Music Under New York

Music Under New York
Musicians in the Times Square – 42nd Street subway station

Music Under New York (MUNY) is one of the many visual and performing arts programs administered by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Arts for Transit Office that increases the attractiveness of transit facilities for customers. At present more than 350 individual performers and music ensembles participate in over 7,000 annual performances in approximately 25 locations throughout the transit system.

Through MUNY, a variety of performances are available to the public within the transit network, such as classical strings, jazz ensembles, blues bands, folk and more, with a range of instruments including musical saw, Sengalese kora, Andean pipes, Korean drum, steel drums, Chinese dulcimer and pipa, Aboriginal didjeridoo, Cajun cello, Flamenco guitar and Gypsy violin.

Every year, MUNY holds auditions for all types of musicians and performers. MUNY seeks quality acts that appeal to the diverse New York City transit riders. Each year in January, applications are available and all submissions are considered for the live auditions in the spring. A panel of professionals, within the music industry, cultural institutions, station operations and fellow musicians, judge each of the performances, based on the criteria of quality, variety and appropriateness for the mass transit environment.

Performances are scheduled at locations in subway and commuter rail stations, including the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North.

Many of the musicians who play in the subway under MUNY have illustrious careers above ground. The following MUNY musicians have performed at Carnegie Hall: Natalia Paruz - also known as the 'Saw Lady' (musical saw), James Graseck (violin), Ebony Hillbillies.

Possibly the most well-known of them is Alice Tan Ridley, who was featured on season 5 of America's Got Talent.

The current line up has such artists as Ebony Hillbillies, SisterMonk, Didjworks, Natalia Paruz the 'Saw Lady', Manze Dayila, Renaissance Street Singers, Heth and Jed and Keshea. The full line up can be found on the website [1].

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