Robert and I meet in Times SQuare

On a perfectly beautiful fall day, I performed in Times SQuare.  The Naked Cowboy strolled-strummed by, and stopped and introduced himself- "Hi I'm Robert", we chatted for a while and then he bought a CD!  "Where will you put it I ask?" with a not so subtle grin. He replied that he had a special spot-gotta be somewhere where he stashes all his tips-a guitar sound hole can only hold so much.  This picture above was captured by Luca Nassini a tourist from Florence, Italy. He sent me 2 other shots (found on my pics sent to me page) that perfectly capture the essence of my work.


34th st

today I struggled, it was hotter than I thought, although once and a while a breeze came by that wasn't 1500 degrees.  Like yesterday at SI ferry terminal, the commuters were distant but visible.  What I mean is people passed by, I got wonderful smiles, the usual kids who connect immediately and many who pass saying positive things, but, no one really stayed for long. 

I had a bizarre deal with a guy 'junior' 'Irag vet'-who wanted to sing.  First of all respect is # 1 for me, he came up demanded to sing and then played the vet card.  I personally would have liked to let him sing, but didn't get the chance to decide as he grabbed the mic and then ordered me to sing the harmony to 'In The Still Of The Night".  You can imagine how excited I was (not). A woman passing by gave me a sympathetic nod and looking towards the policeman nearby, wondering why he wasn't doing anything  to help me, yelled out for him to come over.  All was fine, I let 'junior' have his moment and then I got lost in the moment and said silly things like, 'I imagine you don't share your gun with anyone, well I don't share my mic", to which he explained, "which would you rather have, a mic that doesn't kill, or a gun that does?" bravo.  Too bad he was pretty messed up. The cop stopped by, asked him to come over and talk to him, with which junior disappeared. Afterwards the cop asked why I didn't call out to him.  I explained that I like to deal with things in my own way and knew if I needed help, where to find him.  

Such is life underground.

Back after a summer break

Yesterday was my first day back underground after a summer break.  Union Square couldn’t have been more vibrant, colorful and noisy.  It took a bit of getting used to the frenetic energy and still manage to find my composure (and my pitch!). I admittedly am a bit rusty after being in the countryside, there I dodged Lyme disease from ticks and the occasional mosquito.  Underground, it’s commuters racing recklessly too close to my spot, the gate alarm, waves of people merging directly in front of me, and did I mention the gate alarm?  Soon that too will not appear to be more than a note in the right key and I’ll adapt my tempo to it to be more collaborative with my setting.

I found the city full of love yesterday, or at least at Union Square anyway.  Lots of public display of affection, teenagers kissing, couples hugging Hi and Bye.  It felt strangely pre September 11, it felt optimistic as if life in the city has finally found a rhythm free from the usual stress of potential fear, real or imagined.  Maybe it was just something in my perspective after being away.  No matter what the reason, it was good to be home underground performing.

I counted 14 bikes, 2 skateboards (one without wheels), a man dressed all in white picking into a garbage bin, 2 double bass, 2 little dogs, the usual undercover cops stopping turnstyle jumpers (appearing to give only warnings-a nice change!) and fashion has clearly gone back to the ‘80’s-big glasses, tops and tight jeans/leggings. A generous teen in jeans set fashionably below the butt with colorful boxers and mostly wearing a fantastic smile, tipped me before I even started! My little Guassmeter that measures electric magnetic fields, found Union Square relatively clear of EMF’s (more on that in another blog).

Today I’m at one of the few locations  where I perform on the actual platform near the tracks at Astor Place. 12-3.

 

 

first Times Square Alliance booking @ 45th and Broadway

Taking the train to NYC tomorrow to perform in Times Square. I had planned on being away from the hot sticky, and smelly city, in exchange for the country air 2 hours north of Manhattan. Back in Spring I auditioned for the Times Square Alliance and they now have the permits necessary to let an amplified performer like me play. Apparently the city afraid of the “noise” doesn’t want performers amplified, but as a more acoustic type performer, even I can’t sing and play 3 hours un-amplified without losing my voice, or breaking picks and strings.

My first gig with Music Under New York in 1999, I had a quite romantic view of busking and did perform purely acoustically. That was in the lower level of Grand Central Station, and the one and only time I ever performed without a small portable amp.

I do hope that the city can come to some sort of agreement regarding the amplified issue. At this point the Naked Cowboy gets the work-he only needs to be seen not heard!

It will be interesting performing above ground. Now that the city has closed off the portion of Broadway to vehicular traffic, it should be interesting to be in the midst of summertime pedestrian chaos (also matinee day), and part of the ongoing experiment that is now a Times Square strolling park. In a strange way my perception today is that I feel safer and more insulated in the underground. After tomorrow that perception might be different.

