Mom always said that there would be a day you’d regret quitting piano after just three lessons. If you live in New York, that day might fall later this month as 60 fully functional pianos land in public spaces throughout the city.
The interactive installation by British artist Luke Jerram, which has toured the world under the name “Play Me, I’m Yours,” will be brought to the Big Apple by nonprofit Sing For Hope. The pianos will be unveiled June 21 and they’ll be stationed in parks across the five boroughs (click here for a full list of locations) until July 5.
“The pianos act as sculptural, musical, empty canvases that become a reflection of the communities they are embedded into,” Jerram, who describes himself as a “colour blind installation artist,” writes on his website: “‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ is a provocation, inviting the public to engage with, activate and take ownership of their urban environment.”
Thousands of world citizens have shared their experiences with “Play Me, I’m Yours” at the work’s official site. Jerram encourages piano players, listeners and appreciators to share video of their interactions with the installation online.
If you want, you can get even more involved. Each of the 60 pianos needs a “piano buddy” – someone to unlock the keyboard, cover the piano when it rains and report daily activity. You can sign up here.
But maybe the best part of the piano project is what happens to the valuable instruments once the installation is done. On July 5, the pianos will be wrapped up and donated to local schools and hospitals where they’ll be used to play “Chopsticks” and the first bars of “Stairway to Heaven” for years to come.
Photo provided by Luke Jerram via Sing for Hope.
