One of the perks about living in New Jersey, is being able to have the best of 2 worlds. The opportunities, culture, and excitement of New York City, and the suburb comfort of New Jersey. The option to see a world-renown performance on a first class stage, or the simple freedom of being able to drive to a movie and park in a parking lot. This area is still very much new and foreign for me, a midwest girl. And I've often struggled with our future here. Will we move? Will we stay? I can't see into the future, and that can be frustrating. But one thing I do know, is that  today , I can see for a loooong time. And that provide some clarity. These photos were taken in South Orange, NJ, 20 miles away from the Empire State Building you see in the center. ~~~ Love/Hate Top of the Rock

The 9/11 Memorial held its' Grand Opening September 11, 2011. For the first time, I went with my family to see the completed project. It consists of 2 giant water falls, each flowing into a reflective pool. And each one lies in the foot print of where the North and South towers once stood.  The Museum is still under construction, but there is a small visitor's center with artifacts from the wreckage. This particular display touched me the most. The 2 waterfalls and reflective pools lie at the base of the One World Trade Center that is currently under construction (notice the people below for scale). ~~~ One World Trade Center Up

Not many people can say they're truly "from" New York. Almost everyone here has moved from another part of the world. But over time, you pick up on things and after about 10 years, you can call yourself a true "New Yorker" (or so they say).  Growing up in Nebraska, it was quite a culture shock when we first came here. After nearly 2 years, I've gotten used to certain things like, traffic, high prices, and rudeness. In fact, when my husband and I took our first taxi ride, our destination was on Houston Street (pronounced hows-ton). Eddie, being from Texas, kept pronouncing it like the city, Houston, TX (Hugh-ston). The cab driver got so frustrated and could not understand what we were saying. Eventually, we figured it out though and made it to the location. Upon my best friend, Deb's visit this week (also from Nebraska), I'm reminded of just how strange it can be here. Her first night in town, we took her to the upscale restaurant where I play pian

Last night, I played a show at Gizzi's Cafe in New York. I had a great time, seeing old friends and meeting some new ones. With my  album nearly complete , I am always looking for more places to play my music, and fortunately was invited to return to Gizzi's. Here's a video from last night. Enjoy!

I'll never get used to the out-of-the-ordinary things I see walking around NYC. Commuting in and out of New Jersey, I'm usually only in the city for a specific purpose or job. I'm focused on getting where I need to be and rarely get the chance to roam around, get a cup of coffee, and people watch. I've learned to always have my camera with me, because who knows what shots I might get to or from the subway! ...Like a high fashion photo shoot in Chelsea with this model in a fur coat in 90 degree weather. Just as I passed by I heard the photographer yell, "That's a wrap!" So I snapped a quick picture before they packed up their gear. ...Or a beautiful grand piano with first rate musicians serenading the passers-by of Washington Square Park. This pianist is there pretty often and I'm dying to know how he drags his piano to and from the park each day.  I guess part of what makes New York so special, is these "unusual sightings" are actually pre

I can't believe it, but it's been exactly one year since Eddie's and mine's adventure of the  Play Me, I'm Yours  pianos. Last summer, our very first summer living just outside of New York York City, a charity organization called  Sing for Hope  placed 60 pianos all over the city. On a more or less "whim" I decided I wanted to play each one and drug my husband all over creation to help me complete the goal.  We spent about a week exploring the outer boroughs of NYC for the first time, and discovering parts of Manhattan we would probably never see otherwise. It was quite a feeling of triumph when we crossed off the 60th piano from our list. Tired, exhausted, and hot, we now felt like true New Yorkers who had seen it all!  Sing for Hope is repeating the program this summer, calling it Pop Up Pianos. As a Donor Artist for Sing for Hope, I had the honor of taking part in meetings to help plan the project. This time, there 88 rather than 60 pianos. Eddie and

You know that saying, " A day late and a dollar short ?" That describes how I feel most of the time.  Whether I'm running late for work because I'm stuck in nightmare traffic somewhere in northern New Jersey, or because paying gigs are far and few between, I always feel like I'm running to catch up. And I  like  to run. But the thing is, if you do a lot of it, you get tired. One stressful day, I found myself scurrying to the corner bus in heels, to catch the 164 into the city for a music session. It was hot. I didn't have a phone number to call and say I was behind. And every thing was compounded by the expected scrutiny that comes with being a musician. The job ended up fine. They were late too. It was easy, fun. Worried for nothing. The stress in my shoulders relaxed a little as I headed for thePort Authority bus terminal to go back home. I leaned against the wall of the escalator, closing my eyes for a moment. When I opened them, I saw that my bus had jus

