Music Under New York
Encyclopedia
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Metropolitan Transportation Authority's
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
Arts for Transit Office that increases the attractiveness of transit facilities for customers. At present more than 350 individual performers and music ensembles participate in over 7,000 annual performances in approximately 25 locations throughout the transit system.
Through MUNY, a variety of performances are available to the public within the transit network, such as classical strings, jazz ensembles, blues bands, folk and more, with a range of instruments including musical saw, Sengalese kora, Andean pipes, Korean drum, steel drums, Chinese dulcimer and pipa, Aboriginal didjeridoo, Cajun cello, Flamenco guitar and Gypsy violin.
Every year, MUNY holds auditions for all types of musicians and performers. MUNY seeks quality acts that appeal to the diverse New York City transit riders. Each year in January, applications are available and all submissions are considered for the live auditions in the spring. A panel of professionals, within the music industry, cultural institutions, station operations and fellow musicians, judge each of the performances, based on the criteria of quality, variety and appropriateness for the mass transit environment.
Performances are scheduled at locations in subway and commuter rail stations, including the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
(LIRR) and Metro-North.
Many of the musicians who play in the subway under MUNY have illustrious careers above ground. The following MUNY musicians have performed at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
: Natalia Paruz
Natalia Paruz
Natalia 'Saw Lady' Paruz is a New York City-based musical saw and novelty instruments player and busker. She is the founder and director of the annual Musical Saw Festival in New York City. She also organized the musical saw festival in Israel...
- also known as the 'Saw Lady' (musical saw
Musical saw
A musical saw, also called a singing saw, is the application of a hand saw as a musical instrument. The sound creates an ethereal tone, very similar to the theremin...
), James Graseck (violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
), Ebony Hillbillies.
Possibly the most well-known of them is Alice Tan Ridley
Alice Tan Ridley
Alice Tan Ridley is a gospel and R&B singer and the mother of Gabourey Sidibe. She auditioned on the NBC series America's Got Talent. Prior to joining America's Got Talent, Alice also appeared in the television show 30 Seconds To Fame, winning $25,000 in the pilot episode.-Early life:Alice raised...
, who was featured on season 5 of America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
.
The current line up has such artists as Ebony Hillbillies, SisterMonk, Didjworks, Natalia Paruz
Natalia Paruz
Natalia 'Saw Lady' Paruz is a New York City-based musical saw and novelty instruments player and busker. She is the founder and director of the annual Musical Saw Festival in New York City. She also organized the musical saw festival in Israel...
the 'Saw Lady', Manze Dayila, Renaissance Street Singers, Heth and Jed
Heth and Jed
Heth and Jed is a New York City-based indie rock duo, composed of brothers Heth and Jed Weinstein, born in Los Angeles.Together they have recorded two albums, written a memoir, and presently make a living busking on and under the streets of New York...
and Keshea. The full line up can be found on the website .
External links
- Music Under New York at MTA.info
- Subway Music Blog subway musician tells what happens when she plays in the NYC subway
- Dancing with Lupita Segment from the documentary "Music under New York"