Sunday, April 17, 2011

The Violinist

Photo by Marc Verdiesen - https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcverdiesen/3866273976/

Some of the most amazing musicians I have ever heard have been in the bowels of the New York City subway system. I have heard everything from truly gifted vocalists to jazz bands that could rival the best. This is only part of what makes New York City so great.

I take the 6 train from 51st and Lexington one stop downtown to Grand Central, where I jump on the 7 express to Flushing-Main Street. On dozens of occasions I have heard a master violinist standing at the foot of the stairwell going down from the 6 platform to the 7 train. I always stop for a few minutes to listen to her play. She is a master—no doubt about it—and her music is filled with stunning precision and breathtaking passion. On several occasions I was nearly moved to tears by a Mozart concerto or a Vivaldi piece.

Last Friday, I was extremely lucky because as I approached her she was just finishing a piece by Beethoven. I dropped a twenty-dollar bill into her violin case and she handed me a CD. We talked for a few minutes. She had been studying violin since the age of five, and had played in several major symphonies. She practiced for hours on end in the subway to earn a bit of extra money, and perhaps connect with aficionados who appreciated the Masters.

I always carry a copy of Swiss Chocolate with me, and I showed her my debut novel, explaining that the book just came out, and that it had gotten six 5 star reviews on Amazon. She read the synopsis on the back, and I told her about where I got the inspiration for the book. She seemed fascinated by the story, and I handed her a bookmark, directing her to my website where she could read more about me and my work. In return, she handed me one of her business cards.

I intend to call her sometime next week, and ask her if she is interested in having coffee. Amazing things happen in New York, and there are opportunities everywhere for all kinds of magical things, be it a simple friendship based on appreciation for the finer things in life, or just hearing some truly gifted artists who put their heart and soul into what they do as subways go roaring past them.

I do love working and living in New York City, even if it is way beyond my means and I live like a pauper. But this city has so much to offer; you just need to find out where and when to go to wonderful cultural events that are within your means and available to all.

Wishing all of you a wonderful Sunday!

James M. Weil

2 comments:

  1. Dear Mr. Weil,
    you are using one of my images in this article. This image is copyrighted and cannot be used without permission. The original image is here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcverdiesen/3866273976/
    You can keep using the image if you provide proper attribution (my name and a link to either the original flickr image or my flickr account). If you choose not to, please remove the image from your blog.
    Thank you, kind regards,
    Marc Verdiesen

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Mr Weil for responding to my request for attribution.
    Kind regards,
    Marc Verdiesen

    ReplyDelete