This would have been a no-brainer for any of my ancestors. Your shoes wear out, you patch ‘em. And patch ‘em. And keep patching ‘em til there’s no shoe and just the patches. Then–and only then–do you contemplate throwing them out.

As I watched my favorite pair of shoes develop holes in the soles I was despondent and tried to deny that street water was entering onto my socks. Then I stopped wearing them, and simply abandoned them in the closet. After a month or two as I gathered some old clothes to give away I decided it was time to toss the shoes and maybe try to find that same brand online.

Then I remembered my early days in NYC, when the shoe repair shop on the corner of 94th and 3rd saved my soles many, many times. I drove around Huntington Beach until I found a tiny little shop within a large, bland strip mall. I handed my dilapidated brown shoes to the elderly proprietor and showed him the mangled bottoms. He discussed my shoes in a language I didn’t know with another cobbler in the shop, then turned to me, grinned and said “Next Thursday?”

Magic words.

My shoes are fixed. They look terrific. And I walk happy.

The pop-up restaurant phenomenon is old news at this point. But good news for all those intrepid diners eating Ludo Lefebvre-style dishes in someone’s living room–you could have fugues and sonatas playing along with each course. Chamber orchestras are staging a comeback, capitalizing on flexibility and low overhead to thrive–often in unlikely places. An empty church, grammar school classrooms, someone’s living room, even alleys and subway stations, all are venues for a strong revival of live classical performances. While debt-strapped traditional symphony orchestras are closing, chamber orchestras are growing. Nearly three dozen new orchestras have launched since 2000, according to the League of American Orchestras.

The Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra in lower Manhattan often plays in the lofts and dining rooms of its patrons. With one full-time staff member and no office, founder/composer Gary Fagin keeps his musicians nimble. One event may have a group of 12 strings while another features the entire 33-piece ensemble. But no matter where or what the orchestra plays, one thing remains constant: it always ends with a waltz.

Another small orchestra in the Los Angeles arts district played its first concert at a skateboarding park. Traction Avenue Chamber Orchestra led by not-quite-30 year old Ali Helnwein, will even play on rooftops and other places where young people hang out. Far from being bored with Baroque and modern classical pieces, Helnwein asserts that younger music lovers are eager to hear more but often don’t bother with huge concert halls and correspondingly high ticket prices. Many chamber orchestras give free concerts although others intend to build theirs as a viable business.

Whichever way they go, chamber music ensembles may bring the classics back to the table.

This is one of my all-time favorite shots. And believe me, it was not well planned. I hunted around a few shops for something to put all of these drawer pulls in not having any idea what would work. Styling is like that much of the time. And much of the time you end up finding the perfect prop.

That’s what’s so fun about photostyling. You can be the most organized person on the planet and something unexpected always happens. A model doesn’t show up (true story). A homeowner in an elaborate home has no decent towels or tablecloths. The last shot of the day just won’t come together. Often you are on a limited budget and have to improvise radically to get the stuff that you need.

It builds character. It’s hard work. But it’s immensely rewarding.