Don't Lose Your Embouchure

So, you are not the best pianist in Brooklyn, you can't ride a bike all that well and you are still having a lot of problems deciding why Twitter is all that important. Still, you keep on, why? Because you don't want to lose your embouchure.

For the uninitiated, that is the exquisitely difficult mouth position wind and brass players, especially oboists working with one of the infamous double reeds, must achieve to play their instruments.

 

(Source: news.bbc.co.uk)
Hard to achieve and hard to retain. In Sunday's New York Times article, "Is Music the Key to Success," Woody Allen tells us that, in order not to lose his embouchure, he must practice his clarinet "every single day to be as bad as I am." And what does this have to do with you and me?

Simply, that though we may be as bad at riding a bike as Woody is at the clarinet, we need to keep at it--giving up is not an option; it leads to a bad place--losing your embouchure.

So, continue to master the Argentinian tango,

(Source: bostonphoenix.com)
learn to tweet

(Source: blog.moscreative.com)
and keep trying to train your dog.

(Source: offleashk9training.com)
He may be old but he can learn new tricks.

#retiredinnewyork
#olddogscanlearnnewtricks
#dontloseyourembouchure

Art on a Blustery Day

If you have a day like Winnie-the-Pooh's, take a walk in Chelsea's art gallery district where you'll see hundreds of exhibits and you can duck in from the wind and rain. Walk along townhouse-lined West 22 Street until you get to 10th Avenue,

and then explore the streets west of 10th. You'll find the Gagosian lifting Richard Serra's heroic work into position,

(Source: Edmondson)
the Ameringer Gallery

showing works by my friend's teacher, Gene Davis,

and interesting things by conceptual artist Sol LeWitt at the Paula Cooper Gallery. He designs the works and other artists execute them to perfection through his extremely detailed instructions.Not sure how I feel about this--it's gorgeous but shouldn't there be more of a struggle?

(Source: hyperallergic.com)
My favorite has to be Sheep Station "featuring the work of late artist François-Xavier Lalanne as the inaugural exhibition of Getty Station, a new public art program located at the former Getty filling station in West Chelsea."(Paul Kasmin Gallery). Everybody was there. Where were you?

(Source: Paul Kasmin Gallery)

#retiredinnewyork
#chelseaartgalleries
#sollewitt
#genedavis

An Encore for You

What if you would like to enrich your retirement with a new kind of job--maybe something you had always thought about but never did?

There is a place to go to research this idea--a site I learned about from the invaluable AARP Magazine (this month's cover has four great seniors on it)

(Source: fitzness.com)

The site is www.encore.org--a place where you can explore a second (or third or fourth) career idea and figure out ways to finance and go for it. Supported by foundations that want to simultaneously help seniors and also supply experienced veterans to new fields, encore.org is great for those who have discovered they want to keep or return to working, perhaps in a new direction, and even if the stipend is less than they used to earn. Part time jobs also help enable seniors to remain independent and the range is tremendous. They can join and serve in the Peace Corps in a program called Peace Corps Reserve,

(Source: ridgefieldpress.com)
train for a health care job helped by an Encore fellowship,

(Source: examiner.com)
become a baker

(Source: nydailynews.com)and of course, teach--human and animal students.

 

(Source: blog.timesunion.com)

This issue has become critical as retirees live two decades longer than they used to and employer pensions have disappeared. Jobs can provide "purpose, money, community and freedom" ("An Encore for Nonprofit Leaders").

The big five job fields are health care (no kidding), green jobs, government (when it's working), non profit and education. Encore.org has a great survey of jobs listing sites where seniors can find promising leads.

#retiredinnewyork
#jobsforseniors
#peacecorpsreserve

A Remarkable Trip to the 16th Century

The place is the Cloisters 12th Century Fuentiduena Chapel, the time is about 1567, the composer Thomas Tallis, the piece his motet Spem in Alium (In No Other is My Hope).

If you take the A train to 190th Street and walk north (you can tell because the Hudson is on your left)

through Fort Tryon Park, you will find a charming restaurant in the woods, New Leaf.

Continue uphill to the promontory where the Cloisters sits, that gift of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.,  that "incorporates parts from five cloistered abbeys of Catalan, Occitan and French origins." (Wikipedia). He also donated medieval collections including his own glorious Unicorn Tapestries from 1603.

 

(Source: ecognosciente.com)

The special Tallis Motet exhibit takes the form of 40 speakers arranged in the chapel with one individual voice or part fed through each speaker. You can follow the music longitudinally throughout the 15-minute piece by listening to one speaker or step into the center to hear all the eight five-part choirs together, as people did.

(Source: nytimes.com)

The arrangement was designed by Janet Cardiff and the piece performed by the Salisbury Cathedral Choir in what was a transcendent musical experience. Don't miss it.

While you are there, take a look at the medieval windows,

gardens

and architectural features, removed brick by brick from their original locations and reassembled on the hill. Whatever else John D. Rockefeller, Jr. did in his life, for these gifts, he will be remembered kindly by New Yorkers.

