An Existence Full of Art

This has been one of those really dead weeks where not much has happened. Friends have been busy, I've been going home straight after work and it's been cold outside so no one really wants to do anything. It's my last week at New York, which is exciting, and though I have another internship lined up, I'm still waiting for word from the few jobs I'm up for. I don't know why it takes so long to hire someone, but hopefully in a few years I'll understand the processes better and be hiring my own assistant.

The New York Philharmonic in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center.

I saw the New York Philharmonic Orchestra earlier this week, which was really great. They played Stravinsky's amazing Firebird Suite, and though I'd heard pieces of it before and really like Stravinsky, this was unlike anything else I'd heard. It's so different to experience it live, and by the greatest orchestra in the world, no less.

This city is an amazing place because the best in the world – the best music, art, theater, dance, etc. – is all crammed onto this little bitty island, ready to be consumed by the people who care. And while the art is there for everyone, it's mostly utilized by New Yorkers themselves. Anyone can see the Philharmonic perform, but only New Yorkers can own season tickets and see them several times a month every month. It's an amazing idea and sometimes I just can't believe I live among it.

Music on the 6 train.

On the subway ride home from the symphony, a man was playing his electronic saxophone between stops. He stayed on for five or six stops, and while it was actually pretty annoying and he wasn't that great, it just made me think more about how art is everywhere in this city. It may not always be the greatest, or for that matter even good, but it's there and you constantly consume it.