As some of you may know, I recently made a trip back to New York City with my manager. We were there for the weekend, July 16th -18th. I performed at an event and handled some other business itineraries. Besides the heat and humidity, NYC was a beautiful place as always. I love visiting NYC and just indulging in their culture. It turned out to be a very fun and productive trip.

The event was a birthday party for the grand daughter, Nesta, of the President of Gabon. Gabon is a country in west central Africa with an estimated population of 1,500,000. I performed on a baby grand piano, as a surprise guest for her birthday and for the guests in attendance. It was held at the Hotel Affinia in Midtown Manhattan.

Every time I head to a place like NYC, I was hoping to be able to network with some people. My manager and I actually got the pleasure of meeting some good contacts at the birthday party. We met the person who booked us, “Buzzy” Williams, a representative of Violator Management, as well as a few other musicians and people involved in the industry.

The day after the birthday party, we went to The Source magazine office located in the Financial District. We met up with Mike LaSalle, a member of the staff, who is also a friend of ours. We got caught up on their projects, as well as filled him in on ours. Before leaving, I went and took a couple pictures for an editorial page wearing Parish Nation apparel. The meeting was brief, but it was very hopeful and inspirational.

Overall, New York City was fun. I was able to experience some of the tourist areas such as Times Square and the Time Warner Mall. The food, hotel we stayed at and transportation was great. I loved walking around Times Square at night and during the day, being able to see the city lights and overall atmosphere. I also was able to check out their social scene in the “Meat Packing District.” I spent the first part of the trip, being a surprise guest for a birthday party. I spent the second part of the trip devoted to networking and relaxing in Times Square.

New York City, hope to see you soon again!