an anniversary of sorts

Last year on February 4th, I was performing at the Shuttle in Grand Central. I remember it was really cold. Photographer Jefferson Siegel took some pictures and then came over to ask me a few questions regarding the current financial meltdown and if I felt that people were tipping less. My response was that I didn't notice a difference, but my focus was more on the act of performing in the subway, than the tips in my bag. I asked what paper he was working for. I woke up finding myself on the cover of AMNY, a free paper handed out to commuters throughout the city. The headline was not

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Grand Central Station Mezzanine (just above 4/5/6 platform)

Jan 11, 2009 Grand Central Station Mezzanine Thanks for the love today, I’m full Today was a day no one would have been surprised if I cancelled. The cold air above the platform was sharp, my guitar strings immediately proved what they are made of: steel, cold steel. Somehow like a little match girl fable stroking a match to create warmth and fantasy, everyone that passed me had huge warm smiles, amazing compliments and just a general warm haze o

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Grand Central Station Graybar corridor: Cathedral-esque or what?

Grand Central Station Graybar corridor 1/08/10 Graybar performing spot is like performing in a perfect performance hall, the sound, the natural reverberation is incredible. As I sing under the amazing granite-limestone? dome, the sound envelops and carries down the corridor towards the main terminal. Over the past years small kiosks have set up throughout the corridor selling all kinds of stuff. I am sensitive not to be too loud for the merchants who, unlike the steady stream of passing commuters, do get to hear my entire 3 hours of performing. Joe, the coffee shop across from me, brings in a steady crowd and the smell of coffee is intoxicating. Today I set up wondering if it would be too cold, it was in the teens outside and the Lexington doors are only about 200’ away from me, but the air didn’t carry anything too icy! I love singing in this spot, it’s effortless, and today

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Did the chill thrill? Back underground in frigid NYC

First blog of 2010. Yesterday was my first Music Under New York performance of 2010. So is it twenty ten? Two thousand and ten? Two thousand ten? I haven’t settled into anything yet, have you? It's been incredibly cold in NYC, and I was worried my gig would be too cold too play, but it wasn’t. I set up in the Long Island Railroad terminal at the far end of the corridor nearer to 8th avenue. It was cozy and warmish, the only thing that seemed to overwhelm me in this location was the incredible smell of grilled steak or was it just the burned oil from a fryer boiling nearby. I immediatel

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Looking back on 2009 creating NYC Subway Girl

I never thought I'd be a street performer, my goals were always set for big concert halls and intimate high audio quality rooms, but things changed when I moved back to NYC in 1998 (I lived in France for many years), and found the whole club scene lacking. I started performing in the subway, got accepted into the Music Under New York program which gave me a comfort zone in which to schedule my performances. I never knew how it would make me feel, and it took a while to look beyond the notion that somehow performing in the subway meant the end of the line for my career (excuse the pun). Or a place-holder until the next step. This year I decided to try another angle on how to sell my music, and reestablish myself as a songwriter and showcase that I have more to share than just music. Trying to sell myself as Cathy Grier singer songwriter seemed a bit old school. With the internet and

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Times SQ mosaics a day to move on....

Arrived at mosaics spot at 3pm I set up, started playing, took me a while to settle in due to the cold. Steel strings on fingers pretty much sap all the warmth out, and the pick doesn’t stay comfortably between my fingers as all moisture is gone. I love the beauty of the mosaics, there are 2 walls of them. Today I set up with the marketplace scene behind me. I looked across at the wall with the film location scene. The surreal colors constant

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Alice Tan Ridley

Day after Thanksgiving, I'm surfing and found this clip of Alice Tan Ridley a fellow Music Under New York performer, at 34th st.  This clip captures perfectly the essence of why street performing is so essential.  It brings out joy in the human spirit, engaging the public in a way no other medium can.  Alice is a powerful performer and happily includes spontaneous harmony, singing (some not even close to being in tune, but no matter), this is folk music in it's purist form. A personal note-Alice is also the proud mother of the amazing Gabourey Sidibe (who plays the character Precious in the recent film).


sounds of Whitehall ferry terminal 11/18/09

I perform with so many different accompanying sounds-some I work with, with gusto, others I try to tune out, sometimes in vain. Yesterday I was at Whitehall SI ferry terminal-a great enveloping hall. Music flows effortlessly as I don't have to work hard against competing sound. I try to be sensitive to the constant announcements and not sing over. I even think the announcer is sensitive to waiting until I’m not singing to make his speech (but I'm probably dreaming). Before each ferry departure large sliding doors open wide, then slowly close which make people arriving late run, and they sure can run jingling everything in percussive rhythm. The station pipes in bird's song, which I’m not really sure why, and after a while the chirping seems very out of place. Pigeons that live and fly around the space land with a comical skid on the smooth floor, of course kids try to catch them. Adults ignore them, accepting their presence as a matter of fact. There's a hierarchy of sorts with the commuter
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CBS Sunday Morning 11/15/09

September 24th I was performing in Times Square when CBS producer Mary Hood came by and asked if I would allow myself to be filmed for a segment about the phone app Shazam (it identifies tunes). CBS correspondent Daniel Sieberg and Nick Thompson of Wired Magazine tried to stump the app by asking me to perform a popular song.  A fun crowd gathered as I kept trying various songs like Me And Bobby McGee, and Piece Of My Heart, but the app stayed mute. So I then tried to sing exactly like I did on What Fools's Do, a song of mine found on itunes, but again, nothing.  Finally, as a last resort they asked me to sing Let It Be, but again no luck.... that's how we basically figured out that the app works by matching the digital fingerprint with an actual recording.  So here's to the next app that can identify a song by Cathy Grier nycsubwaygirl street performer....

