[MUSIC - The Brian Lehrer Show Interlude]

Brian Lehrer: Speaking of shopping, we're going to end today's show with the final edition for this year of Shop Listener. Today, we feature experiences. For those of you who know the point or don't know the point of this series, we've been helping WNYC listeners who sell holiday gifts compete with the big box stores and the big, big, big websites that are named after rainforests in Brazil, and that use algorithms, as we've adhered to price.

We are inviting those of you who sell today experiences that make good holiday gifts. You can call right now, 212-433-WNYC. 212-433-9692. You can also text. You can also post them, anybody. Even if you get on the air, you can post to our webpage for this, which is wnyc.org/shoplistener, and we encourage everybody else who's still in the market for a holiday gift to go and browse at wnyc.org/shoplistener. You'll see a map there if you want to look geographically.

Of course, some of the things are sold online, so it doesn't matter where you are. It's searchable in various ways. wnyc.org/shoplistener and our final invite in this series, after we did one for people who sell gifts for kids and some other categories; today, it's If You Sell Experiences, one of my favorite categories for Shop Listener. Do you operate some kind of classes: a cooking class, arts, clay sculpting, painting, quilting? Whatever kind of art class, give us a call and plug the experience that you sell or some kind of trips.

Maybe you're a proprietor of a spa or a salon and sell gift certificates; that can count as an experience gift. Do you run a museum or other cultural institutions that sells memberships? That would count. If you sell any kind of experience as a holiday gift: 212-433-WNYC. I'm thinking of travel; I think we've gotten calls in the past from people who do organized, guided bike trips and nature walks, and all kinds of experiences. Welcome, 212-433-WNYC. 212-433-9692.

Call or text for this final edition here two days before Christmas of Shop Listener, 212-433-9692. We'll take your calls and texts if you're selling experiences and you're a WNYC listener right after this.

[MUSIC - The Brian Lehrer Show Interlude]

Brian: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. By the way, listeners are always fact-checking me, and I love that. Here's one that just came in. If you listen to the talk-up to this segment, you'll know what it refers to. It says, "While 60% of the Amazon is in Brazil, the rainforest spans 9 countries across Latin America." Now, to your holiday gift experiences that you're selling. Andrew in Washington Heights, you're on WNYC. Hi, Andrew.

Andrew Neuman: Hi, Brian. How are you? Thanks for letting me get on the call. Yes, my name's Andrew Neuman. I'm the founder of RetroMan Tours. We do historical walking tours of New York City, specifically around the mid-century-period New York, the Prohibition era, when New York was truly the city that never slept. We do tours on New York's historical speakeasies and nightclubs of that era: Stork Club, Toots Shor's, El Morocco.

Then we also do a tour for Frank Sinatra fans. We do a tour that traces Frank Sinatra's career. Obviously, his breakout at the Paramount Hotel, but walking through that entire area, the strip of the Theater District, where he leveraged all the various performance venues. We do tours on crossing 42nd Street and discuss the various architectural damage and the-- [crosstalk]

Brian: Various-- I'm going to jump in because I think everybody gets the idea. It sounds awesome. Various kinds of historical walking tours in the city. How do people get them?

Andrew: Visit us at www.retroman.tours.com. We're also available on Viator and GetYourGuide.

Brian: retromantours.com. Thanks, Andrew. Cosmo in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Hi, Cosmo.

Cosmo Bjorkenheim: Hi, Brian. I'm a longtime listener.

Brian: Glad you're on.

Cosmo: Yes, we run a movie theater in Queens called Low Cinema, and we're showing Christmas movies. We're showing Batman Returns and Eyes Wide Shut right now.

Brian: I have actually both given and gotten movie theater credit at various points in my life as holiday gifts. Is that what you're promoting in this category?

Cosmo: We have gift cards for the theater.

Brian: How's it going, by the way? There's so much talk about movie attendance being down this year; a lot of releases not making money. How's it going?

Cosmo: People really seem to love going to the movies. That's what I've noticed. I think people are tired of having a laptop on their belly, and maybe they want to go around the corner and watch a movie with some other people.

Brian: Right, or a relatively small screen, even if, in TV terms, it's a big screen in your living room. How do people get this?

Cosmo: Go to lowcinema.com, and you'll find a program there, and you can get gift certificates.

Brian: Thank you very much, Cosmo. Good luck out there. Here's one in a text: "The League of Kitchens is the quintessential New York City food experience-," this says, "-and an amazing holiday gift. It's a cooking school where immigrant women teach their family recipes in their own home kitchens. There are 13 instructors all over the city." This says "Lebanese, Uzbek, Japanese, Indonesian, and more. Gift cards available. The League of Kitchens." I don't see your web address, so I guess you Google that. Craig in Williamsburg, you're on WNYC. Hi, Craig.