Last night, I experienced the very epitome of my love/hate relationship with New York City: A paying gig! = Love In Brooklyn = Hate (it's not a bad place, just far away) Three hour set = Love Crawling through traffic at snail pace = HATE! It was an uncharacteristically slow night at this small, Caribbean restaurant where I was invited to play for "Jazz Night." I still gave it everything I had though. And my favorite patrons of the evening were 2 young sisters, whose eyes I felt on me with each song I played. I got the sense that one of the sisters wanted to approach and talk to me. I tried to seem as friendly as possible so that she would have the courage to, but she never did. I was beyond flattered however, when each adorable girl took turns putting a tip into my jar. I gave them the very best smile I could and played my hardest until they left.  Love. ~~ http://www.youtube.com/bethsmusicvideos http://www.youtube.com/elizabethgrimes83

Sitting on the top of the world (Rockefeller Center), you can see many things... The countless remarkable structures that reach towards the sky and make us wonder, "How did they ever  build  those?" "Heights by great men, reached and kept, were not obtained by sudden flight, but while their companions slept, they were toiling upward in the night." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~~ A picture perfect, lush green park, becomes all the more remarkable when you consider it's surroundings... "Surround yourself with people who believe in you."  -Brian Koslow ~~ A symbol for the Party of the Year, Decade, Century, Millennium (or whatever seems to fit that particular December 31st evening). “But I always say one’s company two’s a crowd, and three’s a party.”  -Andy Warhol  (I wonder what a millions is!) ~~ When you look down, you may just get a little disoriented.  (Those are  regular  sized cars down there, not doll cars). "Never look down to test the g

My timing is still not great when I'm estimating transportation time from Jersey to Brooklyn. I arrived about an hour early for a gig I played last night (video to come in a few days). So I took the opportunity to walk the blocks near Fulton Street.  These were the first lilacs of the season that I've seen...and smelled. I'm sure there's a garden back there somewhere. In the meantime, the tulips were lovely. Came across this grand old church. Well, we are in New York City. Gotta love the garbage lined streets.  Its always fun to explore new unfamiliar areas. Hope I'll be back in Brooklyn soon (maybe the same gig will hire me back....here's hoping!).

I've walked the subway tunnel underneath Times Square about a billion and four times now (I don't know how to type that numerically). And if there's one thing I noticed on the subways and streets of New York City, it's that people aren't very observant. They like to mind their own business and not make eye contact with anyone.  But today I had a more interesting subway experience than normal and I happened to have my video camera with me, so I thought I'd share. I never bothered looking UP before. And today I found a little message written to me on the rafters of the tunnel, every few steps, like bread crumbs. Once in my seat on the train, I got a very welcome dose of live Tex Mex music, which is one genre of music I have  never  heard NYC street musicians play before, so I was  very  excited! Unfortunately, I arrived at my stop before I could hear them finish (I think it's hilarious how the onlookers seem to pay no attention to that man playing the accord

If you're not from New York City area, you might be unfamiliar with the true "Delicatessen experience." What you see on Seinfeld and The Sopranos, is true. Delis are small, crowded, and loud. But what's interesting is, every customer knows exactly what to order, and how to order it - like clockwork. Eddie and I went to a deli today and threw a kink in their clockwork. We may live in the busiest, most culturally diverse area in the country, but we don't really "get out" much. We're used to ordering sandwiches at Subway's drive-through, or from the menu at  Applebee's . We found that we were out of our element when we pushed our way into the organized chaos of this local deli. For one thing, there we things on the menu that we've never braved before; matzoh balls, knish, chopped liver, and every type of salami imaginable. To keep things as simple as possible, I decided to go with a turkey sub, and Eddie chose ham and cheese.  First, we we

Braving the crowded, confusing streets of Manhattan in my trusty Hyundai, I searched the narrow, one-way streets of the Lower East Side for a parking spot. I was in no mood to pay $35 or more for a garage. Searching hard for a vacant space between the lines of parked cars, I tried to block out the honking taxi cabs behind me, trying to rush me out of their way. But you have to drive slow, because if you're driving too fast when you see a spot and overshoot it, you're out of luck by the time you drive around the block and get back to it. The fire hydrant spaces are the trickiest. All that room by the curb, and what a waste! Park there, and expect a hefty fine. I know this from experience. At last, up ahead. Could it be? Wait, is it a fire hydrant space? Nope! It's all mine! Time to parallel park. Slowing down, lining up with the passenger door of the front car. Oh that taxi driver is angry. Honking doesn't make me park faster! I have a flash of doubt. Can I make it? Is

