Category Archives: Music

Winter Tea Prospect Park Boat House

Music, Nature, NYC

My daily run through Prospect Park always brings joy, but today brought a surprise delight.  As I reached the Boathouse a sandwich board declared “Ikebana Exhibit”. Inside, the trio of cellist Kirin McElwain and synth artists Serena Stucke/Dan Tesene performed a meditative piece.

Adjacent to the music was an exhibit of Ikebana created from discarded Christmas Trees by the Flower Heart Collective.  This was all part of an event called Winter Tea sponsored by Tea Arts & Culture and The Prospect Park Alliance!

Broadway in BP 25th Anniversary

Music, NYC

Broadway in Bryant Park

This is the 25th anniversary of Broadway In Bryant Park! My first year was 2003 when I saw Bernadette Peters from Gypsy along with some preteen phenom belting out “Let Me Entertain You”.  At that time, construction had not even begun on the massive Bank of America Tower overlooking the northeast corner of the stage.  For many years I went to every show, making notes about performers’ names on the distinctive menu like programs.  I don’t attend regularly anymore, but yesterday I was able to see Tony Award winners “Maybe Happy Ending” along with “& Juliet”, “BOOP! The Musical”, “Hell’s Kitchen” “MJ the Musical” and “The Great Gatsby.” Joy comes from seeing stars of the stage but also from observing the hot weather fashion choices of Aussie tourists or midtown office workers.

Of course, many folks were taking shaky videos from a distance, but there are plenty of decent videos online from the press section up front if you want to get a flavor of the experience, including of Mamma Mia, which was always a crowd favorite during their 14 year run.

Make Music New York 2025

Music, Nature, NYC
Mass Appeal Harmonicas: Union Square

MMNY Day once again sizzled both with weather and music.  Amid hundreds of concerts, I caught four.  First, in Union Square I found harmonic players age 6 to 86 display their skills with the mouth organ.  Next, I made my way down to Chinatown where Cellist Tiffany MJ Anderson played popular tunes amid the heavy pedestrian intersection of Doyers and Pell.

Tiffany MJ Anderson Trio: Doyers Street

In the Lower East Side oasis of The Children’s Magical Garden the community was treated to the voice of 14 year old Mariama Diop, whose credits include The Lion King on Broadway.  Finally, the award winning classical pianist Beyza Yazgan performed in the same space, a program that ranged from music of ancient Byzantium to her own contemporary composition.  This was definitely the highlight for me, and what makes MMNY so special: the ability to see a world class musician share her brilliance with a small group of neighborhood locals, who just stopped by for a break from the sweating sun.

Beyza Yazgan: Children’s Magical Garden

Make Music New York 2024

Music, NYC

I have never been to Coachella , but every year I find more joy than I can imagine ever having at one of these mega music fests strolling through Make Music New York on Summer Solstice. This year’s highlights: First, a group of Middle school students from WHIN Music Community Charter School performed for an audience of mostly pre-schoolers in the Children’s Magical Garden on the Lower East Side.  The toddlers enthusiastic comments after each song were a riot.

childrensgarden

Next I saw a tribute to Billy Strayhorn by several groups of musicians in Freeman Plaza East.

strayhorn

And, finally I saw Wyatt McManus perform Broadway Show tunes in Bella Abzug Park.

wyatt
I adore Taylor Swift, but I would rather see Wyatt McManus perform Sondheim among a dozen passersby in the canyon of Hudson Yards skyscrapers than be packed into an arena of sweaty swifties with iphones swaying wildly to catch a glimpse of the super songstress of West Reading PA.