly to give them control of my mic and guitar. Why not? This is what I love about performing in public spaces.
What's their inspiration? Soul and music.
What Inspires Tim Hall? Nature and the view of the Hudson from his apartment.
I can't argue with that, small world Tim and I were neighbors in Washington Heights some years ago. I love that on any given day performing in the subway someone that I might know passes by. I'm glad Tim stopped to chat.
In Manhattan we are surrounded by water, It isn't called Manhattan Island for nothing. I am so glad that after all these years the shores of this amazing island are being enjoyed for their beauty and calm in a constantly stirred up Urban sea.
I met Fidel while performing at 42nd street @ 6th avenue. Fidel an actor/writer and producer, also works in NYC inspiring kids at Oasis Summer Camp. Hearing Fidel's passion about nurturing "the intangible" and what inspires him, supporting "what you believe in that no one sees," makes me so happy I asked him to share his thoughts.
Aubrey Lynch stopped by LIRR station while I was performing. In this clip he describes what he's up to now. Another spontaneous interruption provided us with a touching moment. This month Aubrey is my guest blogger
Check out Aubrey's What's Your Inspiration? clip. See how he has taken a career of dancing, choreography, and producing to now mentoring and using dance art to heal people.
I met Brian at Union Square in front of the Lion King ad campaign as African Kora player Salieu Suso performed.
What Inspires Brian? "Color"
What's Your Inspiration?
I met Richard Allen at Union Square to talk about his wedding plans where I'll be singing and performing. Salieu Suso was set up to perform and we had an amazing day jamming together.
What Inspires Richard? Poetry, film, music and Isabelle of course!
what's your inspiration?
May 17, 2011. The annual Music Under New York (MUNY) auditions is such a wonderful event from every perspective. For the organizers and judges, it is a long day, but well worth the effort. For the performers, it's a chance to perform for some pretty wonderful judges chosen from the amazing cultural fabric that makes up NY. Of course there are always MUNY artists on hand as volunteers and as judges too. I have been a judge in the past and have found it an interesting role to play.
What inspires judge and Joe's Pub director Shanta Thake's "Seeing people do what they love."
Cathy’s Question
I had a thought about one of my favorite questions that Cathy aka NYCsubwayGirl asks regularly. “What inspires you?” I was thinking that what inspires you today may terrify you tomorrow and that is okay. In fact, when the thing that drives you begins to frighten you, this is a sign that you are alive and pushing towards your fullest self. You finally started that business and you know in your heart that the only way for it to grow is to quit your day job. That’s pretty scary. Or, maybe you have lost your job and the hobby you did for fun is now looking more and more like the way to make a living. Not so bad until it comes time to figure out how to make money doing it. How about this one? You’ve been at the same job forever and you know it is time to go. You have no idea where to go or what to do but you know you can’t stay where you are. Deep stuff. So many of us are living these realities including me! What should we do? Look to our inspirations. There is light there.
However, I find that inspirations aren’t so inspiring if we attach outcomes or goals to them. In my current life transition I have faced this a lot. I turned to my inspirations and found fear where I once saw possibility because there was an expectation that these inspirations were supposed to do something for me, propel me forward into the next phase of my life. The most important thing that I could have done was to notice this way of thinking and turn the lens just a bit to refocus.
Remember, while you are looking to inspiration look FOR inspiration and nothing more. Does that make sense? I mean, look for inspiration and expect to find it but just leave it there before you like a sunrise. Inspiration will be everywhere. When I caught myself and did this, I even found inspiration in my fears.
In fact what would it be like to look for inspiration in each other, in each other’s eyes while expecting it to be there? If we all did this right now everything would change. We couldn’t think of hurting someone purposefully if we looked for inspiration in them. What would it be like to look for inspiration in the eyes of our enemies? There’s a scary one. Not an easy thing to do. However, even the thought of doing so starts to open the mind. Okay, I’m pushing the envelope here but we’re going to have to if we hope to get our planet back on track. This need for global awareness starts within each one of us. We can do this.
