2013 MUNY applications due March 20th

It's that time again for the annual Music Under New York auditions held once annually.  

Follow the information and applications postmarked by March 20th

Music Under New York

Auditions

Every Spring, Music Under New York (MUNY) presents a day of auditions in Grand Central Terminal to review and add new performers to the MUNY roster. This year, MUNY held its annual auditions in May on the Northeast Balcony of the Grand Central Terminal. Here are some photos captured during the audition.

Application Process

To obtain an Audition Application Form, which is available January through March, please contact MUNY at 212-878-4678 or print it from the MUNY website.

To join MUNY, musicians and performers must apply for the auditions and submit a package of information, which includes the MUNY Audition Application form. To obtain an Audition Application form, which is available January through March, please contact MUNY at 212-878-4678 or print it from the MUNY website. For consideration, please prepare a package with the completed Application Form, a sample of your performance on CD or DVD and/or optional items such as a bio, resume, press clippings or reviews and mail it to:

MTA MUSIC UNDER NEW YORK

341 Madison Avenue, 5th Fl.

New York, NY 10017

The Audition application packages are due in the MUNY office no later than March 20th.

All performers are welcome to apply for the audition. Packages will be reviewed and approximately 60 eligible performers will be contacted and invited to perform at the auditions, which are held live, one-day only, and open to public. A panel of professionals, consisting of representatives from the music industry, cultural institutions, MTA station operations, fellow musicians and others, will judge each of the five minute performances during the audition based on the criteria of quality, variety, and appropriateness for the mass transit environment.

here's a clip I made of the 2011 auditions:

2012 Music Under NY auditions

2012 Music Under New York auditions were held at Grand Central Terminal Vanderbilt Hall. May 16, 2012.  As a MUNY artist I was asked to be a judge. I captured the event and I asked my favorite question, "what's your inspiration?" Here's what I heard:

- NY Guitar Festival artistic director and judge David Spelman: "sounds of NY, I don't wear an ipod, there are too many wonderful sounds..the wild polyphony of mayhem that we hear all around is an inspiration."

- Music Under NY violinist Ebony Hillbillies and judge Henrique Prince : "Life, …art, that music can allow you to be different all the time that you can keep growing until the last minute, and you can get better and better, how many things in life are like that except.. food."

- Music Under NY artist and volunteer Jahstix: "Life + possibility of magic at every moment, + the goodness and love."

- Auditionee and accordionist Melissa Elledge: "feeling grateful that I'm in a city that I can make a living  doing what I want to do." Update: since her audition, now now a MUNY artist.

- award winning recording artist and judge Dane Zanes: "I felt that I was part of the NY musical overground."

- Music Under NY classical guitarist and judge Don Witter Jr. "music making and the boldness of young people who believe in what they are doing and do it."

- documentary filmmaker, 78 Project and judge Alex Styermark:  "authenticity and people who are just trying to make the most out of what they've got."

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Music Under New York annual auditions

2012 MUNY auditions. Getting ready for this years annual Music Under New York auditions. For the past few years they have been held in the upper balcony of Grand Central Station with a wonderful view down to the main hall. Now the balcony is an Apple store, so this year the auditions have returned to the illustrious grand Vanderbilt Hall in the station. That's where I had my audition in 1999, and t he acoustics alone are worth going for the price of admission=FREE. 

Hope to see you there.

Here's a little idea of what you can expect, NYCSubwayGirl style, as the 2011 clip I enjoyed getting more of the behind the scenes perspective.

2011 Music Under NY auditions

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.  

In this clip booking agent Gus Rodriguez comments how even though talented, not every performer is the right fit for the program, and so his judging needs to be extra careful in his notes for the MUNY directors who will have to read through all the judging notes and choose. Judge and Joe's Pub director Shanta Thake's inspiration is "Seeing people do what they love."