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New York

New York

New York State, located in the Northeastern region of the United States, is often overshadowed by New York City, but beyond the bright lights of Manhattan, you'll find everything from the beautifully rural Catskill Mountains to the glitz and glamour of The Hamptons on Long Island. New York has been the entrance to America for immigrants since the Dutch first settled in the early 17th century, and the diversity in their backgrounds blends together in the state's food, music, art, and everyday life.

New York City, the largest city in the US, is widely considered the financial and cultural capital of the world, drawing more visitors than anywhere else in the nation. And for good reason; there really is no other city like it, especially for music. The world's most famous concert halls and dingy after-hours basement music venues all have a place in NYC.

Playing in New York is a rite of passage for a musician, and the music scene is as vibrant as ever. Music author Richie Unterberger described the scene, and city itself, as: "(i)mmense, richly diverse, flashy, polyethnic, and engaged in a never-ending race for artistic and cosmopolitan supremacy." The merging of cultures in New York has birthed music, art, and cultural scenes that have become world pop culture. From hip-hop to salsa, graffiti to beat poetry, New York's culture is forever evolving, melding, shifting, and influencing.