I met Ron Contarsy while I was performing on the uptown 1 platform at Columbus Circle. We chatted about his work as a photographer and about what inspires him. His inspiration comes from the tough times so many are living through in the aftermath of the Hurricane, Storm Sandy.
Natalie Gelman inspiring LIRR
It's always great to chat with another Music Under New York musician. I passed by Natalie playing in Penn Station (LIRR) singing her song Sweet July and she took a minute to chat with me about what inspires her. She's now living in California. We certainly miss her voice in the NYC transit stations.
edited by Dan Kleederman
Sidney Inspiration
I asked Sidney about her newfound love for the guitar. Her husband's father Millard Thomas, played guitar for Harry Belafonte, so as she said, maybe it is meant to be! She had such an inspirational, bright energy!
edited by Dan Kleederman
Calvin The 3rd
I met Calvin at the Grand Central Shuttle my first day back after the Hurricane. He had come from Atlanta and was one of the 1000's of disappointed runners who learned that the marathon was cancelled. He was dedicating the run to his grandparents. His attitude was wonderfully accepting of not being able to accomplish his plan, but I think his grandparents will be proud of him no matter what.
Nousha Salimi Inspired photo journalist
closed subway station
I Love NY, Inspired post Sandy
As Hurricane Sandy was barreling towards the NYC region. last Thursday I was performing in Grand Central Shuttle and Friday at Union Square in relative bliss unaware of the pending devastation. Those days couldn't have been more inspiring. In Union Square, it was an unusually full day of many people stopping to chat. I was interviewed by a film crew who found me for their webseries "Back of The Busk" we had a fun time.
Since we're all hurting from the devastating storm, I hope these Inspirations make you smile. We are resilient, we are strong and no matter what we are inspired.
Mithun Bhat inspiration Back of The Busk producer
Nick Capezzera Inspired Back Of The Busk cameraman and editor
Michael Inspiration Back of The Busk producer
Hardy Inspiration Back Of The Busk interviewer
Delpin Tardio Inspired Union Square Music Under New York guitarist
Ikeem + Shawn Unique Force dancers (now PoetrynMotionNYC)
Candy The Clown NYC
Joe from Brooklyn
for all the latest news
David Schrader Inspiration
I met David at Grand Central Shuttle.
Christine Bader Inspired
Kalli Meisler Inspiration
Kalli told me about her grandmother, Pauline Meisler, an iconic New York woman–the first female CFO at the Museum of Natural History!
edited by Dan Kleederman
Debbie Inspiration
I met Debbie at the Uptown 1 platform with her son. What inspires Debbie? Anything natural. Moonbeams.
edited by Dan Kleederman
Joe Hanneman Inspiration
I met Joe in Grand Central and we had a wonderful and engaging chat. He has led such an interesting life. Many years ago he was asked to help coordinate the German Day parade, which led to a pretty busy career coordinating parades in New York City and throughout the country. One of the curious insights he told me was how to deal with crowd control. He realized if people looked up they would naturally want to lean backward and in so doing, create more space and less pushing forward. So the ticker tape and the float were really put into use. Who knew?
What Inspires Joe? 7 trombones and 4 tubas in an army band.
Meagan Michelson Inspiration
Margie Ruddick Landscape Architect
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
Ecotone NYCSubwayGirl
Bridging The Nature-Cultural Divide Central Park Woodlands Conference
It might appear illogical that NYC SubwayGirl a subway performer was at the Central Park Woodlands Stewardship conference on October 5th amidst architect students, landscape architects and firms representing top minds in the field for a conversation about stewardship. It actually was as logical as a woodlands thriving deep in the center of an urban environment.
I love NY and I love the Park so I was excited to participate. One of the presenters of the event (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.
During breaks and a beautiful walk through the Park, I asked my favorite question to a few participants, What's Your Inspiration?
As I explained why I was there, I found my description of myself in the context of the conversation about urban parks, not only interesting, but it actually helped me to define myself a bit more completely than just "I sing in the subway."
I love analogies, so I was trying out the thought of the subway musician as an ecotone (definition: the defining geographic transitional line where valley meets mountain, prairie meets forest, where land meets water), where a stationary musician meets commuters rush, where music meets subway sounds, where my asking "What's your inspiration?" to a stranger meets community.
