Music for Hope

Elke and I went for a walk to the World Trade Center this Monday to shop, so we experienced the Sing For Hope Piano, which happens every Monday and Thursday. I often commute through this space, so I’m familiar with it, but for Elke, it was the first time.

It is beautiful to watch how people take turns playing a diverse set of music. At one point, three men played together in a fun performance. All skill levels are welcome, but this being NYC, most players know what they are doing.

There is no line, no tickets, and no supervision. Sometimes, an audience is standing around, and sometimes people are just rushing by. It is a celebration of art and humanity that can indeed instill hope in passers-by.

Half-around the world, in Beirut, the band Sandmoon also sings for hope, albeit with guitars and synths. Check out their latest song in our Song Pick of the Day playlist.

When this newsletter goes out, we’re already in Lisbon for a winter break. We don’t have five new glamglare favorites today, but read on for the seven new song picks and the nine photos.

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to/watch all seven songs on [YouTube](Link Here). Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features, or subscribe here to receive them in your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

"Sucker" is on Chloe Slater new EP "Love Me Please." We're fans and can't wait to see her at @greatescapefest. Next up, we have "Let's Pretend” by Toby Sebastian, a “love song about escaping with your lover from the reality" for Valentine's Day. Count us in!

A chance encounter with Lou Reed in the West Village brought “Gravity” to life by now LA-based singer/songwriter Michelle Kash. "Decision Tree" is the latest single off Yves Jarvis new album "All Cylinders,” "the least contrived thing I’ve ever done."

"What would it look like to collectively activate our superpowers of joy?" asks Valerie June in her new song. Let's try it, shall we? “Joy, Joy” is the first single off her upcoming album "Owls, Omens, and Oracles." The Oregon duo The Delines are known for their gripping storytelling. "Maureen's Gone Missing" is a song from their new album "Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom."

The Beirut band sandmoon raises a beacon of hope with their new song “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,” based on a 19th-century poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Nine Photos

We definitely wanted to still catch the “Harmony and Dissonance: Orphism in Paris, 1910–1930” exhibit, on display until March 9th, so we rushed to the Guggenheim and enjoyed the display of artwork together with a lovely friend from Melbourne, Australia. The three of us had the best of times diving into the world of forms, colors, and the arts. Enjoy!