Natalia 'Saw Lady' Paruz is a

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

-based musical saw player, bell ringer and busker. She is the founder and director of the annual Musical Saw Festival in New York City. She also organized the musical saw festival in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. She is a columnist of the 'Saw Player News' and a judge at international musical saw competitions. Paruz has played the musical saw on many film soundtracks and can be seen as well as heard in the movie '' Dummy'' starring

Adrien Brody Adrien Nicholas Brody (born April 14, 1973) is an American actor. He received widespread recognition and acclaim after starring as Władysław Szpilman in Roman Polanski's '' The Pianist'' (2002), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Acto ...

. She has performed with orchestras such as the

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ''ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisra'elit'') is an Israeli symphony orchestra based in Tel Aviv. Its principal concert venue ...

(conducted by

Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father was the fou ...

), the

Westchester Philharmonic The Westchester Philharmonic is a professional symphony orchestra based in Westchester County, New York, United States. The orchestra performs in the concert hall of the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College. The orchestra was founded in 19 ...

, the Royal Air Moroccan Symphony Orchestra, the Amor Artis Orchestra, the Riverside Orchestra, the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra and at

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

's Avery Fisher Hall with PDQ Bach composer

Peter Schickele "Professor" Peter Schickele (; born July 17, 1935) is an American composer, musical educator, and parodist, best known for comedy albums featuring his music, but which he presents as being composed by the fictional P. D. Q. Bach. He also hosted ...

and with the Little Orchestra Society. November 2007 marked her Carnegie Hall debut as a musical saw soloist and June 2008 her Madison Square Garden debut. Her musical saw can be heard in many TV commercials. She has also appeared on numerous TV and radio programs around the world. Garrison Keillor of the ''

Prairie Home Companion Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

'' radio show has dubbed Natalia the show's 'official saw player'. As a studio musician, her musical saw has been recorded by labels such as Atlantic Records, Capitol Records, and

Universal Records Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

, for albums of composers such as

John Hiatt John Robert Hiatt (born August 20, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including new wave, blues, and country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and has been awarded ...

and

Elliot Goldenthal Elliot Goldenthal (born May 2, 1954) is an American composer of contemporary classical music and film and theatrical scores. A student of Aaron Copland and John Corigliano, he is best known for his distinctive style and ability to blend various ...

. She has played at festivals, such as the

Spoleto Festival USA Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, is one of America's major performing arts festivals. It was founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who sought to establish a counterpart to the Festival dei Due ...

, the Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Festival, Utah Arts Festival, World Trade Center's Buskers Fair and at the Fingerlakes Chamber Music Festival. Paruz often plays the musical saw in contemporary music, encouraging today's composers to write music for this instrument. Paruz is considered to be the most knowledgeable about the history of the musical saw, and her own home is a pilgrimage place for saw enthusiasts and students. The December 3rd, 2011 'Washington Post' crossword puzzle had Paruz as a question: "Down 5 - Instrument played by Natalia Paruz". Along with her professional career, Paruz makes a point to also perform on the streets and subways as a busker. She has busked in the US,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Paruz has also served as a judge at the Music Under New York auditions for subway musicians. Paruz also plays a set of 65 pitched

cowbell A cowbell (or cow bell) is a bell worn around the neck of free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal via the sound of the bell when the animal is grazing out of view in hilly landscapes or vast plains. Although they are t ...

s, English

handbells A handbell is a bell designed to be rung by hand. To ring a handbell, a ringer grasps the bell by its slightly flexible handle – traditionally made of leather, but often now made of plastic – and moves the arm to make the hinged cla ...

, 4-in-hand hand bells,

theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...

and

glass harp A glass harp (also called musical glasses, singing glasses, angelic organ, verrillon or ghost fiddle) is a musical instrument made of upright wine glasses. It is played by running moistened or chalked fingers around the rim of the glasses. Eac ...

Awards and honors

Paruz is a recipient of many awards, including: * a citation of honor from the New York City Council * a citation of honor from the New York State Senate * a medal of honor from

Paris, France Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. *She was chosen for the 'Best of New York' list of the '

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...

' two years in a row, as well as for the lists of '

Time Out New York ''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 328 cities in 58 countries worldwide. In 2012, the London edition becam ...

', the '

New York Press ''New York Press'' was a free alternative weekly in New York City, which was published from 1988 to 2011. The ''Press'' strove to create a rivalry with the ''Village Voice''. ''Press'' editors claimed to have tried to hire away writer Nat Hent ...

' and the 'New York Resident'. * Paruz is a recipient of grants from the Queens Council on the Arts,

New York City Department of Cultural Affairs The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) is the department of the government of New York City dedicated to supporting New York City's cultural life. Among its primary missions is ensuring adequate public funding for non-profit cultur ...

and

New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is an arts council serving the U.S. state of New York. It was established in 1960 through a bill introduced in the New York State Legislature by New York State Senator MacNeil Mitchell (1905–1996 ...