I learned landscape architecture and stewardship of a public park has to include emotional feeling and experience, something not necessarily associated with riding or commuting in a subway system. NYC Subway Girl attempts to bring these into the conversation. Meeting a commuter who pauses to chat and then asking the question about inspiration, brings out an emotional feeling that is deeply poignant and inspirational itself.
Here I thought I was going to the conference to learn about Central Park (and I did), but I left learning more about myself.
Read More on my Sustainability Blog
The clip features inspirations from Charles Birnbaum, founder president Cultural Landscape Foundation and Eric Sanderson, Wildlife Conservation Society, Michael Boland, The Presidio Trust, Alanna Rios, student City College of New York, Christopher Valencia, student City College of New York, Mauro Crestani, EXP US Servces Inc., Joanna Pertz, Landscape Architect, Eddie Krakhmalnikov, University of Minnesota, Margie Ruddick, Landscape Architect, Elizabeth Meyer, Professor Landscape Architecture, University of Virginia.
Alanna Rios inspired
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
Shine The Light Times SQ
It might have rained October 2nd in Times Square, but the evening was charged with amazing energy. New Yorkers rising up to acknowledge Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Manhattan Borough Pres. Scott Stringer was on hand to officiate with speakers Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance, Eve Ensler, NYC NOW Pres Sonia Ossorio, and NY Assembly member Linda Rosenthal including Yolanda Jiminez commissioner of the Mayor's office to combat domestic violence.
I went to witness Times Square being illuminated in purple and thrilled to hear from Eve Ensler writer of Vagina Monologues and creator of VDay, who fired up the crowd despite the rain and a sudden blown PA, thankfully a megaphone was on hand. Beforehand I got a chance to speak with the fearless Sister Mary Nerney, founder and former director of STEPS to End Family Violence and Greenhope: Services for Women, Sabrina Mosquera, and Connie Marquez deputy director of STEPS, Helen of Korean Family Services, Steven Walerstein and Jack Raplee of Powers inc. All of whom shared their inspirations with me and their commitment to ending violence. These people are on the front lines of domestic violence and I want to honor them.
"We are blessed to be living in the safest city in America, but what good does it do if in fact we're not safe in our homes." Cyrus Vance Manhattan DA
STEPS director Connie Marquez stated with passion "we will be a violent free society."
I love that. What can you do to help end Domestic Violence? Stand Up, reach out and refuse to accept a violent society.
Rise Up Against Violence words and music Cathy Grier
Govenor Cuomo signs important Domestic Violence Legislation.
thank you Governor
What's MY Inspiration? by NYCsubwayGirl
I re- edited the clip as it will be presented this Wednesday during the FilmColumbia Film Festival in Chatham, NY. Some voice over has been removed, I also added credits.
I changed the title to Inspirations From The Underground.
Feel free to leave a comment about the differences.
What Inspires Rachel Chanoff?
I was a special guest artist at Celebrate Brooklyn! for the Helga Davis Love Show before the film Romero and Juliet. I caught up with Rachel Chanoff (artistic director Celebrate Brooklyn!) on stage during soundcheck.
- A little backstory: It was Rachel who was a judge for my Music Under NY audition in 1999 that got me into the program. From that audition she programed me as the opening act for Joan Armatrading at MASS MoCA, fast forward 11 years, Helga Davis WNYC and WOR radio host judged my Battle Of The Boroughs Manhattan performance at WNYC's Greene Space. Helga recently passed by my Music Under NY performance at LIRR, she stopped listened and invited me to be her guest artist. There I reconnected with Rachel. It's a full circle of connections made from performing in public spaces. I love this story.
Laura Hankin from Galo Magazine
Laura came to hear me perform for an article she was writing about female subway musicians for Galo (Global Art Laid Out) Magazine. She listened for a while and then we chatted.
What inspires Laura? "Friends and family….the love that we give to each other.."
Here's a link to the article she wrote: Female Subway Musicians A Rarity - Galo Magazine
Comin' Back To Me words and music Cathy Grier singerfish publishing SESAC
Helga Davis WNYC judge Manhattan Battle of The Boroughs
I just love the song, (Comin' Back To Me) I loved the vulnerability that you had that night in the space and that you were just there, it was you and this guitar telling this very very personal and powerful story…
Helga Davis
WNYC + WQXR and NYC commuter
Battle of The Boroughs Manhattan judge