heidi
kole

Busker

Finally some Lawrence Busker Stuff!

The Lawrence Busker Festival in Lawrence KS rocked! It’s taken me a little bit to post some photos due to earthquakes and hurricanes passing over The Big Apple & taking up most of my energy

Anyway – we’re in a lull here, amidst the storms and so here ya go!

  • The first day I flew into KS City and was driven straight to perform at the opening benefit concert for Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Lawrence.
  • The next morning I did an early AM breakfast concert at the hotel I was staying in (omg – not my best time of day!)
  • Later that day the movie I’m in, Busking The System had it’s first screening and I did the Q&A after which was superb fun
  • I busked the streets of Lawrence – (my most favourite part!) met some fabulous people and absorbed festival energy while I sang, way into the night
  • Next day we had another morning Q&A for Busking The System
  • Followed by a stage show that went superbly & where many bought CDs
  • Followed by a book signing/reading & concert of “The Subway Diaries”@ Signs Of Life , the bookstore hosting my book signing and reading at the Festival
  • Finally I busked into the evening that, my last night in Lawrence – too the plane back the next day & collapsed for a blissful 14 hrs of sleep!

Lawrence KS, I would busk your city any day! Lookin’ forward to next year!

And finally an album of shot of the beautiful environment @ The Lawrence Busker Fest – soak it up!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10150288641627295.347509.728737294

Love, Light & Music

Heidi & The Subway Diaries

My Pre-Irene dance around Manhattan & our Post-Irene status

Prior to Irene’s arrival I took my bike & toured from 42nd St down to Battery Park, the ocean as I wanted to see what was going on. The city was a ghost town with almost every window taped up in preparation for Irene. I have no real camera so the shots are pretty bad – but I did find some interesting stuff. It was a magical ride & the energy was something I’d never felt before in this city.

So – we’re on the ‘backside of the Hurricane’ now as CNN’s  Anderson Cooper do deftly reported while, of course, not one hair was displaced by the gail force winds whipping behind him 🙂

Public Transport is still completely out in the 5 boroughs and NJ is bracing for some major flooding as storm surges and rivers crest tonight and tomorrow. But NYC has taken it well and seems to do the hunkering down thing pretty well when it’s needed.

Finally, just two hours ago, right as she is pulling out Irene’s wind  locked me out of my apartment actually by slamming the door on me & I just got let back in to finish writing you all this update. Thank you Irene – you crazy Hurricane, you!

Hope all of you  are safe & sound & with power

Love & light & dryness & calm for a while 🙂

Heidi & The Subway Diaries

New York City – A “Quiet Zone”

Monday afternoon I wandered down to Union Square and stumbled on a fabulous  busker , Morgan Okane, playing his banjo  by the fountain. Not one song in the Park  Police approached the musician and told him he had to leave. First it was because he was amplified then when they saw he was not they said he had to go anyway – “Because there were more than 20 people listening” the two  cops explained.

Seriously NYC? Seriously, this is what is important to you?

The fact that a guy w/ a banjo was making  more than 20 people happy at a time seems hardly a reason for law enforcement to  step up & do something.

Then this on the news…

http://culture.wnyc.org/articles/features/2011/may/30/street-performers-upset-central-park-quiet-zones/

An acoustically brilliant area near Strawberry  Fields, where classical musicians have played unamplified for years in Central Park, has now been deemed a “Quiet Zone” by the city of New  York.

A “Quiet Zone” banning classical  street musicians entertaining your tourists for free???? Are you kidding me Mayor Bloomberg?

PS – Wasn’t Strawberry Fields named after those guys, those  guys who were named after some bug or somethin’? They got really famous for just sitting there in silence hour after hour, day after day…. 🙂

And finally … I found out that my friend and fellow  busker/Steel  Drummer Caesar Passee, was arrested Friday for playing his Steel Drums in public. He  “got  a police escort  in midday traffic with sirens and  all”  – Yeah,  this is a fabulous use of NYC’s dwindling budget.  Good idea Bloomberg  – cut thousands of school teachers & close  firehouses & spend the little money we have on  arresting  musicians  who are merely exercising their First Amendment. Yeah, this is a great plan…

I’m saddened by the Mayor and the city’s choice to  spend so much time, money and manpower shutting  down  such a  harmless, and honestly, life affirming activity as music. I  realize  you’re  fiscally hurting  NYC but my God, pick on something useful – music is something that actually  makes people happy, not sad, and to trying to  ‘clean up the city’ or pull in some  cash by arresting musicians is insane.

By the way New York City, I’d venture to say that both the sanitizing of art  out of NYC and harassment to enforce that ‘sanitization’  does not make  your city more  appealing to those visiting…but less.

The bright light in this story is  that  the musicians are not  going anywhere despite the “Quiet  Zone” demarcation – I’m proud of my fellow buskers.

Keep the music going…

Red Carpet Premier of film I did stunts in & rockin’ the Hudson @ Fleet Week!

Fri was  a  jam packed  night starting w/  the NYC premier of “Tied To A  Chair”  the film I did  stunts in described in “The Subway Diaries”  followed by a party along the Hudson River where Fleet Week was in full swing. Here’s the  New  YOrker  review of the film  & some pics of the fun : )

The Front Row: “Tied to a Chair”: Bound for Glory : The New Yorker

Happy Start To Summer! : )

Performing, Signing Books & on Arts Panel @ Wesleyan University this Saturday!