Entry to the museum is $17 for seniors but free with your Met Museum membership. Try to go during the week. The number 4 bus stops right at the museum for your return trip.

#retiredinnewyork

#cloisters

#40partmotet

#janetcardiff

#thingstodoinnewyork

It only took 50 years

but we finally got to the New York Film Festival in its 51st year. Somehow, we never realized it was on until we were in the middle of it and then it was too late to get tickets. But this time we ordered well in advance and there we were on Tuesday night in the middle of a premier no less

complete with movie stars.

Everybody was there (including us) and it reminded us, as director Richard Curtis (of "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill," and "Harry Potter and "Love Actually") said, that in addition to everything else, New York is also the film capital of the world.

We saw Curtis' great new film, "About Time" with Bill Nighy and Domhnall Gleeson (next year's new star I promise you), and had a great time although we managed to secure the worst seats in the house (maybe we weren't so early after all). But it was worth it. Our remaining tickets are for "Sandra," a rarely seen Visconti masterpiece.

(Source: osullivan60.blogspot.com)

There's still time to catch a flick or two. Don't wait 50 years.

#newyorkfilmfestival
#abouttime
#viscontissandra
#retiredinnewyork
#filminnewyork

Take the Ferry to Dumbo

Once again, we found ourselves on our way to Dumbo for that excellent artist colony's annual Arts Festival and Open Studios, mainly to see two talented friends' work but also to soak up the local atmosphere of which there was plenty.

We decided to experience yet another of the city's ferries, this time the one from scenic Pier 11 (a destination in itself) on Wall Street to the Brooklyn Waterfront, via New York Waterway. 

 

In addition to the East River Ferry, NY Waterway operates all the ferries along the Hudson River and the Belford Ferry from Manhattan to New Jersey. Take the subway to Wall Street using your trusty senior Metrocard, then walk east a couple of blocks to the East River and Pier 11.  The fare to Brooklyn is a steal at $4 and on the way you can see Brooklyn's three bridges to Manhattan.

Do not confuse this humble low-priced ferry with the New York Water Taxi, which charges $28 for an all-day pass but also includes many stops around Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, the Intrepid, and the 9/11 Memorial. The whole trip takes 90 minutes but you can hop on and off to see the sites. There is no senior fare but those interested in taking this cruise should check Goldstar.com as it has half-price coupons periodically. The Water Taxi has the same colors as our beloved yellow cabs.

(Source: nycgo.com)
The Dumbo Arts Festival was attended by le tout New York--be on the lookout for these events (check nycgo.com/freeweekly and the New York Times) and get there early to scoop the crowds.

The most fashionable food trucks were there and people stood on long lines to sample their fare. Check out Jessica Festa's article at viator.com of "The Best Fall Festivals in NYC" for other events coming up.

(Source: thingstodo.viator.com)
This and other jaunts around town are ideal for our now just-about-perfect weather; take advantage of it--it won't last forever.

#retiredinnewyork
#thingstodoinnewyork
#falleventsnewyork

Time to go to church

OK, so you're not a regular churchgoer--or, you are Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, atheist, etc. No matter, one of the best (and cheapest) ways to hear good music is at the many churches that produce cantatas, oratorios, masses, and other works. It is no secret that the best and most talented composers often lived by their day jobs (J.S.Bach) and/or commissions and gigs (Handel, Mozart) and although the music is religious in format and inspiration, it is universal in appeal and accessibility.And you can take a peek at some pretty nice architecture along the way.

(Source: St. Thomas Church)

Because the choristers and often the musicians are either unpaid or lightly paid, (and this I know as, in my youth, I was one of the very lightly paid soloists) the audience gets the benefit of huge ensembles well rehearsed that are otherwise only mounted with great expense in one of the city's concert halls.

(Source: nytimes.com)

Churches are wonderful places to hear gospel choirs during services

 

(Source: religion.lohudblogs.com

and certain Harlem churches, like the Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, are renowned for their music,

(Source: bboogie.com)
but do NOT walk out during the preaching of the gospel or you may offend the regulars. Music is considered an important part of these churches' ministry but keep in mind that these are religious services.

The great pipe organs in New York City are another reason to hang out at churches.  A comprehensive list of all NYC pipe organs has been undertaken by the New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists nycago.org/Organs/NYC/. Check here to find churches with fine pipe organs by borough and make time to hear one of the organ recitals, often on weekdays. Again, these are usually free.

(Source: organfriend.net)

Some of the best churches to hear Bach, Handel, Mozart, etc. are: St. Thomas Church, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Church of St. Paul the Apostle, Grace Church, Riverside Church, Marble Collegiate, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, St. Patrick's on Fifth Avenue, the New Mount Zion Baptist Church, and many others in all city boroughs. Take a look at your local church for its schedule of performances and also check the websites for the churches listed above. You will have to do your own research as there doesn't seem to be an overall calendar for church music around the city. If you find one, let us know. Better yet, compile one and share.
#retiredinnewyork