 It was fun having them stop by.  (I come on the segment about 3 minutes in).


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Fiveoutsiders, a blog- "NYC misfits with know opinion"

I was blogged about on fiveoutsiders blog under the section Jessica's Street Performer Series.  I love the byline “NYC misfits with know opinion”.

I met Jessica at Times Square Mosaics the day of the Yankees ticker tape parade when it seemed like the only people stopping by were Yankees fans.  The energy was actually infectious, as everyone (almost) was in such a great mood.  Jessica asked if she could film/interview me for her blog Five Outsiders.  It was fun. Here's her clip, check out the blog to see what she wrote:

fiveoutsiders Jessica's Street Performer Series on nycsubwaygirl

Thanks for stopping by Jessica! 

Update

on 2009-11-19 16:54 by NYC Subway Girl

forgot to add this pic of Jessica and Deena (she covers art) fiveoutsiders.com they've added me to their NY sites we love

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Yankees Ticker Tape parade, I was at Times SQ mosaics

Nov 6, 2009 Times SQ Mosaics Yankees won World Series, perfect fall crisp sunny day. Ticker tape parade meant the city was a sea of Yankee uniforms, caps, banners, jackets, and sweatshirts. Started with Prof Alvarez performing to a small curious crowd. I was a bit late, his son who helps him set up/tear down was nowhere to be seen. Michele appeared-passing through from a Dr's appointment. It was sweet seeing her. She was protective over a very blotto guy who was bumping into people. He never came near me, but in a big crowd it’s true being careful is advised.

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LIRR a spot for chaos or calm

LIRR a spot for chaos or calm November 5, 2009 LIRR Arrived ready to set up and Ricardo steel drummer was playing he was a joyful fellow from Trinidad and we laughed about our fun life… The performance location is between the flower stand and McDonalds, so I get this amazing color from the flowers and the close proximity of the people stopping by to buy bouquets, a lovely energy. The people coming in and out of McDo’s couldn’t be more diverse. I don’t really like the smell, but tolerate it better than the constant hum=roar of a large machine? Fan? Don’t know what it is, but it’s somewhere behind me. People linger, lean on columns, listen. I started
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Twitter

If you don't know, I twitter under the name nycsubway girl, I really am at the most basic level of twittering, my tweets are mostly about where to find me in the subway.  It's an easy way to quickly check if you just might happen to be in an area near where I'm playing.  Maybe you'd consider "following me".  Just click the link at the right of any of my blog pages under the Socially Speaking heading.

today's tweet: bummer-threw my back out (again) so no gig today at Astor Place-it's a stair only access and impossible to imagine hoofing it...

LIRR Penn Station

This spot was actually the first place I ever performed as a MUNY artist 10 years ago. I was stunned to find it too chaotic, loud and impossible to find my mark. I hadn't booked it in quite some time and decided to give it another try. That was then, this is now-I take all that in stride and had a great day performing. Roland-steel drum player was there performing when I arrived, we talked and he told me about South St seaport as a good spot to play. He has a nice touch on the steel, melodic and resonant without being too harsh. Flamenco man dancing to my song “Through My Eyes” also proof that all it takes is one person to join me to make crowds form-he was entertaining and allowed me to adjust the rhythm to a more Latin-gypsy kings kind of feel and I liked it! A mom with a family of 3 girls
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Times Square Alliance Best Of Buskers series 45th @ B'way

I really enjoy this gig spot and find the tourists, locals, the street vendors and cops to be really supportive of my performances. Robert the Naked Cowboy came over to introduce himself and bought a disk (wondered where he was going to put it...). I've had a great time and do hope Times SQ Alliance gets a chance to continue this series (there’s talk that it won’t survive). Met Rachelle and Kathie from CA with the best color purple nails. They bought a CD and came back later and tipped me with the same color polish! That beats the 2 cans of Ensure or the bag of potato chips I’ve gotten in the past! A karate kid from Tennessee in his outfit and black belt, walked by, he had just finished being on an NBC show, the segment will be aired in a few weeks. He’s the youngest black belt. Soooooo cute and when I asked him what his friends say about it, he was cool and was coy. I also asked what was the best thing he’s learned about being a martial artist and he said the control. Smart kid. It took him 5 years to get the belt. I hope his folks send me the pictures they took too.
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