Not a new thing for me! Hanging out in NYC with friends! However tonight was very special! It was about music and the Arts! It’s it just crazy that by hearing a mere note; can be recognizable in a song completely!!
Or how, I could listen to a song and then remember the next track on an album ’til this day – because I used to play it to its entirety over and over again! This is what music can do for you! If often puts you in a happy place or moment that you can remember, because thee song was playing in the background!
Or perhaps, you are going through the woo woo woo moments and you can play that song that describes exactly how you sadly feel!
Or about giving music a try to a young person – allowing them the opportunity to express themselves either by singing or playing an instrument! All this is about music!
It is important to allow musical programs to be available to our, your children. And what a wonderful way to use one of my favorite artists , a legend; to aid in a musical fundraiser – by just being honored. Produced by Michael Dorf, founder of the Knitting Factory and Dorf’s City Winery, musically set the stage for honoring ………..Prince!!!
Prince Nelson Rogers! An American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career; spanning over 3 decades!
Prince established his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of the instruments on his recordings. In addition, he has been a “talent promoter” for the careers of Sheila E., Carmen Electra, The Time and Vanity 6 and his songs have been recorded by these artists and others (including Chaka Khan, The Bangles, Sinéad O’Connor, and Kim Basinger). He also has several hundred unreleased songs in his “vault”.
Prince, the honoree of the fundraiser “The Music of Prince” held at Carnegie Hall NYC on March 7th. Where various artists had their pick to choose from Prince’s roster of songs and perform their rendition at their best! Even if they could not sing, a poem approach did just fine!
$100,000 + was raised from the patrons who attended, a 100% of the net profit went to the following organizations:
Church Street School of Music & Art
Grammy In the Schools
The Center for Arts Education
The American Symphony Orchestra
Young Audience New York
Little Kids Rock
Fixing Instruments for Kids in Schools
Let’s say it was like a private party in a place where the mere sound of a guitar was emphasized based on the acoustic ability of Carnegie Hall.
I had such a wonderful time, although I sung off key….I was excited, happy to be at Carnegie Hall NYC, in a winter storm, on a Thursday night and having a Prince vibe all around!
Just picture if you will…. dancing, grooving and even the reserved guy next to me was swaying back and forth….cause the music was so damn good! 🙂
Just to get the idea of the night, you had Maya Rudolph, Eric Leeds, thee Wendy Melvoin of Wendy & Lisa, the band was The Roots with QuestLove giving renditions of the following songs:
- “Purple Rain“, Purple Rain – The Waterboys, Steve Wickham, Wendy Melvoin
- Raspberry Beret” on Around the World in a Day – Booker T. Jones w /Choir & Diane Birch
- “Nothing Compares 2 You” On the Family; Nina Perrson
- “High Fashion/Mutiny“, The Family – Fdeluxe
- “Little Red Corvette“, 1999 – Sandra Bernhard
- “Mountains“, Parade – DeVotchka
- “When Doves Cry“, Parade – Bhi Bhiman
- “The Beautiful Ones” – Kat Edmonson
- “The Cross“, Sign O the Times – Blind Boys of Alabama
- “Pop Life“, Around the World in a Day – Citzen Cope & Alice Smith
- “Annie Christian” – Talib Kweli
- “Sister“, Dirty Mind – Bilal
- “If I Was Your Girlfriend” – Chris Rock, poem
- “Kiss“, Parade – Bettye Lavette
- “Darling Nikki“, Purple Rain – PRINCEss
- “Moonbeam Levels“, unreleased song – Elvis Costello
- “Its Gonna Be a Beautiful Night“, Sign O the Times – D’Angelo
- “1999“, 1999 – Group Tribute
New York Times review: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/09/arts/music/the-music-of-prince-tribute-at-carnegie-hall.html?smid=pl-share
Letia 🙂
Carnegie Hall is located close to midtown Manhattan in NYC, at 881 Seventh Avenue. Occupying the east stretch of 7th Ave. between West 56th Street & West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill, built by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1891 – one of the most prestigious venues in the world for both classical music and popular music.
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