Natalia 'Saw Lady' Paruz is a

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

-based

musical saw A musical saw, also called a singing saw, is a hand saw used as a musical instrument. Capable of continuous glissando (portamento), the sound creates an ethereal tone, very similar to the theremin. The musical saw is classified as a plaque frict ...

player, bell ringer, busker and film maker. She was the founder and director of the annual Musical Saw Festival in New York City and ran it for 11 years. She also organized the musical saw festival in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. She was a columnist of the 'Saw Player News' and a judge at international musical saw competitions. She was also a judge for

Music Under New York Music Under New York (MUNY) is a part of the MTA Arts & Design, Arts & Design program by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) that schedules musical performances in transportation hubs across its rapid transit, ferry, and commuter rai ...

and for

Little Island at Pier 55 Little Island at Pier 55 (stylized as Little Island @Pier55) is an artificial island and a public park within Hudson River Park, just off the western coast of Manhattan in New York City. Designed by Heatherwick Studio, it is near the intersect ...

. 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 won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Polish pianist Władysław Szpilman in Roman Polanski's war drama '' The Pianist'' (2002) becoming the youngest 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 a major Israeli symphony orchestra based in Tel Aviv. Its principal concert ...

(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 :wikt:emeritus, emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father ...

), the Westchester Philharmonic, 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 ...

's Avery Fisher Hall with PDQ Bach composer Peter Schickele and with the Little Orchestra Society. November 2007 marked her

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

debut as a musical saw soloist and June 2008 her

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

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 Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (; born August 7, 1942) is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' (called ''Garrison Keillor's Radio ...

of the '' Prairie Home Companion'' 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 Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...

, and

Universal Records Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

, 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 music, new wave, blues, and country music, country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Gramm ...

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 variou ...

. She has played at festivals, such as the Spoleto Festival USA, 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 3, 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, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

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

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Paruz has also served as a judge at the

auditions for subway musicians. Paruz also plays a set of 65 pitched

cowbell A cowbell (or cow bell) is a bell (instrument), 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. ...

s, English handbells, 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 aft ...

and glass harp. She developed a bell ringing technique called 6-in-hand, and she performs as a musical historic interpreter of Colonial and Victorian times at places such as

Historic Richmond Town Historic Richmond Town is a town and farm museum complex in the neighborhood of Richmondtown, Staten Island, Richmondtown, Staten Island, in New York City. It is located near the geographical center of the island, at the junction of Richmond Ro ...

Awards and honors

Paruz is a recipient of many awards, including: * a citation of honor from the

New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government mod ...

* a citation of honor from the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

* a medal of honor from

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

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

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Ma ...

' 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 333 cities in 59 countries worldwide. In 2012, the London edition became ...

', 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 Hento ...

' 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 and

New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) serves to foster and advance the arts, culture, and creativity throughout New York State, according to its website. The goal of the council is to allow all New Yorkers to benefit from the contribution ...

. * In 2009 Paruz organized the

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

of the 'Largest Musical Saw Ensemble', which gathered 53 musical saw players to perform together. * In 2010 NYC Mayor

Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman and politician. He is the majority owner and co-founder of Bloomberg L.P., and was its CEO from 1981 to 2001 and again from 2014 to 2023. He served as the 108th mayo ...

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 the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

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, and Geared Up Publications) is a family-owned p ...

* 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, 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 *

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Pocket New York City, published in 2024, page 35

Movie soundtracks with musical saw by Paruz

Theater soundtracks with musical saw by Paruz

* '' Monkey: Journey to the West'', music by

Damon Albarn Damon Albarn (, ; born 23 March 1968) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman, main vocalist, and lyricist of the rock band Blur (band), Blur and the co-creator and primary musical con ...

(live show 2008) * '' Midsummer Night's Dream'', 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 CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio broadcaster CBS. It is headquartered in New York City. CBS News television programs include ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs ''CBS News Sunday Morn ...

The December 3rd 2011 crossword puzzle had Paruz as a question: Down 5 - Instrument played by Natalia Paruz
at

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

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