The Tin Pan Alley American Popular Music Project in collaboration with the Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership will present a free, outdoor public concert at the Flatiron North Plaza on 23rd Street/Broadway
This event celebrates the official New York City landmark designation of Tin Pan Alley buildings at 47-55 West 28th Street and publicly launches the Tin Pan Alley American Popular Music Project, a new nonprofit organization dedicated to the commemoration and continuation of the legacy of Tin Pan Alley, the birthplace of American Popular Music in New York City in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Tin Pan Alley Day will feature appearances by stars of the American Popular Songbook, including special appearances by Marilyn Maye, Danny Bacher, Aaron Lee Battle, Ken Bloom, Klea Blackhurst, Jim Brochu, Richard Carlin, Eric Comstock, Natalie Douglas, Cassidy Ewert, Willy Falk, DeWitt Fleming Jr., Eric Yves Garcia, Anita Gillette, Vince Giordano, Luke Hawkins, Robert Lamont, Gabrielle Lee, Larry Marshall, Sanborn McGraw, Jill O’Hara, Jeannie Otis, Jennifer Poroye, Steve Ross, Billy Stritch, TADA! Youth Theater Ensemble, Tony Waag & The American Tap Dance Foundation Ensemble, and Terry Waldo & The Gotham City Band.
Tin Pan Alley Day is sponsored in part by the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation, the J. Rosamond Johnson Foundation, The Lambs Foundation, the Sam Ash Music Corporation, and PianoPiano.
Tin Pan Alley was designated a New York City landmark in 2019 based on its preeminent role as the birthplace of American Popular Music as well as the multicultural significance of contributions of Eastern European Jewish immigrant and African American composers, performers and sheet music publishers who worked there, notably including Irving Berlin, Williams & Walker, George Gershwin, J. Rosamond Johnson, George M. Cohan, and James Reese Europe, among many others. This history will be addressed on Tin Pan Alley Day in remarks by noted authorities including author Ken Bloom, Columbia University historic preservation professor Andrew Dolkart, and Harlem historian John Reddick.
“Following the long-sought landmark designations,” said George Calderaro, Director of the Tin Pan Alley American Popular Music Project, “we created the Tin Pan Alley Project to share the history of the people, events and songs of Tin Pan Alley to support music and cultural literacy and inspire current and future artists and musicians as well as the public at large.”
The block of 28th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue that is home to five recently designated Tin Pan Alley landmarks will officially become part of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership BID in 2022 following the New York City Council’s vote in July 2021 to approve the expansion of the BID’s boundaries.
“We are proud to partner with the Tin Pan Alley American Popular Music Project in celebration of American popular music’s birthplace right here in our neighborhood,” said James Mettham, executive director of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership. “We are excited that Tin Pan Alley will officially become part of our district with our upcoming expansion into NoMad which will bring our supplemental services, including sanitation, safety, public space management, and marketing to this historic block.”
Tin Pan Alley Day 2021, a Public Celebration of Tin Pan Alley Music will take place on Saturday, October 23 from Noon to 4:00pm at the historic Flatiron Building, 175 Fifth Avenue, NYC. Register for this Free Event Here. Rain date Sunday, October 24th.
About the Tin Pan Alley American Popular Music Project: The Tin Pan Alley American Popular Music Project promotes appreciation for the historic beginning of American Popular Music and the modern music business on and around West 28th Street in New York City. Through telling the stories of the songwriters, music publishers and the songs that formed the sound and industry of American Popular Music in the first half of the 20thCentury, the Project connects people with the power of music as an essential element of New York City and American cultural history.
About the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership: The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership, formed in 2006, is a nonprofit organization and Business Improvement District whose mission is to enhance the reputation of Flatiron and NoMad as two of New York’s most vital and exciting neighborhoods. This is accomplished by maintaining a clean and safe environment for the district’s businesses, residents and visitors; by spearheading area improvement projects; and by marketing the diverse business and retail options in this vibrant and historic neighborhood.
Step into the massive installation next door in Madison Square Park, Maya Lin: Ghost Forest, on view through November 14, 2021.
While you’re there, check out the (now) long-time resident beehives in Madison Square Park. Can you find all 5 of them?