. * In 2009 Paruz organized the Guinness World Record of the 'Largest Musical Saw Ensemble', which gathered 53 musical saw players to perform together. * In 2010 NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a proclamation honoring the annual Musical Saw Festival Natalia organizes since 2003. * In 2011 NY State Assembly member Aravella Simotas issued a citation of honor proclaiming the NYC Musical Saw Festival for its "9 years of artistic excellence in Astoria". * In 2013

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

Borough President Helen Marshall issued a proclamation declaring June 1, 2013 to be the ‘Natalia Paruz & Musical Saw Festival Day’ in Queens.

Books mentioning Paruz

* ''City Lights: Stories About New York''/St. Martin's Press * ''New York Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff''/Globe Pequot * ''Surprise: Embrace the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected''/Penguin Random House * ''120 Jobs that Won't Chain You to Your Desk''/Random House * ''The Savvy Musician''/Helius Press * ''Overlooked New York''/CreateSpace, by Zina Saunders * ''Sounds of the Underground''/Heidi Younger * ''Teach a Man to Fish and Other Stories''/Richard A. Schrader, Sr. * Book in Czech - ''Zápisky osamělého poutníka s autoharfou''/Martin Žák * ''The Designs of Carrie Robbins''/The United States Institute for Theatre Technology in cooperation with Broadway Press * ''Buskers''/Soft Skull Press * ''Tampa Review 42''/University of Tampa Press * ''Get Lucky (How to Put Planned Serendipity to Work for You & Your Business)''/Jossey-Bass * Book in Spanish - ''Diario de un Músico Callejero''/José Miguel Vilar, Editorial Renacimiento * ''The Noise Beneath the Apple'', by Heather Jacks * ''Starting Your Career as a Musician''/Skyhorse Publishing, Inc, by Neil Tortorella * ''Music in American Life - An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories That Shaped Our Culture''/Greenwood * Music Business Hacks: The Daily Habits of the Self-Made Musician/PACE Publishing * The Sound of Mark/Mark Hastings - Zeloo Media * An Immigrant's Guide to Making It In America/Virgilia Kaur Pruthi * Book in Polish - ''Handbook of the Best Practices of 9 American & Canadian Cultural Institutions''/Katarzyna Renes, Paderewski Institute, Poland * Subway Beats/Kurt Boone, published by

Schiffer Publishing Schiffer Publishing Ltd. (also known for its imprints Schiffer, Schiffer Craft, Schiffer Military History, Schiffer Kids, REDFeather MBS, Cornell Maritime Press, Tidewater Publishers, Thrums Books, Geared Up Publications ) is a family-owned publi ...

* Much Ado About Magic/Shanna Swendson, published in 2012 by Nla Digital LLC. The first page of the first chapter mentions a woman playing musical saw at the busking spot Natalia plays at. * Outside the Jukebox: How I Turned My Vintage Music Obsession into My Dream Gig/

Scott Bradlee Scott Bradlee (born September 19, 1981) is an American musician, pianist, and arranger. He is best known for his viral videos on YouTube, including his work under the moniker Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ) — an ever-evolving, revolving collective ...

, Hachette Books * Holistic Wealth: 32 Life Lessons to Help You Find Purpose, Prosperity, and Happiness/Keisha Blair, Published by Catalyst Books * Flea Circus Time Capsule (Spanish Edition)/Xavi Puk, chapter 10 * 88 MORE Ways Music Can Change Your Life/Vincent James and Joann Pierdomenico * Tell Her She Can't: Inspiring Stories of Unstoppable Women/Kelly Lewis, pages 143–147, 154, 192 * Passion For Practice With Musings From Music Masters/Becky Chaffee, page 37

Movie soundtracks with musical saw by Paruz

Theater soundtracks with musical saw by Paruz

* '' Monkey: Journey to the West'', music by Damon Albarn (live show 2008) * ''

Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'', music by

(album recording 2013) * ''SawBones'', music by Scott Munson (live show 2014) * ''Clockwork Metaphysics'', music by Stefano Bechini (live show 2015) * ''Simon Dawes Becomes a Planet'', music by Jared Dembowski (live show 2016) * ''The Dragon Griswynd'', music by Scott Munson (live show 2018) * ''A La Memoire Des Enfants Perdus'', music by Scott Munson (staged readings 2019) * ''The Mouthtrap'', music by Henry Purcell (soundtrack recording 2019)

Discography

* ''Singing Sounds of Saw'' (cassette) * ''Hark! an Angel Sings'' (2002) * ''I Saw the Future'' (2011) * ''Playing on the Edge'' (2020)

External links

Natalia 'Saw Lady' Paruz's website
*
Natalia's musical saw CDsThe annual NYC Musical Saw Festival, founded & directed by Natalia
* *
Natalia's blog about buskingSaw Lady serenades New York City's straphangers
at CBS News
The December 3rd 2011 crossword puzzle had Paruz as a question: Down 5 - Instrument played by Natalia Paruz
at

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paruz, Natalia American street performers American percussionists Jewish American musicians Musicians from New York (state) Israeli Jews Israeli musicians Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century American Jews