A Trip to the North East
I just returned from another week away from home, this time traveling the length and breadth of New York state, and thought I’d share a few highlights from the trip.
I’d been invited to Bergen College NJ (thanks Steve Friedes and Linda Marcel) to present their annual Distinguished Artist lecture and, on the following evening, to perform on an Ars Nova Contemporary Latin Music concert, with a “side trip” to Potsdam (or, as I now like to refer to it, “the arctic circle”).
Head to the airport Tuesday morning in a bit of a rush, drop the car off at the Parking Spot, arrive at check-in just in the nick of time, both flights are on time, a first-class upgrade, sleep the entire way and no lost luggage. All in all, an ominous start. As always, landing at La Guardia is terrifying - I can never quite work out how it is that we don’t end up in the Hudson River with the wings ripped off. Pick up a rental car, which seems to me a bit too big for the present task: “driving” around Manhattan looking for the Washington Bridge. Eventually, the bridge found me and I somehow managed to find the hotel in Paramus NJ, probably leaving a trail of destruction in my wake.
Wednesday afternoon: First point of business: technical rehearsals for the lecture recital that evening and for the concert the following evening in which I’ll be accompanying voice and dance as well as playing solo. Second point of business, check out the re-strung guitar I’ve borrowed for the baroque portion of the lecture. Third point of business - and most important - locate Indian food. Managed to find a highly-recommended Indian restaurant, but it was closed. Bamboo House “Chicken Special” and back for the lecture recital. This was a pleasure - the audience was wonderful and I was honored to receive the Bergen College Distinguished Artist Award at the end of the lecture. Then back to Manhattan to meet a hitherto internet-only acquaintance, Andrew Schulman, at the Intercontinental Hotel on 48th and Lexington. Very enjoyable - if you’ve never heard Pinball Wizard, Bohemian Rhapsody or Stairway to Heaven played on an 8-string classical guitar through a 400W Acoustic Image bass amplifier, Andrew’s your man! He’s a great player, very entertaining, and a great guy.
Thursday: an impromptu swing blues lesson with one of the students at the college followed by a very nice Korean lunch with members of the faculty. The Ars Nova concert was sold out and everything went well (having devised that morning how to extend or end the choreographed piece at will, just in case). My collaborators, choreographer Lynn Needle and soprano Gretta Feeney, were great (as were the technical staff). Nice party afterward at the home of Lynn Needle.
Friday: a quick and enjoyable visit with my daughter (on her 18th birthday) at Bard College, followed by the long trek north. After five hours on the NY Thruway, feeling very pleased with my progress, I ran out of highway - the remaining 60 miles taking two hours on the interminable back road to Potsdam. Still, arrive in time to watch a re-run of an old Prisoner episode.
Saturday: listen to the live soccer commentary on the internet - my “team,” Preston North End, lose 4-0 to Queens Park Rangers - their worst league defeat in five years. Enough said. Nice afternoon class with Doug Rubio’s students at the Crane School of Music followed by an in-depth lesson from Doug on the intricacies of American college football (all I can discern is that the officials seem to have borrowed their uniforms from the British Butchers and Meat Packers Association). The concert that evening seemed to be well-attended (I couldn’t actually see the audience). I’m figuring out that the Baden-Powell pieces are probably going to be keepers. Post-concert dinner with Doug, at which we played a round or two of one of our favorite games, “Worst Piece of Guitar Music Written by a Major Composer.” (The following day, we had a quick game of “Worst Recorded Beatles Performance.”)
Sunday: the long trek home. I give myself eight-and-a-half hours for what is surely only a seven-hour drive to La Guardia, even taking the picturesque route through the Adirondack National Park. And so it proves - 25 miles to go, two hours to do it. Easy! Then the (un)expected. At my final exit off the New York Thruway (exit 13S, to be precise): a wreck and an hour delay. No matter, with my trusty GPS device, I’m unstoppable. Unfortunately, the device itself isn’t. I wing it into Manhattan, the Washington Bridge (lower level!), the Tribecca Bridge, Grand Central Expressway, a nightmare. Still, spurred on by the sight of Yankee Stadium, I check in with minutes to spare (no first-class upgrade available), get through security (why do travelers ahead of me always leave metal objects about their person when I’m in a hurry?). Run down to the gate - flight delayed.
Eventually arrive back in Nashville, call the limo pick-up to the Parking Spot, once again have forgotten to print out my accumulated parking hours discount ahead of time, back at the wheel for another 45 minutes.
Next concert: day after tomorrow (with melodica, vibes and Latin percussion). And now, off to Moss’s Cafe for breakfast. After all, it’s already well past lunch time…
…in the North East.
