On Saturday, February 24th, the Community Music Hangout gathered for the 46th edition of the Hang. We gathered under fabulously sunny skies and warm conditions. It was certainly the nicest day of this year thus far. We’re still in between pianos at the spot, so I had to haul out my 88-weighted. Nevertheless, it was very much worth the extra effort, as CMH #46 would be the longest and greatest Hangout yet! As we rolled up to the spot, Eric was ahead of us and caught a little flak from self-proclaimed security guards / joggers aggrieved at the sight of a car anywhere near JFK. It’s funny how people behave when they get the adrenaline going! One stood in front of Eric’s car – laden with drums – and asked, “Can I help you?” which I thought was super helpful, because we had all this gear to unload to create the community music setup. Unfortunately, that question was largely rhetorical and the joggers didn’t help. But Jorge did! He just happened to be nearby when we parked and he jumped right in to help. Thanks, dude! And so, after getting everything set up, we were off and rolling. The sun was STRONG and we were sweating! In the early going, we had Hangout regulars Rikki, Eric, Kyle, Joe, Nick, Nina, and Brian joining in the fun. In earlier editions of the Hangout, there was often a lull period at the beginning before all the regulars and the crowd showed up. But lately, we’ve had folks there right from the first downbeat and then staying throughout the day! It’s a treat to share any portion of the day with you folks. And it’s especially remarkable when you come early and stay late. Thank you! We met a lot of new friends at CMH #46 and that’s always a highlight. Thanks to all the new folks who took part! I hope to see each of you back again in the future. For the first time at the Hangout we had: Lucas, Phil, Jess, Craig, Eli, Josh, Jamie, Gaby, Izzi, Victoria and last, but never least, Natanya! What a cast of characters. From “strangers” to “musical friends” at the Community Music Hangout. It’s not just a saying, it’s the reality! Enjoy this video of Jess and Josh taking us through “Fever”:
Another fun highlight from the day was Jamie being the first person in 46 Hangouts to play a Britney Spears song. He played “…Baby One More Time” (that is the actual title) and it went over really well. Check out the video below.
It was nearly 5pm by the time we packed up and got out of there! That’s an unprecedented – and spectacular -- amount of time to spend in the sun, making music with friends new and old. It’s just the best way to spend a day and I’m already excited to get out there and do it again! Long may we run. Thank you to each and every person who stopped by, who hung out, who sang or smiled, thank you. You’re all a part of this, and each of us, together, elevates this Community to the heights we’re able to reach each weekend. I’m brimming with gratitude. We’ll see you next on Sunday March (how?!) 3rd from 11:30 until at least 2:30. See you there!