Voyage to New York

Now a sophomore in college, I had a girlfriend who lives out of state in Poughkeepsie New York. I made it a point that I was going to go and visit her at some point in the near future. After spending an entire summer working full-time in a nursing home, I had saved just enough money to make the trip to visit her for a week. She ended up having to work while I was up there, so the trip was short-lived and only lasted 3 days instead of a week. However, the journey was incredible.

I started out one Sunday morning and the beginning of August, embarking on a 5-hour drive to my destination in Mid-State New York. I stopped once in the land of the Amish, seeing what was around and using the bathroom there. I headed back onto the road, and stopped again in the center of Trenton New Jersey to get some Starbucks and use the bathroom there. A girl asked me where I was from, and I told her that I was from South Central Pennsylvania and on my way to the middle of New York to visit my girlfriend. She said that I had a lot of ambition and courage to do such a thing, and I thanked her and told her that I would do pretty much anything for a thrill and an adventure. And that was pretty accurate as well.

I finally arrived at my destination around 7:30 in the evening, where her family greeted me for the first time in their lives, warmed up a room for me, and bought me dinner to eat alongside her family for her uncle's birthday party. We would go visit him at day later in there small town of Andes, New York, eat a healthy lunch of a portabella mushroom patty with sweet potato fries with them at “Two Old Tarts”, and then watch a organ recital at a local church. It was very exciting to spend time with them, as they were both musicians and very intelligent individuals who had an affinity for strong and rare whiskey.

Their backyard was magnificent.

Compared to Pennsylvania, Poughkeepsie was very quaint and quiet. We went to a Foods truck and saw the local mansion at their biggest park there, which was closed at the time, but still impressive to see. The people driving around up there were much more erratic than in Pennsylvania, much to my dismay. There were a lot more stores of vegetarian and alternative culture to be seen as well, as there was an Indian grocery store not but 5 minutes from my girlfriend's house.

After preparing some tiramisu with ingredients gathered from Price Rite, the New York answer to Giant Food Stores, we went to New York City for a day. We spent most of our time walking around, mostly in Times Square and Central Park. We spent a lovely afternoon there after taking the subway down from Poughkeepsie, ate some good local food, witness New York City from the standpoint of having no clear objective other than being present in the city, and in general had a good time. Although very expensive and nowhere near where I would want to live in the future, New York the second time around was starting to feel just a little bit like home.

Three action packed days later, I woke one morning to be told that I was going back home to Pennsylvania. From here, I would go and visit my friend who lived in East Greenville, stopping at my house to recuperate and refuel before doing so. I left early one morning, and drove home late at night after stopping to visit a friend in the King of Prussia area. There will be more to come on that as well. Allthough short-lived, every part of my trip to New York was enjoyable, and I learned exactly what life was like outside of the city limits of New York City.

A Voice in the Choir

Singing in choir has always been near and dear to my heart. I have sang in choir since I was in the 8th grade of my primary education. I was initially too nervous to join flyer, but then quickly became a confident soloist our select ensemble. what is quite nice to know is that even if you do not have the best singing voice, you will still be able to contribute to they overall warm tones of a choir.

Singing in a choir took me literally across the world. I have performed in Time Square, in various churches throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland, at cultural festivals, at LGBT festivals, and in several Cathedrals and a festival in Ireland. All because I realize that I have the ability to boost the bottom of the choir with my bass voice. If it weren't for singing, and music that lifts the soul, I would not have met even half of the amazing people that I have throughout my lifetime.

what is even more incredible is finding a Nish of people that you can buy with. If you appreciate music to any capacity, then choir will be well for you. You don't need to find a College Choir where professional choir, you can start small, like at a church choir. I introduced quite a few songs and conducted a few songs of my church choir, and it is always a gift. a common interest in music binds us all together, regardless of religious or political affiliation, or who we love, or who we are. Music is the language that transcends language.

Of course, there are several different voice Parts in choir. There is a lot of flexibility as well, because every voice is unique. For instance, I have a baritone range, but because I have a very rich low-end, I often sang base 1 and base 2 and select ensembles because of the depth that I can provide. My friend, also baritone, has a glassier voice, so he sometimes jumps in on Tanner Park. I know many Sopranos that sing really high or really low. By the way around, your unique talents can contribute to the overall sound of a choir.

So even if you have the slightest a bit of talent for singing, or barely any at all even, you should consider joining a choir. There is nothing quite as remarkable as a vocal swell and 1/8 part split. You never know where your music will take you.

Where Time Stood Still

When I was a senior in high school and in honor's choir, our group got invited to go to New York City for a day and a half to perform and see the city. We also got to see a musical, Once. Our hotel may have been in New Jersey, but we lived pretty much the entire trip in New York City, besides travel time of course. Everything about my experience was a trip to remember.

