MindTravel to Bring a Sunset Symphony to Cape May’s Sunset Beach

Issue #799

September 05, 2026

In partnership with

Protect your identity now with Coveron comprehensive coverage

Identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in America. Criminals don't wait to steal everything, they test stolen identities with small charges before launching major fraud. By the time you notice, they've opened credit cards, taken out loans, or claimed tax refunds in your name.

Coveron watches your credit 24/7, monitors the dark web, and alerts you immediately when suspicious activity is detected. We watch, we warn, we help recover:

  • Up to $1M to cover identity theft recovery costs.

  • Up to $10K for losses from online scams.

  • Up to $50K to cover eligible costs, including payments made in response to the threats.

And with dedicated case managers to handle the legal and financial mess.

One scam can cost you everything - protect yourself now. The first 100 users get 20% off with code beehiivenewsletter.

30-day money-back guarantee. Terms and conditions apply.

 

In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather 

🎹 MindTravel to Bring a Sunset Symphony to Cape May’s Sunset Beach

🦙This Cape May Alpaca Farm Offers a Fuzzy Break From the Jersey Shore 

🍅West Cape May Tomato Festival Returns Today!

Cape May Local Scoop’s Events Are Sponsored By: Survivors of Cancer

👇 Here’s what’s going on in the Cape May Local Area👇

 September 5

Have an Upcoming Event?

,

No follow-up questions required

Every sales leader knows the feeling. You walk into a pipeline review with a number you believe in, and twenty minutes later, you're defending every line item to a CEO who just wants to know what's actually going to close.

HubSpot Sales Hub ends that conversation. Every deal, every rep's activity, and every buyer signal are all in one place and updated automatically. So your forecast is built on what's actually happening. And when you present that number, you can stand behind it.

 MindTravel to Bring a Sunset Symphony to Cape May’s Sunset Beach

Cape May’s Sunset Beach is already known as a place where people gather to watch the sun disappear over the Delaware Bay. On Sept. 16, the familiar evening ritual will have a new soundtrack when composer and pianist Murray Hidary brings his MindTravel experience to the beach.

MindTravel combines live, improvised piano music, wireless headphones and the natural environment to create an experience that is markedly different from a traditional concert. Rather than sitting in rows facing a stage, participants can wander along the beach, put their feet in the water or lie on the sand while listening to Hidary compose music in real time.

The upcoming Cape May performance is the latest stop in an idea Hidary first explored 12 years ago on Santa Monica Beach in California.

For that initial performance, he brought a piano onto the sand near the ocean at sunset and provided headphones to a small group of listeners. The headphones allowed participants to hear the music intimately while remaining immersed in the sights and sounds of the natural surroundings.

That experiment eventually grew into MindTravel, which now presents more than 200 outdoor concerts annually at beaches, parks and other locations across the country.

Hidary said he previously visited Cape May while searching for the right location to bring MindTravel to the area. Cape May Point State Park and its lighthouse were initially considered, but logistical and permitting challenges made that location difficult. MindTravel subsequently held events in Wildwood, while Hidary continued looking for a more intimate setting.

He found it at Sunset Beach.

The location offers a particularly fitting backdrop. Unlike most Jersey Shore beaches, Sunset Beach faces west toward the Delaware Bay, giving visitors an unobstructed view of the setting sun and routinely drawing crowds for sunset.

That constantly changing environment will also help shape the music Hidary performs.

A composer and pianist, Hidary does not arrive with a predetermined set list. His performances consist of original music improvised in the moment. The wind, water, changing light, waves and atmosphere around him can all become part of the inspiration for a performance lasting roughly two hours.

For Hidary, the rhythms and patterns found in nature already contain many of the elements associated with music. His role at the piano is, in part, to interpret those elements and transform the experience of the surrounding environment into music.

Taking a grand piano onto a beach, however, presents an obvious problem.

An acoustic piano would quickly suffer from changes in temperature, humidity, sand and salt air. Hidary solved that problem by creating a grand-piano-shaped sculpture containing an electronic piano. The instrument maintains the visual presence of a grand piano while being light and durable enough to travel to locations where a conventional instrument would be impractical.

And it has traveled remarkably far.

Hidary has taken the instrument into the mountains and even to Antarctica, where he performed and filmed a concert on the ice. More recently, he traveled with it to Greenland to film a performance connected with a total solar eclipse.

While Antarctica presented some of the greatest logistical challenges, even an ordinary beach performance requires careful planning. Equipment has to cross sand, weather can change quickly and setup sometimes takes place in the rain. MindTravel's crew has developed specialized equipment, including a motorized wagon, to transport everything needed for the performances.

The wireless headphones are another essential part of the concept.

From a distance, the performance is essentially silent. The audience hears Hidary's piano through headphones rather than speakers, limiting the sound impact on the surrounding environment. Once the headphones go on, however, listeners enter the musical experience.

The wireless system also gives participants considerable freedom to explore the beach while continuing to hear the performance. Its range extends hundreds of meters, allowing people to move around instead of remaining confined to a seat.

That freedom is central to what separates MindTravel from a conventional concert. Participants can find their own place on the beach and experience the music and sunset in whatever way feels natural to them.

Hidary's musical influences cross several traditions. Johann Sebastian Bach ranks prominently among his classical influences, particularly for the composer's ability to bring multiple musical voices and layers together.

Hidary also briefly studied with composer Philip Glass while attending college, giving him a connection to the minimalist tradition. Pianist Keith Jarrett, famous for lengthy improvised performances, was another important influence. Hidary attended Jarrett's concerts whenever possible while living in New York.

Indian classical musician Ravi Shankar also helped shape Hidary's thinking. Although Jarrett and Shankar came from very different musical traditions, Hidary sees both as examples of musicians capable of telling extended stories through improvisation.

