I met Carter at 54 Below when we both performed as part of Susie Mosher's Backstage show. I invited Carter to come and jam with me at my subway gig and she showed up with her friend Harper. It was fun sharing what it's like to perform in a very busy station.
What inspires Carter? "People, no matter where they come from, they're beautiful." and Harper? "women, nature, paintings, cinema."
here's a full version clip of
Carter's song St. Peter's song
What's your inspiration?
I walked past Petula as she was singing "I Want To Thank You" to the commuters passing by........ I had the chance to be on the judging panel when she auditioned last year and so happy to see that she is now on the MUNY roster!
Her voice so inspirational to me.
A sensory performance art piece. A visual mixture of color, music and movement. Live percussionist and harp, and dancers from the Ailey school. Creative Time and MTA Arts For Transit have joined together to present visual artist Nick Cave and his HEARD-NY. Performances have been going since Monday and will end Sunday March 31st 11am + 2pm (get there 1/2 hour early to be able to get a seat-kids are allowed a special section).
As someone who performs in public spaces, to get a chance to witness a live (and free) performance art piece is such a thrill. The Vanderbilt Hall is an amazing place on any given day, the high ceilings the natural reverberation, but with Nick Cave's piece it comes alive with delight.
What I loved about my experience watching HEARD-NY were the multi-layered sounds as the dancers fitted under horse costumes (yet so much more than that) the materials dragged and snapped the floor all mixed in with children's voices of glee.
In the summer of 2010 I also enjoyed another Creative Time installation by Paul Rameriez Jonas' Key To The City. You can see what inspires Paul here.
Good Thing words + music Cathy Grier SESAC singerfish publishing
edited by Dan Kleederman
Jimmy works in Grand Central and Lucille, well she's a regular wanderer and happy spirit. We've chatted many times about her living in and out of homeless shelters.
We all found ourselves chatting at the same time. This is the beauty of performing in public spaces, you never know what the person standing right next to you has to say unless you ask a question
What inspires Jimmy? His new grandchild, and Lucille? my music reminds her of her childhood in the south...
music-Good Thing by C. Grier
I met David at Grand Central Shuttle.
I met Margie Ruddick Landscape Architect at the Central Park Woodlands Stewardship conference on October 5th. There I was the subway musician, amidst architect students, landscape architects and firms representing top minds in the field for a day long conversation about stewardship of Central Park. After the conference Margie and I chatted about what inspires her.
Margie designed the evocative and re-imagined Queens Plaza. She expressed, "Art helps people connect with a place and helps proprietary commitment." As a subway musician performing in public spaces I see that first hand every time I perform.
What Inspires Margie? "Lake Minnewaska in the Catskills……..When there's unbelievable energy and you pick up on that, that's very inspiring"
I love NY and I love the Park so I was excited to attend the event. One of the presenters (Cultural Landscape Foundation) found my sustainability blog (I love search engines), I blogged about the conference. They invited me to come along and see for myself. It was held at the fantastic Museum Of The City Of New York.
It was an truly informative and wonderful day spent with thinkers in the world of landscape architecture. I left feeling empowered and optimistic about the people out in the field working passionately every day to find solutions to better serve communities and humankind while not forgetting nature's involvement.
read more about my day at the conference on my Sustainability Blog
I met Alanna Rios, a student of landscape architecture at the City College of New York Spitzer school, during a Central Park Woodlands Stewardship conference I attended. There I was the subway musician, amidst architect students, landscape architects and firms representing top minds in the field for a day long conversation about stewardship of Central Park. During the lunch break Alanna and I chatted about what inspires her.
"Non-conformity."
It was an truly informative and wonderful day spent with thinkers in the world of landscape architecture. I left feeling empowered and optimistic about the people out in the field working passionately every day to find solutions to better serve communities and humankind while not forgetting nature's involvement.
I love NY and I love the Park so I was excited to attend the event. One of the presenters (Cultural Landscape Foundation) found my sustainability blog (I love search engines), I blogged about the conference. They invited me to come along and see for myself. It was held at the fantastic Museum Of The City Of New York.
read more about my day at the conference on my Sustainability Blog
Helga Davis WNYC + WQXR radio host of "Overnight Music," passed by my LIRR gig and recognized me from my appearance at the 1st WNYC Battle of The Boroughs. She was a judge and I was representing Manhattan. I was surprised to see how fresh my performance that night was still in her mind. Made this subway performer smile.
What inspires Helga? "Beauty and music."
here's a link to my Battle of The Boroughs performance of my song "Comin' Back To Me"
I created this short of my experience performing in the underground of NYC. Here are the things I see, the people I meet and the moments that turn my music in collaboration with commuters into it's own version of public art. And why I created the Inspiration Project.
Inspirations from people I meet, spontaneous jams with other artists. Life, humanity and human connection. Filmed throughout NYC subway and train stations.
words and music Cathy Grier singerfish publishing SESAC
Question Of Desire, Keep You Out, Cool Trick, Jungle,
with Bobby News Guy and featuring Inspired commuters: -Leonie- Graybar -Jeremy- Graybar-woman- Grand Central mezzo-Ruth- Columbus circle-Michael- Shuttle-Guy- Grand Central mezzo-Sonia German student- Shuttle-Richard- Col cir-Qainat- Shuttle-Jorge- Col Cir-Myah -Union SQ-Cathy- SI ferry terminal-Mustafa- LIRR and musicians, Break dancers, Poet Myah, Cathy sings duet Amacing Grace, Josjua bucket drummer,Justin sings duet-You've Got A Friend-Carole King, Ray saxaphone and Don The Shoe Dude.
I've been pouring through many of my archives of clips and discovered this gem that I never edited.
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.
Samantha Margulies Music Under New York performer (Opera, Broadway + Pop singer).
I chatted with Samantha during the 2011 Divas Underground (annual full day lineup of women performers from the MUNY program) at Union Square station.
What Inspires Samantha? "Freedom that the subway allows."
check out the New York Magazine article with Samantha featured
Friends playwright Brian Hill and composer Neil Bartram walked past me just after getting off a train in Grand Central Station. It's always fun to catch up with people I know. I took the opportunity to ask the question "What' Inspires You?" "Human connection."
What's Your Inspiration?
I was performing in Hudson NY at an annual event called Winter Walk. I was happily surprised to find Paul and Marc Mueller of Mecca Bodega, my Music Under New York buddies, a wonderful duo of hammer dulcimer and percussion performing on a sidewalk to dancing children and enthralled listeners.
Small world, Hudson is a special town and for a moment between the festively decorated main street USA, known as Warren Street and happy togetherness, there was a glimmer of what we are all capable of.
You can't help but appreciate as you can see in this clip, that Paul and Marc had to deal with the elements, it was cold + dark, but they were rewarded with enthusiastic people on a fun night.
What inspires Paul "People who love what they do…..it's a one shot deal, do it now."
I met Eric who stopped to listen to me performing in Grand Central Station. We chatted, what inspires Eric? "Other people's passion."
Putting him on the spot I asked him to sing, and he delivered! Singing "Someone Else's Life" by Kerrigan & Lowdermilk
What's Your Inspiration?
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.
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."
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."
Samantha Margulies Music Under New York performer (Opera, Broadway + Pop singer).
I chatted with Samantha during the 2011 Divas Underground (annual full day lineup of women performers from the MUNY program) at Union Square station.
What Inspires Samantha? "Freedom that the subway allows."