And now, an explanation

Now that you understand a bit more about where I'm coming from, let me try to describe how I'd like this blog to function.

As I said, I've lived in NYC for the past two years. In the interest of full disclosure, most of my friends (both here and elsewhere) are musicians of all persuasions: the greatest percentage are classical players/composers/scholars, followed closely by jazz and rock/folk/pop types, and a smaller percentage is made up of those involved with musical theatre. Most of the new people I meet are also musicians, because the most common settings in which I encounter new folks are concerts or shows.

Furthermore, these people I'm surrounded by are in various stages of their musical careers. They run the gamut from students to those with very active (although perhaps not necessarily high-profile and/or financially lucrative) careers. Despite the extremely different practical worries of these individuals--being able to pay your rent differs greatly from deciding which brand of case you should choose to cradle your new $100,000 string instrument--I have also repeatedly heard many common philosophical and existential concerns about how one should exist within the NYC musical community.

Community.

What does "community" even mean? Is there a coherent musical community in NYC? Are there multiple communities? How are they delineated? And furthermore, what are the implications for musicians trying to survive in a city which isn't necessarily conducive to our existence? These questions are important, and the answers will vary widely based on who you are and what your life experiences have been.

I intend for this space to function as a place where we can address our various concerns and issues as related to the musical community in NYC. If you live here now, if you want to live here, or if you ever lived here, your contribution is welcome. Anonymous comments are acceptable, but I encourage you to share your identity if it seems appropriate.

Oh yes, and all comments will be moderated by yours truly. If you are looking for a place to vent about your extreme hatred of the unfettered success of Cathy Composer or Peter Performer, you're in the wrong place--I'm looking for constructive comments only. That doesn't mean we should aim to avoid anything provocative, only that slanderous speech or meanspiritedness for the sake of it will be deleted.

More to come very soon. Put on your thinking hats, people.