Caged Birds

So I was walking around the musical instruments wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Tuesday.  As I gawked over very old pianos, drums, woodwinds, horns, and violins, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit wistful.  The sad truth is, most of these instruments will probably never be played again. 

The way I see it, it’s one thing to hang Van Gogh’s “Wheat Field with Cypresses” on a wall.  

Paintings are meant to be viewed.  It’s another to display a Stadivarius cello behind a glass case.  An instrument like that is meant to be heard.  Don’t you think?

I’m a little bit torn because it IS pretty cool that there is a place like the Met where we can go and see these instruments up close.  But wouldn’t it be great if once a year or something, they could put on a demo concert with pieces from their collection?  Maybe invite musicians to come and play that cello...

that golden harpsichord...

or that crazy looking stringed thing from Africa.

How to Cross the Street...

... in New York City.

1) Ignore stoplight.

2) Ask yourself, “Will I get hit by anything if I try to cross the street now?” The answer usually involves looking down the opposite direction of a one-way street.

3) If the answer is “No”, then cross. If the answer is yes, time your crossing so that you don’t get hit, then cross.

For God's sake, don’t stand around waiting for the light to turn green, you noob.