Eliane Delage
THE BEDROOM GUITARIST IN NEW YORK CITY
100 guitarists. 100 rooms. 100 stories.
What happens when you close the door and pick up your guitar?
Gallery, the first 20 (in progress)
Andrea/Chelsea/
Retired in Fashion Sales
#001
#002
Tia/43/Financial District/Professional Musician
"When I’m playing guitar at home, I really feel like it’s an escape. I get to live in two worlds at once: I feel like a rock star playing music but I’m also a curious student who is learning something new every single day. That balance of confidence and discovery keeps me hooked.”
"If I have a little time to play and don’t have to prep for anything specific, I go straight to
acoustic guitar and singing. During the pandemic, I came back around to playing for fun and not for work, and this format of acoustic stuff became one of my favorite things to do. I love playing the slower, sadder songs that people don’t want to hear at gigs when I’m alone. Bonus points if I get to use my head voice! “A Case of You” by Joni Mitchell is often my first stop."
#003
Martin/UWS/Project Manager
#004
Dan/62/UES/Paralegal
When I‘m at the end of my day, finished dinner and watched a little TV with my wife, it’s time to rally. I pick myself up and head into the ‘Music Salon’ (formally our daughter’s bedroom). I close the door and set up for a bit of guitar practice. It’s not always easy to rally, but I’m always glad that I did. My mind slowly begins to focus as I tune the guitar and choose which chart to begin with. Gradually, I start to work the muscle and brain memories, independently at first, then in harmony. Then, when no one’s looking, it becomes fun! Not just hard work. All the other thoughts and concerns of the day dissolve. The fun momentum builds. Time blurs as I sink into the nuances of the music I’m trying to make my own. Then out of nowhere, it’s bedtime. Got to get up early and go to work in the morning. But what a wonderful little journey I just had, think I’ll do it again tomorrow!
When I close the door to my apartment and pick up my guitar, I feel as though the world disappears as I give myself the greatest gift of all—the gift of music. Whether I'm playing a Simon and Garfunkel song using simple open chords, or polishing my Travis picking skills, triads or pentatonics, it always brings me peace and tranquility. I have been playing since I was 15 years old, and at the age of 62, I find that there are still so many fun things to learn and try. As John Denver says in his song: This Old Guitar, my guitar taught me how to sing a love song, how to laugh and how to cry, it introduced me to some friends, and brought me my lovely lady. Closing the door and playing my guitar is like coming home on Christmas morning.
Jacque/UWS/Flight Attendant
Abby/72/UWS/
Non-Profit Management Consultant
#006
#005
These days, I play in the room where my late husband, Larry, always sat at his desk and listened to music. It gives me great comfort to sing and play in the space where he did his thinking (and singing!), always surrounded by the discovery of a new version of a song he loved or just heard. When I close the door and pick up my guitar, I usually feel both Lost and Found. It is the one thing I can do these days on my own where focus,
learning, experimentation, practice, comfort and joy all come together, and where I can feel like myself. While what I love most is singing and playing with friends and fellow music lovers, that solitary time—just me and my guitar—makes me feel strangely whole and wanting to share more music.
Well, for starters, there’s no doors to close! My practice space is the living room with my collection of guitars and a few amps that have been permanent fixtures. I usually practice in the afternoon with a lovely view of the neighboring brownstones and their courtyards. I start with about 5-10min of exercises, mostly dominate, major/minor arpeggios up and down the neck. Then i spend another 20min or so on whatever has my attention, lately it’s been jazz and blues. I’ve recently just memorized two jazz standards, Autumn Leaves and All the Things you Are which I’m pretty proud of! And when I’m in a blues mood I’ll put on a backing track and just let loose! Nothing terribly glamorous, just me, my guitars and a little musical exploration in the middle of Manhattan.
#007
Rob/71/Park Slope/Legal Proofreader
#008
Roy/72/Manhattan/Retired
Most people know the instantaneous satisfaction music can bring to your life, whether you're listening and/or playing and/or dancing, whatever the genre. For me, there's nothing like getting home after a long workday, immediately grabbing my guitar and strumming/picking – for even just a total of 30 seconds -- three of my favorite Drop D classics! Later, once I've eaten my dinner while unwisely watching my preferred depressing Youtube news channel, I'm ready to buckle down and invest some rehearsal time in the tunes I'll be playing with others.
That Great Escape is available to me whenever my guitar is within reach. (Incidentally, speaking of escapism, under my workplace desk is an “emergency” travel guitar I initially purchased decades ago for a volunteer trip with fellow college alumni – to teach music to some kids in the Carribean!)
Our 2nd Bedroom first became an office and now is my guitar, meditation and class space (I take classes and teach a class here.) When I close the door, I immediately feel at ease, in "my" private space. I'm surrounded by familiar items; books, pictures of family and friends and philosophical quotes taped on the wall. I set my timer for 30 to 45 minutes and start working on scales, fretboard memorization or a song that I'll be playing in the coming weeks or that I'm currently working on.
Music From Inside New York City
Art Project, 2026, created and curated by Eliane Delage.
100 guitarists. 100 rooms. 100 stories.
Behind the windows of New York City, another musical world exists.
At the end of the day, guitarists across the city pick up their instruments—to decompress, practice for a gig, prepare for an audition, write a song, feed a dream, or simply spend a little time away from the noise of everyday life.
Professional or beginner, performer or hobbyist, we all know that moment: just you, the room and the guitar.
The Bedroom Guitarist is a participatory project documenting 100 of these moments across New York City's five boroughs.
BE ONE OF THE 100
Share three things:
ONE PHOTO
You with your guitar in the place at home where you usually play.
ONE STORY
Answer one question (one paragraph):
What happens when you close the door and pick up your guitar?
30 SECONDS OF SOUND
Record yourself playing something in that space—a riff, chords, a song, an improvisation, an exercise, or simply what you happen to be playing that day.
No professional photos or recordings are necessary. Candid and real is the point.
Open to guitarists 18+ living in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. All levels and styles are welcome.
SUBMIT YOUR PORTRAIT
To participate, email: edelage@gmail.com
Please include:
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A photo of you with your guitar in the place where you usually play
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Name / Age (optional) / Neighborhood + Borough / Occupation
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Your answer to: “What happens when you close the door and pick up your guitar?”
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A 30 second (approx.) audio recording of you playing in that space
Help us build the first collection.
Send your portrait by October 30, 2026 to be considered for the initial release.
Please read the Participation & Release below before submitting.
Participation & Release
By submitting materials to The Bedroom Guitarist in New York City, you confirm that you are 18 years of age or older and that you have the right to submit the photograph, audio recording, written response, and other materials you provide.
You grant The Bedroom Guitarist in New York City and project creator Eliane Delage permission to use, reproduce, edit for length or presentation, display, publish, and share your submitted materials in connection with the project, including on its website and social media, in exhibitions and installations, press and publicity, presentations, grant and funding applications, and other materials documenting or promoting the project.
You retain ownership of your original submitted materials. Participation is voluntary and unpaid, and submission does not guarantee inclusion in the project.
By submitting, you also give permission for your name or chosen display name, NYC neighborhood/borough, photograph, written response, and audio to be presented publicly as part of the project.
Your email address and other private contact information will not be published or shared publicly.
By emailing your submission, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the above terms.
Questions about participation or use of your submission?
Please contact edelage@gmail.com
FOLLOW THE PROJECT @bedroomguitaristnyc