Hi guys ! As thousands gather for Honecoming and Commencement weekend, Wesleyan University has asked me to perform, sign copies of “The Subway Diaries” and be part of an Arts Panel on Saturday May 21st.  It’s gonna be a rockin’ weekend so stop on by & soak up some rockin’ culture, food & fun!

A) PERFORMANCE:

1–3 P.M.

WESEMINAR 5,000 Women

A\This is a satellite production of a project called “5,000 Women” whose mission is to have 5,000 women artists performing in tandem. The name comes from the fact that every hour 5,000 women are giving birth at the same time throughout the world. “5,000 Women” honors that amazing creativity, by showcasing the creativity of women artists. The performance will include singer-songwriters, comedians, dancers, actresses, spoken word artists, independent films by independent filmmakers, and one-woman shows.

Performers: Naaz Hosseini , Aleta Staton , Heidi Kole, Lisa Porter, Jennifer Blaine, Elizabeth Liang  Nafeesa Monroe, Karen Gross , and Stephanie Fungsang

Center for the Arts Hall (formerly CFA Cinema)

B) PANEL:

3:30 P.M.

WESEMINAR Making It In the Performing Arts–Is it Possible?

This seminar, conceived by Wesleyan alumnae who have established careers in the arts, is a forum to share experiences and insights. For those who are contemplating a career in the arts we may ask ourselves: How can I make it as a performer?, Will I be able to support myself?, In what ways can I distinguish myself and establish a career? Through this seminar we hope to create a network of support for students and alumni in these challenging fields. All students, graduates and artists are welcome to attend. Networking session and screening of Fly Away, a film by Janet Grillo ’80, will follow.

Presenters: Dana Leslie Goldstein, playwright and poet; Heidi Kole, author, singer-songwriter; Lisa Porter, actress and vocal coach; Jennifer Blaine , actress and one-woman show; Karen Gross, cabaret artist and singer song-writer; Grace Overbeke ’08, director of marketing at Theater J; Martha Meade, muralist; and Tamina Davar, filmmaker.

Center for the Arts Hall (formerly CFA Cinema)

 

Documentary Film “Busking The System” today

Hi all – today (despite the monsoon outside) I’ll be filmed & interviewed by the documentary film “Busking The System”. It’s a fabulous film & great crew so keep your eyes & ears peeled as we’re gonna make some waves : )

http://www.buskingthesystem.com

DStripped Launch Party featuring Review of “The Subway Diaries” this Saaturday!

Come on out & celebrate this Saturday @ 9:30PM @

Veranda Lounge NY
130 10th and 7th
New York, NY

The Cutting Edge magazine DStripped will be launching their first Print Issue for Spring/Summer 2011! Inside is featured a kick ass review of ‘The Subway Diaries” Stop on by, pick up your signed copy & enjoy the party!
Here’s their Youtube link for the launch:
http://youtu.be/x-QUN3-ItNw

The First Amendment…Porn’s ok & Music’s not???

Seriously – so under the First Amendment Porn is now ok/legal in NYC Public Libraries but music is still not allowed/legal in the NYC Subways????

From my friend Saburo Horikawa on Japan & the Nuclear Threat – Pray….

As you all know, just last week Sab came to NYC and, as a sociologist, is now fascinated by the underground and followed me  in the subways with his camera for an evening at 59th Street. Now, just one week later, an 8.9 Earthquake and a Tsunami have hit Japan, and last night he shared the following with me on the severe nuclear threat that now looms over Sab, his family and his country. He and I alike are baffled at what it will take for the world to wake up. Please pray….& leave your thoughts and prayers here for him, his family & country as he does visit/read & tells me over& over how much everyone’s words mean to him…

“Dear Heidi:
Thanks for the reply. We are about 160 miles from the nuclear plants. What it means is that this threat is totally different from the Russian nuclear accident. One of the largest cities in the World is under the nuclear threat. Evacuation seems unrealistic. When the fatal nuclear accident occurs, there is almost no chance for us to survive. There is not much we can do here.

We are all very, very concerned about the troubles in nuclear power plants in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. I’ve always been against governments’ nuclear policy, and it is outrageously sad to see that my concerns become reality. I always have a very serious concern that the US and European countries have been reviving their nuclear power plants policies and have started to construct new ones. Haven’t we seen enough through TMI and Russian accidents?

I hope at some point the World will realize how fragile our present lives are.

Anti-nuclear movements have always been forced to fight loosing battles. Bob Dylan’s tune is ringing in my head: “How many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died?”


Please make music, Heidi. Sing this. Write a new song about this stupid poison power and the people who fought against it in vain.”

~Saburo Horikawa

Department of Sociology

HOSEI UNIVERSITY

‘Revolutionary’ Music & Missed Connections

We all had a fabulous time @ The Transit Museum’s “Missed Connections Party” on Valentine’s Day. I asked Luss to come too & in between my solo tunz we did our thing on the old fashioned platforms @ the event. Here’s a clip in case u missed the party! 🙂

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-1-lr14Ksg[/youtube]

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