Play Me I'm Yours

What would you do if you came across a piano?  All alone.  Just minding it's business on the pavement, spray painted with the words: “Play me I'm yours”?

I've never played before but I doubt that would stop me from wanting to have a go.  Which is just the kind of attitude the artist responsible for donating these pianos to the streets is going for.  From the 8th of May ten pianos were distributed around Birmingham, from the 20th of June 22 pianos are going to be arranged, inside and out around London, and Bristol gets 20 from the 6th of September.  The end of the installation depends on how long the pianos survive in the wild – some of them are left exposed to the elements, but even the ones that aren't aren't going to receive the TLC that will keep them in tune and in tip top condition.  Survivors are given permanent homes somewhere in the city.

A Street Pianos website has been set up for people to comment on their own interaction with the pianos and try and follow each piano's lifespan.  The whole thing is the brainchild of Luke Jerram, who's previous installations have included floating an orchestra in a hot air balloon, and the Fierce Arts Organisation. 

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Comments

This is cool. Did you find any yet?

 

Comment posted 9th July 2009 by Al James.

2 replies...

Yep - there's one at the top of Carnaby Street. I was there for a sing-a-long a few weeks ago: it's very fun, an old fashioned knees up with a musical theatre twist. I've been looking for the other ones still - any ideas would be welcome.

 

Reply posted 10th July 2009 by Kat Mackintosh.

There's another one near Bank - as in The Bank. And one in Hammersmith, outside the Lyric. The Carnaby Street one is still going strong...

 

Reply posted 13th July 2009 by Kat Mackintosh.

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