Carla Lynne Hall at Word Up Books in Washington Heights

Let’s talk about community and niches for a minute.

As you know, I live in New York City, where there are no lack of musicians and other creative folk. For my latest gig at Word Up, I deliberately chose it because it’s in my hood, Washington Heights.

If you’re a musician in NYC, you know how challenging it can be to get folks to come out to a gig, or to get press when there are so many other things going on on any given night.

BUT, by choosing to gig in my own neighborhood, I not only had a good crowd, I also got press in the Manhattan Times, the local paper for Washington Heights, Harlem, and Inwood. I mean the article was even written in English and Spanish. Even better, the writer Sherry Mazzocchi, did the interview on camera, so there’s a different video version of our time together (check it out below).

When’s the last time I got that from The New York Times? Uh… how bout never? ;-))

So you see, it pays to nurture your neighborhood!

Next CLH Gig: Musical Residency at Word Up Bookstore in Washington Heights NYC!

I know – it’s been quiet on the musical front for me lately, but I have a slew of gigs coming up. My next performance will be at Washington Heights’ Word Up Community Bookstore on Thursday, May 3rd. What’s even cooler is that I won’t just be performing on that Thursday, but for the next 8 Thursdays after that. In other words, my first MUSICAL RESIDENCY!!!

What’s even cool than that is that I’ll be livestreaming these gigs, and filming the pilot for a new TV Show!! Lots of things cooking over here!

Stay tuned!!

Book cover design by CDS, from Word Up Bookstore’s “Voices: Our Young People Speak” program