So what inspires you when you expect to see it? I would guess almost everyone and everything...
Update
on 2011-06-06 21:38 by NYC Subway Girl
check out a part 2 clip from Aubrey and my conversation in LIRR Station
Aubrey Lynch stopped by LIRR station while I was performing. In this clip he describes what he's up to now. Another spontaneous interruption provided us with a touching moment. This month Aubrey is my guest blogger
Check out Aubrey's What's Your Inspiration? clip. See how he has taken a career of dancing, choreography, and producing to now mentoring and using dance art to heal people.
I met Menachea at Columbus Circle, her enthusiasm for what I was doing made her stop and chat. I'm happy I asked what inspired her. Her answer was quick off the top of her head and spot on. "music, life, service and the earth." Listen to her reasons why.
May 17, 2011. The annual Music Under New York (MUNY) auditions is such a wonderful event from every perspective. For the organizers and judges, it is a long day, but well worth the effort. For the performers, it's a chance to perform for some pretty wonderful judges chosen from the amazing cultural fabric that makes up NY.
Here's a clip of Lindsay who's audition performing her song "Next Step," earned her a spot in the coveted MUNY program. Welcome aboard Lindsay.
What Inspires Lindsay? "Everything…..looking inside and outside myself."
I met Roberto and his wife Mary Jo who were traveling through LIRR station while I was singing. Inspired to listen to my song Jungle, they stopped and we had a chance to chat. A LEED certified Architect, he gave me a passionate and spontaneous conversation about the environment and his definition of Sustainability. Continuing our conversation, he shared what motivates him to want to make a difference in the world.
So what Inspires Roberto A. Sanchez? Doing something for future generations so they can breathe, so future generations can grow things.
And a saying from a Cherokee Chief, "We did not inherit our land from our grand parents. We are borrowing it from our grandchildren and great-grand children. What are we going to leave for them?"
check out Roberto's other clips on my Sustainability page, very inspiring indeed.
Happy to find Aubrey Lynch at Penn Station one afternoon. He is a celebrated dancer turned choreographer, producer and now arts educator, certified life coach, master teacher, spreader of wings.
What inspires Aubrey? To do what you do and not worry of the outcome.
The Aubrey Lynch Experience:
Lessons in Art and Life A Unique Perspective from an Uncommon Journey
Life Coaching, Workshops, and Master Classes
AubreyLynch.com "Dance is a Metaphor. Spread your Wings."
Aubrey is my guest blogger this month. Check it out
LIRR station always full of people ready to stop and chat with NYCSubwayGirl. What inspires Big Band musician AJ? Anything that moves someone else, and makes him moved.
I met Graham at 34th st. What inspires Graham? Humble beginnings, family who taught valuable lessons.
What's Your Inspiration?
Life of a subway performer continued. Clowns in NYC subway March 18, 2011
Arriving at my scheduled spot to perform in Times SQuare, William Ruiz the amazing native american tongue drummer and percussionist was still performing. As he was playing along passed clowns Dolly Dimples, (Sacramento CA) and Sparky The Clown, (Lake of The Ozarks, MO aka Jackie Newton) on their way to the 2011 World Clown Convention What inspires Dolly and Sparky? "Smiling...we have to learn to laugh at ourselves." "My grandson, and dogs..."
Who says the subway isn't full of fun and fascinating people. For musicians, it's our office so we hang and chat. Water cooler chat subway style.
Check out William's What's Your Inspiration clip
NYCSubwayGirl was happy to see Ruth Reichl (writer, eater, cook, former Gourmet editor) at Columbus Circle 59th st station. Seeing a friend in the subway, "makes the city feel comfy."
What inspires Ruth? Walking around the city and looking at peoples faces.
Ruth speaks and writes about food in ways that can make even the most jaded or obsessed step back in wonderment.
What Fools Do words/music C. Grier SESAC singerfish publishing