I'm playing for a new musical one-man show by Nathan Lucrezio called " Unheard ."  It's a funny, artful, entertaining, toe-tapping, and heartfelt play that I'm proud to be a part of. At the emotional height of the show, Lucrezio describes his battle with cancer in this moving, intimate number. His sister, Elizabeth Lucrezio dances as he plays piano. At the end of the dance, I come and take over piano for him and he sings the beautiful ballad, "Blind by my Mind." I read another blog post today by  Dawn at Puzzle Pieces  and it meant SO much to me. Musicians are often the background. It's easy to blend in. For me, it's safe and comfortable. It's easy to be overlooked by others and when that happens often enough, you start to overlook yourself. The post beautifully illustrates that the "backdrop" has a very important job - to make the "scene" stand out. So I do not take my job lightly. And I hope I never do. Enjoy the video

The museum at Ellis Island is filled with photographs, stories, facts, and written interviews of the historic days when immigrants to the U.S passed through the "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears." I've been there a number of times now and am always struck by something new and fascinating. I can't get enough of the stories, some joyful, some heartbreaking. Thousands of people were sent back to their homelands after the excruciating voyage because they were deemed unfit for labor, a burden to society, or illegal in some way. There are stories of translators who hated to see immigrants deported, and so they would translate to the officials in a way that might keep them here. Over 300 babies were born on Ellis Island. Many people reunited with their families here after years, decades of separation.  However, this short paragraph, transcribed for a particular exhibit, remains my absolute favorite part of the entire museum. This time, I remembered to take a picture so I could s

Living near New York City definitely has it's perks, as well as it's draw backs. Perks: going to Broadway shows whenever you want, exposure to all different cultures, the finest art, the best music, and no shortage of interesting things to do. Draw backs: public transportation, cold winters, hot summers, rude people, dangerous traffic. It's a balancing act, but one that I've enjoyed for the year and a half we've lived here in northern New Jersey.  In that short amount of time, our family and friends have come to visit, and we've taken them all to the touristy, "must-see" spots such as Times Square, the Empire State Building, etc. Today, we took my mother-in-law to see the Lion King on Broadway. The show was mind-blowingly well-produced, with ingenious costumes, lighting, and set pieces. I don't want to give too much away because if you're ever in New York, you  must  see it. However, it is no secret that the show has managed to bring to life t

There is a joke in Nebraska that a traffic jam is getting stuck behind a tractor driving on the highway. A traffic jam in the metro area of New York however, is NO joke! This is why when my friends and family back in the heartland make a remark about bad traffic, I throw them a dagger stare and mutter under my breath, "You have no idea." Today I drove from New Jersey to Long Island to spend a day at the  Law School  I'm  considering . I drove through toll after toll. I merged from 20 lanes of traffic down to 2. And I tried not to get run over by the semi trucks zooming by. I wondered, "When did people stop having manners?" Don't we learn common courtesy as kids? Please, thank you, take turns, share? When someone needs to get in my lane, shouldn't I just let them in, rather than holding up traffic in their lane because I'm too cranky or proud to slow down a teensy bit? Maybe I could turn my blinker on before I switch lanes, just to let the other pe

“Everyone, please take some food home with you! We have too much!”  The director announced after a luncheon and music rehearsal. I grabbed my coat and purse and headed out the door when she stopped me again, “Won’t you please take some of these sandwiches home with you? I hate for them to go to waste.” I wrinkled my nose, not wanting to bring anything back to New Jersey with me, but she seemed so desperate, I humored her. “I guess I can take something to my husband,” I offered, knowing full well that my picky eater would never touch anything with tomato or lettuce on it. Nevertheless, I grabbed a six-inch sub from the neatly laid out platter and wrapped it in tinfoil. I shoved the entire wad into my purse and started home. I traveled uptown through the subway and then switched to the bus terminal, where I would continue to New Jersey. It’s a very familiar route to me by now, long, frustrating, and tiring, but then I remember how lucky I am to be able to commute in and out of New Y

I played a show in New York City the other night. I was booked last minute at a lounge in the lower east side. I did my best to promote the show in the few days I had, but I knew with the most recent snow storm, the crowd would be sparse at best. And with another round of snow the day of the show, I knew I had to decide right then to cancel or go ahead as planned. The thought of trekking into the city in such bad weather for an unpredictable crowd tempted me very hard to cancel. Until I thought about my friend Bethany. Bethany is a singer/songwriter from my hometown. She often plays at small, local venues. We've been friends since kindergarten, but I had never heard her play until recently. She had a show scheduled at a club in Lincoln, NE and I was so excited to finally hear her music. When I got to there however, I was one of only ten people in the audience. I looked around, puzzled, wondering if she would just cancel the whole thing, but as soon as I spoke to her I realized