Craig Howe: Hey. How's it going, Brian? I am the owner and Director of the Williamsburg School of Music. We're on the corner of Bedford Avenue and Broadway, right next to the pedestrian entrance of the bridge. We're coming into our 14th year. We offer private and group lessons for all ages, all skill levels, all styles. We have an after-school program. We've got day camps and summer camps, and group classes for adults, also.

Right now, we're running a holiday special. You can get discounted lesson packages and summer camp packages until the end of the year.

Brian: Williamsburg School of Music; people should just Google that?

Craig: They can also go to williamsburgschoolofmusic.net. It's super long, I know. It's ".net," not ".com," or they can email us at info@williamsburgschoolofmusic.net.

Brian: Awesome, Craig. Thank you very much. Bob in Montclair, you're on WNYC. Hi, Bob.

Bob Kulhan: Hey, Brian. It's great to hear from or to talk with you, as I'm a big fan. Thank you very much for doing this for all of us who do experiential learning and small businesses.

Brian: You bet. Great to hear from you. What you got?

Bob: Business Improv. I'm a Chicago-trained improviser now living in the New York area. 27 years ago, I started extracting the tenets of improvisation that would otherwise be used to produce comedy and redirected them to personal and professional development. We have online programs, we have virtual programs, and, of course, in-person programs.

Brian: How do people get it?

Bob: businessimprov.com.

Brian: "Improv" is such an interesting word to apply to that kind of thing. You say people are on their feet. Do people stand during this and interact?

Bob: Absolutely. Well, you don't have to stand. Improvisation is a communication and collaboration-based art form. It's rooted in team dynamics, it's rooted in creativity and innovation, conflict management, difficult conversations. It's rooted in people skills, crucial human-connection skills, and, of course-- [crosstalk]

Brian: Thank you very much. Business Improv. Whoops, I cut you off before you were done. I apologize. Business Improv sounds really interesting. Here's a nice one from mebody who writes, "I will treat some friends to a New York Philharmonic concert." With the price of all kinds of concert tickets these days, that's a nice gift, a concert ticket. Somebody else says in a text, "Gift certificates for a class to make your own stained glass, willowdeepstudio.com. willowdeepstudio.com."

Someone else writes that they got their husband guitar lessons, but it turns out he has no rhythm. Womp, womp. [laughs] Nevertheless, yes, we had that school of music on before. How about, okay, more music lessons. Christian in Jersey City, you're on WNYC. Hello.

Christian Finger: Yes. Hi, Brian. Thanks so much for taking my call. It's an honor to be on your show since I listen to it every day. Thanks for giving me the opportunity. I'm running the nydrumschool.com, and since you just mentioned a listener who apparently has no rhythm, that does not exist. I've heard that a lot in my career. Then, whoops, three weeks later or something, the guys are playing the band. It's all about getting good lessons and getting good instructions, and getting motivated.

I offer lessons for all levels, ages, and styles. I have three locations. I teach here in Jersey City, but I have, also, a beautiful studio in Brooklyn and in Manhattan. I'm covering the whole area, so to speak, and people have a lot of fun. It's very fun and creative, and they play in bands, or they meet other musicians, or by themselves, or play for a family. I cover all kinds of different grooves: rock, pop, jazz, Latin, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Indian rhythms. It's a lot of fun, and rhythm is super important for your mental health, too. There's a lot of studies that show,- [crosstalk]

Brian: Really fun.

Christian: -yes, that it helps Alzheimer's. [crosstalk]

Brian: You have these classes-- because drumming with other people is awesome.

Christian: Yes, exactly. I do group-- [crosstalk]

Brian: Multiple drummers?

Christian: Yes, exactly. It's very-- [crosstalk]

Brian: How do people get them, Christian?

Christian: I have my website, www.nydrumschool.com. "NY" like "New York." nydrumschool.com.

Brian: Thank you for sharing it. Let's see, one more? We'll do a quick one. Fred in Manhattan, you're on WNYC. We've got about 20 seconds for you. Hello.

Fred Pflantzer: Good. Thank you, Brian. My name is Fred Pflantzer, and I own a company called NYSee Tours. What we're doing is offering a tour out to Dyker Heights in Brooklyn to see the lights. Now, it's much more than just seeing the lights. As we make our way to Dyker Heights through New York City, we get to explore neighborhoods. It's very highly rated. It's very safe. It's very comfortable. You could reach us at NYSee Tours.

Brian: NYSee Tours, and that has to be the last word from you, Fred. Thank you very much, NYSee Tours, because that's the last word in this segment, and, in fact, for Shop Listener for 2025. Again, anybody who didn't get on the air, who wants to post any kind of holiday gift that you're selling, you can still go to wnyc.org/shoplistener and put yourself on the map and on the list.

For the rest of you, yes, if you're still looking for a holiday gift, Shop Listener at wnyc.org/shoplistener. Support your fellow listeners and their small businesses. Thanks for listening, everybody. We'll be back tomorrow morning with an all-call-in show for Christmas Eve morning. Talk to you then.

[MUSIC - The Brian Lehrer Show Outro]

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