There’s a line from the song “New York, New York” that goes, “If I can make it there, I’m gonna make it anywhere!” With that in mind, I recently visited New York for some business and pleasure with my family to meet some ChopSaver friends and endorsers and hear one of the world’s great orchestras – The New York Philharmonic – in one of the world’s most iconic outdoor settings – Central Park.
If you live in New York or visit it often, you will understand what I’m about to say. New York is like no other place on earth in terms of people, culture and amazing things to see and do in such a small space. And for those of us who don’t go there very often (or have never been there), it can seem a little intimidating. While I do live in a city, Indianapolis, sadly, remains one of the most public
transportation-ally challenged urban settings in the country. We love our cars and not just the ones that go 200 mph! In New York, it is not uncommon for people to live to a ripe old age and never learn to drive, let alone own a car. With so many buses, subways and taxis (and now Uber), you simply don’t need it.
We were happy to be able get a little more comfortable with all of those options this time around. And yes, you do tend to walk a lot when you live in the city.
After walking one of New York’s newest attractions, The High Line, an old elevated train track that has been converted into a walking trail, we caught up with ChopSaver fans trumpeter Kiku Collins (www.kikucollins.com) and her hubby trombonist David Gibson (www.jazzbone.org), a rising star in the New York jazz scene. Perhaps you have seen her on PBS playing at the White House, backing up Beyoncé or Michael Bolton, or more recently, Gloria Gaynor. And David’s latest album Inner Agent is getting rave reviews.
Now, I didn’t go to New York to personally deliver ChopSaver to the dozens of Manhattan CVS/pharmacy locations. CVS did that for me several months ago. But it is still always fun to visit some famous location like New York and see your product hanging in the display.
We also caught up with Lucinda Lewis, Principal Horn of the New Jersey Symphony and the brains behind the amazing online resource for brass players – www.embouchures.com.
Imagine how excited I was when I learned the New York Philharmonic was giving a free concert in Central Park on of the nights we were in town. If that wasn’t enough, they were scheduled to play Ein Heldenleben by Richard Strauss, always high on any brass player’s list of favorites. After chatting with Principal Trombone Joe Alessi before the concert, it was amazing to sit in the middle of Central Park with 60,000 classical music lovers. And the fireworks with skyscrapers in the background afterwards were an added bonus. One could not have scripted a better ending to a magical day in an incredible city.
If you ever get the chance to visit, don’t hesitate!