 

writing a short bio

Today’s thought. Heard on the radio that Hemingway was once asked to write a story in 6 words. His response: For sale, baby shoes, never worn.

Another author added: You called, I answered, wrong number.

Today I’m trying to write a bio, so people can know who I am as they weave through the web waters and come across me. How can I quickly say who I am, what I’ve done, were I’ve been and where I want to go? If I want to talk about all the places I’ve performed in the world, or the crazy eclectic experiences I’ve known, how do I convey it in a concise form? So far I’ve come up with this line.

Cathy’s main guitars a ‘Tokai Stratocaster’ brought back from Japan in 1983 and her ‘Guild Songbird’ acquired in 1990 could tell stories of recordings and performances, and world travel. (too long)…

How about:

My well traveled musical road as witnessed by my two guitars, tell stories of recordings and performances, and world travel.

Or better yet:

My guitars tell stories of recordings and performances, and world travel. (and ironically not many broken strings).

 

The Subways

Performing: in NYC subway system is not a placeholder to better things, performing underground transcends career ambition.  The act is the soundtrack to a continuous story played out in the eyes and ears of the thousands who pass by. Music underground transcends the musical taste of the listener, because it’s momentary, it either masks other underground sounds or is drowned out by screeching wheels, closing door chimes, public announcements on distorted speakers and the multiplied sounds of people moving about carrying, dragging noisy items. 

I change my playlist to what I see and hear.  At any moment a woman’s clicking heels, a man’s cane, a child’s stare, an old man’s gait-all act as catalysts to my performance. Like a conductor with an orchestra playing a score, I watch attentively conducting, watching an unfolding movie on a screen.

A major key sounds minor, a dance groove sounds bluesier, a note held shorter, longer, all changes at an instant, instant reaction cause and effect, and affect! And is so pleasurable to me.  This is not a concert, this is a musical installation that metamorphoses.  It’s upside down and inside out.  It’s not waiting for a response-it is the response.  It does not work the same with a sitting audience, it exists in the flow of commuter traffic and energy.  It’s improv, it’s jazz, it’s bebop, it’s free, nothing pleases me more.  No stage lights that blind, giving inhibitions a chance to hide, no your side, my side or the performance game, we’re all in this together.

 

What does music sound like?

Music envelops our daily lives, we can’t live without it, even if we can’t hear it, we feel it. 

Vibration=energy=existence and why it is so important to us.

The 1970’s and the boombox carried on the shoulder, loud enough to annoy or entertain an entire subway car.  Race forward to the 2000’s ubiquitous white earbuds, wires traveling into hidden pockets or a hand holding an MP3 player with treasures of sound.

South Ferry new station opening

Monday, March 16, 2009 at 8:29am

I'm off to South Ferry today, it's a new station with amazing art installations from brothers Doug and Mike Starn who were commissioned by the MTA and Arts for Transit. I had a chance to perform for the private artist viewing of the spot-it was great. Today is the public opening, so it will be fun to just perform for people trying to get from one place to another, and possibly others coming our of curiosity. When was the last time a new station opened? There have been delays and complaints, but what I can see so far is that it's accessible-elevators and escalators (most stations have none or are difficult to find, disgustingly gross, or out of service). Here's a chance to give people beautiful art to look at (and fun music too).

 

The picture is from the opening party I performed at March 3rd by photographer Rob Wilson and sent to me from MUNY as a reminder of where to set up today (not against the elevator bank!). Funny

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 7:49am

the station opened without any ceremony, although I sat on a train held up because of a water main problem. I didn't realize until I got to the station that the main break affected the 1 line and so no one was using the new station-it was crazy. I set up where another performer Sean (a great cellist) was playing, and it worked out fine. By 4pm the station opened and so I moved. It was beautiful being inside by the art, but no one was walking by really, so that part was frustrating. It was great overhearing comments from people walking by "gorgeous", "beautiful", "wow". There were workmen there happy to see the station finally open.

Will be happy to go back.....


Mosaics spot-cold and cranky MTA worker

okay, so today it was cold, although not really too cold to perform-I almost couldn't play anyway as an MTA rep first told me this was no longer a sanctioned spot, then when I resisted, make numerous calls and threatened to have the cops come and arrest me. I held my ground showed my permit, called Tim at MUNY just to be safe, and to be sure that the spot was still okay, and it was, so I set up anyway. And that was that. Not only did it go okay, but the same MTA rep later came over and apologized for the inconvenience and then went as far as to say that she liked my music. Apparently some groups at this location are just so loud the booth worker can't hear themselves think, I can understand. 

I got a chance to see the next group Tin Pan who performed after me with Jesse Selengut a trumpeter I've known for many years-they sounded great!