Music Under New York

Cathy GrierThough I found the tone of the book gloomy and some what depressive, I enjoyed his notion of a city made up of millions of individual cities overlapping one another, breathing up and down to its own rhythmic beat. His section on the subway was intriguing, and frightenly accurate at times. But that would mean I felt I was ‘suffering like a true New Yorker’. I am not quite sure if I want to admit that yet.

The passage discussing the rhythm and choreography of the subway cars reminded me of the Music Under New York collective sponsored by MTA. Initiated in 1987 as part of the ‘Arts for Tranist’ program, MUNY sponsors more than 100 musicians who perform at 25 designated locations throughout NYC. In order to become a member of the collective, each musician must attend an audition at Grand Central and be judged by industry professionals. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLy8jgWzLGk)

The collection of musicians is vastly diverse, ranging form harpists to saw players. Each brings their own unique rhythm to the station. Many have initiated online blogs to record their experiences underground. For instance, Saw Lady provides windows for a weekly blog, merchandise including books and cds, and external links. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r-zLKzLD38)

Many of the musicians have mentioned there is misconception in the majority of the city of why they are playing in the subway. It is commonly thought that the musicians are starving artists hoping to get noticed by talent scouts. But in reality, the majority of the musicians are put of the collective purely for the experience. Many already have their own record deals and prefer the subtle setting of the subway over the capitalized music-celebrity industry. Some enjoy the privilege of people watching the entire day with their own background music. Others enjoy trying to create a communal experience in a setting where many, like Whitehead, feel uncomfortable. They attempt to break down the walls each passenger builds around themselves so that the city can actually remember that it is still a community, even if it doesn't want to admit it.