I awoke on a Saturday morning around 6:30 in order to catch the bus from Frank's Theaters in York. There were about 50 of us who were going on this trip, all of us very talented, experienced singers and aspiring musicians. Five of us were coming from West York to go on this trip, myself included. Previously, the five of us had gone to the farm show complex in Harrisburg every year with our select vocal Ensemble to sing Christmas carols and more. This time, we would be putting on a small concert in St John's Cathedral, the largest church in downtown New York City.

The bus ride lasted four and a half hours, and included the pit stop for coffee and a bathroom break halfway through. They had Burger King at this gas station for whatever reason, so I picked up some hash browns and a sandwich to tide me over until we ate dinner. This was my first time ever setting foot in New York, much less New York City. As soon as we came through the tunnel that led into New York City and Lower Manhattan, all of us started cheering with enamored excitement.

The city was huge. The people were everywhere, and all of them usually friendly. You could literally go up to anybody on the street and strike up a conversation. It was the biggest cultural hub I ever seen, even more so than Paris and Switzerland. It was incredible. And who would have known that it wide Just a few hours north of me?

Normally, the honors choir goes to New York City and sings in the Rockefeller Center, and sings for a big audience. We weren't as lucky, and I had not gone there before. Simply because of monetary constraints, I was only able to go this one year. 

When we got to the cathedral, our mouths were agape after seeing how big the church was. We performed at 10:30 in the morning to a room of mostly parents. Our first song was "O sifuni mungu", an African spiritual, and we really got a feel for the sheer dynamics of this cathedral. The ceiling was 120 feet high, and echoed like mad. We hit our last chord and our next song, "Lux Aurumque" by Eric Whitacre, and our director pulled out a stopwatch. 8 Seconds. Our last chord run out in the cathedral for 8 Seconds. Chills ran down my spine. A tear ran down the face of the person beside me.

The powerhouse of a cathedral that we sang in.

The guys ensemble sang hello "Mary Lou" , a barbershop ensemble song, and the girls ensemble saying "mouth music", an Irish spiritual. We sang a song of joys, and mixed meter cantata. We sang a few more songs before ending our set with "Why We Sing", followed by an encore of "Let the River Run", as re-imagined by Carly Simon. This powerful song was originally a Quaker spiritual, but now would become the most powerful song I have ever song in a choir. There were four percussionists, including myself, but only two of us went on the trip. We slammed our drums loud and proud. 

What an incredible concert, only to be followed by a tour of Times Square, a few picture opportunities, and then our first Broadway show. We saw the musical ones, and it immediately became my favorite musical. I broke down about the soundtrack, as everything about this single stage single set  Broadway show was incredible and Unforgettable. Although I performed in musicals in my own I was never the biggest fan of them, until this day.

We then ate at Hard Rock Cafe, making sure to purchase souvenirs. I had a collection of drumsticks from Hard Rock, and this would be a addition number 5. We then had two hours to ourselves to roam around, where we checked out the Nintendo store, and their biggest candy store. We then met up in Time Square around 6 at night.

At this point in the trip, we all looked at each other, happy to be alive. Our director put up a high sign to get us all together as a group, and said that he had a wonderful idea to stand in the center of Times Square and start an impromptu acapella version of Let the River Run. And this is the magical moment where time Stood Still.

Some friends and I in Times Square. Wait for it...

As you may be aware, Times Square is one of the busiest parts of New York, and  New York City is one of the busiest cities in America. There is hustling and bustling and lots of cars honking their horns everywhere. Lots of advertisements on the big screens in the Big Apple, mostly for musicals and products that are up and coming. When we started singing though, the crowds gathered at the outdoor Amphitheater at Times Square all came to a quiet halt. There were no words. No cars honking. Just the Euphoria of the moment, and at least 400 people listening to a group of high schoolers sing Carly Simon, recording us on their cell phones, taking pictures, and listening. 

And then all of a sudden, an image of us appeared on one of the Billboards, and the honors choir was on display for all who looked on the other wise illustrious advertisements. We finished our song on a high A from the sopranos and a middle D from the basses, swelling into an uproar, ferociously. A 5-second halt, and then the Applause started like mad. 

That just happened. Time Stood Still. No,;New York City, Stood Still, just to listen to us.

What an Incredible gift we had been given this day. We used our talents to give back in the only beautiful way that we knew how to. Triumphantly, we returned to our tour bus, ready to get dinner at a local pasta restaurant. Because we were part of a group, we got a discounted rate, and all of us got a four course meal out of the deal. Between this and the gracious hospitality, we had to thank them in the only way we knew how. My percussionist colleague Dakota and I started drumming on the table, and once again, the choir was letting the River Run. You should have seen the smiles on their faces.

And so it came to pass, that this would be my first glimpse into the wondrous world that is New York City. This was my first time going there, but most certainly not the last. Until next time I stumble upon the Big Apple, I would always continue to let the River Run. And I would let all of the dreamers wake the nation.