Music was part of Hidary's life from childhood. His mother had wanted to learn piano when she was young but never received lessons. When she became a parent, she made sure her five children had the opportunity she had missed.

Hidary and his siblings grew up taking lessons and playing instruments together. He ultimately pursued music professionally, studying at New York University as a classical composer and pianist.

MindTravel, however, draws from more than Hidary's Western musical education.

He began practicing meditation as a teenager, and over time the influences of Western classical music and Eastern meditation, philosophy and mindfulness converged. What began as a private personal practice eventually became the foundation of the public MindTravel experience.

The result is intended to provide more than a musical performance. Hidary designed MindTravel as an opportunity for people to slow down, reflect and experience their surroundings differently through music.

Those curious about Hidary's work can find recordings under his name and MindTravel on streaming services including Spotify and Apple Music. But Hidary has another suggestion for first-time participants: consider arriving without listening beforehand.

Entering without expectations, he believes, can allow the listener to experience the improvised music, the surroundings and the moment with fresh ears.

At Sunset Beach, that moment will include one of Cape May's most distinctive natural settings — the Delaware Bay, the concrete ship, an open stretch of sand and a September sunset.

And somewhere on that beach will be a grand piano, a pianist composing in real time and a crowd of people wearing headphones, free to wander wherever the music takes them.

This Cape May Alpaca Farm Offers a Fuzzy Break From the Jersey Shore

A short drive from Cape May’s beaches and Victorian attractions leads to a considerably fuzzier South Jersey experience.

Jersey Shore Alpacas, located at 521 Route 47 in Cape May, gives visitors an opportunity to meet alpacas, learn about the animals and browse products made from their famously soft fleece. The small farm offers a change of pace for families, couples and other travelers looking to add a non-beach activity to a Cape May getaway.

The farm’s story dates to 2005, when its owners purchased their first alpacas. After completing a barn and the first paddocks, Andina, Chanel #5 and Cherokee arrived at the property in February 2006. The herd soon grew with the births of Annabel Lee and Oliver Twist that July.

At its largest, the farm was home to 21 alpacas. The owners have since stopped breeding as both they and the herd have grown older. The farm currently has 13 alpacas, each with its own personality. Rather than operating as a large walk-through attraction, Jersey Shore Alpacas emphasizes guided visits and relatively small groups.

Guests can get close to the animals while learning about their personalities, behavior and care. Guides also explain how visitors should approach and interact with the alpacas, helping keep encounters comfortable for both animals and people.

Feeding is one of the memorable parts of the experience. Carrots can quickly capture an alpaca’s attention and bring the animals within close range of visitors.

Alpacas still have minds of their own, however. Visitors should remember that spitting is among the behaviors they may occasionally encounter.

The owners began raising alpacas both because of their affection for the animals and as a small agricultural business. An important part of that business is alpaca fleece. Known for being exceptionally soft and warm, the fiber can be used for clothing and accessories including sweaters, hats, scarves and capes.

The farm store extends that part of the experience beyond the pasture. Visitors can browse a selection of Peruvian alpaca merchandise and other products, making the shop another reason to stop before leaving the property.

The farm's long history also reflects the close relationship between its owners and animals. One memorable episode occurred during Hurricane Irene, when members of the herd were reportedly moved into the owners' home for protection from the storm.

Location is one of Jersey Shore Alpacas' biggest advantages. Because the farm sits close to Cape May, a visit can be incorporated into a shore vacation without requiring travelers to devote an entire day to another destination. It offers families a break from the beach and provides an alternative when visitors want to see a quieter, agricultural side of Cape May County.

The relatively compact experience can also work for multigenerational outings, couples and groups of friends.

Visitors should plan ahead, however. Tours are organized by appointment and availability is limited. Popular dates and times may fill in advance, making reservations an important part of planning a visit.

For travelers accustomed to Cape May's beaches, restaurants and historic streets, Jersey Shore Alpacas offers something decidedly different: a small farm, an aging herd with individual personalities and an opportunity to discover another side of the Jersey Shore — one carrot at a time.

West Cape May Tomato Festival Returns Today!

West Cape May will celebrate its agricultural roots with the return of the annual Tomato Festival today!. The festival will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Backyard Park, located at 732 Broadway behind the West Cape May Fire House.

The community event celebrates all things tomato, with visitors able to shop for farm-fresh tomatoes, handmade tomato-themed products and a variety of tomato-inspired foods. The festival will also feature local vendors, crafts, live music and a beer garden, creating a full day of food and entertainment for residents and visitors.

The Tomato Festival also serves as a fundraiser for the West Cape May Shade Tree Commission. Proceeds will support the commission’s efforts to protect and improve the borough’s tree canopy and maintain the natural beauty of local parks and public spaces.

The annual celebration highlights West Cape May’s farming heritage while bringing the community together for one of the borough’s more distinctive late-summer traditions.

What was the name of the large hotel in Cape May that was intended to be the largest in the world but burned down before it was completed?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

 Answer to the September 4th Trivia Question 

What event in 1878 significantly shaped the architectural style of Cape May, leading to its large collection of Victorian homes?

A) The arrival of a famous architect
B) The completion of the Cape May Lighthouse
C) A five-day-long fire that destroyed much of the town
D) The discovery of Cape May diamonds

Answer: C) A five-day-long fire that destroyed much of the town

In 1878, a devastating fire lasting five days destroyed 30 blocks of Cape May's town center. The rebuilding efforts that followed focused on Victorian architecture, which is why Cape May is now known for its well-preserved Victorian homes​ .

How Did We Do In This Issue?

Cape May Local Scoop Wants To Know Your Thoughts About Our Newsletter...

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.