Class Up Your Nightlife With Classical Music

Roosevelt Island Views and a Groupmuse

Sam Bodkin is the founder of the social networking site Groupmuse. He wants to give people the opportunity to create a social lifestyle around the arts by making classical music more affordable and convenient - but also fun

"You're not going to be going to the New York Philharmonic every week or every month even if you like the stuff. It's just not how life works. You got to go uptown, you got to get dressed a certain way, you have to be ready to consume two hours of music." Bodkin compares attending the Philharmonic to going to church. He says the idea with his organization is that it gives classical music a party atmosphere rather than a concert hall experience.
 
Groupmuse allows you to attend, host, or (if you are a qualified musician) perform at parties in your neighborhood. One third of the guest slots must be left open to the online community, giving everyone the opportunity to meet new people. All it takes is a $3 fee to RSVP and a minimum $10 donation for the performers. Bodkin says Groupmuses range from low-key get togethers to crazy parties. Occasionally, events called "massive muses" are organized where, if you feel so inclined, you can crowd surf to the Rite of Spring by Stravinsky and other hits of the early twentieth century. But typically, Groupmuses are like any other party - just add chamber music.
 
Well, it's just like any other party until you add the chamber music. Bodkin clarifies, "Our one golden rule of Groupmuse is that it's foreground music - not background music. That means everyone is listening intently to the stuff that is being created before their eyes." 
 
On a recent Saturday night, the sounds of a normal party soon fade, and a group of thirty are indeed listening intently as a Julliard student's rendition of Bach's Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor takes over. One of these partygoers is Kamini Singh. She says while she was listening to Bach, she felt like she left the room entirely. 
 
"I don't have a word for that feeling that I can describe," she remembers. "I was in that room, but I was not in that room."
 
After the music ends, some guests stay to mingle, drunk on the strains of Bach and the strength of their hosts booze. 

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