Natalia Paruz: Peace Loving 'Saw Lady'
Sat, July 19, 2008 I adore the story of Natalia Paruz, who plays music around the world, including the New York subway system. Everything about Natailia is rich and original, beginning with her instrument … a simple saw.
Natalia’s goal is not only to preserve the rare art form of playing music on a saw, but to also try and push it forward through the invention of better playing technique, fine-tuning the instrument, educating composers about the possibilities of composing for saw, and bringing the instrument to public awareness.
Tracking the Christian Science Monitor’s story “Online tales of everyday heroes”, a feature on Alyssa Wright’s Hero Reports, the music lover in me got a sensory lift at Natalie’s SawLady.com website and listening to her on YouTube.
Before introducing you to Natalia, I must comment on the gorgeous simplicity of this story … hiding in the purpose of everyday lives and the magic of technology. We feel that we know these people, Natalia and Alyssa, with their big, gloriously open hearts that reach out and touch us.
I noticed on posting the Hero Reports web url that Alyssa has a MIT address. If I follow her bio any further, I will lose track of the Saw Lady, who has her own inspiring story to share with us. We will return to Alyssa another day, but not before introducing you to her Cherry Blossoms Iraqi war project at MIT.
Goodbye for now Alyssa.
I wrote in May about musicians in the New York Subway system. Too smart to think that they’re all starving musicians, I wasn’t prepared for Natalia’s global reputation. Taken from her website:
She performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta, with the Westchester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Air Moroccan Symphony Orchestra, the Riverside Orchesra and at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall with PDQ BachPeter Schickele and with the Little Orchestra Society. November 2007 marked her Carnegie Hall debut as a musical saw soloist and June 2008 marked her Madison Square Garden debut.
My dear friends. This story just goes deeper and deeper, leaving me with nothing to do but weep. For my new readers, I live at Ground Zero as part my own commitment to rebirth and connecting to a global dialogue around the events of Sept. 11. Anne of Carversville is deeply rooted in the goal of living sensually, because I believe that our senses keep us in touch with each other, and with ourselves.
Read how Natalia Paruz became an ambassador of sorts, placing a stone removed from the last day of the Ground Zero rescue efforts in the Western Wall of the Holy City of Jerusalem, as a prayer for the victims of Sept. 11.
I sit down at the computer to write these J’Adore “bon mots”, supposedly short pieces to complement the time-consuming journal reflections. It is very easy to get lost in the richness of people who live their lives with such wonderful purpose and lack of fanfare. These two women inspire us all.
And now … meet Natalia Paruz, the Saw Lady. I’ve never considered a saw to be a sensual tool of any kind, but Natalia reminds us that the hardest, crudest constellation of atoms, contain another dimension of beauty, sensuality, tenderness.
If only we could unlock those atoms in every human heart. Today, we met two women who touch us all, and we celebrate their efforts. Please listen to Natalia’s second video. We feel you Natalia and Alyssa, and we adore you both. Thank you.
Love,
Anne
Reader Comments (2)
I LOVE this post. I ran into the 'Saw Lady' yesterday at Times Square, so I googled her today and got to your post.
Amazing.
Indeed. The Internet is truly amazing in this respect. The entire concept of digital "intimacy" among strangers is actually a profound concept. It's a key idea that will influence our future world in ways that we do not understand yet -- both good and bad. We angels must prevail. Thanks for your note. I hope we see you again. Anne