Walking the Street, and the Rhythms of New York City
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The ambient sounds of the city inspired John Cage, a non-traditional composer, to compose 49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs, an ode consisting of simultaneous "happenings" across the vast metropolis - from a cobblestone street in the West Village to the Long Island Expressway. The choreography of the streets can be found in Leonard Bernstein's On the Town and West Side Story, in John Kander and Fred Ebb's song "New York, New York," the city's anthem, in Rent and In the Heights, in "Living for the City" by Stevie Wonder and in "Livin' La Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin. The ambient sounds of the city have inspired a few more songs as well.
Most everyone thinks that New York is a fast-moving city, but the
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People, too, have their own rhythms - in moving, talking, sleeping, walking, even in sleepwalking. For example, I most often feel like a waltz, with one down beat and two upbeats. Knowing your personal repertory of beats is an important form of self-awareness and a way to understand the role you play in the city symphony.
I love Brenda Russell's way of walking in her video for "Walking in New York." Let's have a look at that now, shall we?
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