Magical Moment 138, "Play Me, I'm Yours"

After 8 months of living here as a struggling musician, there are areas of New York City that I know pretty well. But there are many I haven’t dared to explore yet. I’m comfortable with a handful of subway lines, but clueless when it comes to others. I still keep my laminated map of the city in my purse and can pull it out, orient myself, and figure out where to go in a matter of seconds, from the time the train stops til the doors close. In an effort to visit every nook and cranny of New York City and its 5 boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island), I’m going to play 60 pianos in two weeks.

A nonprofit organization called Sing For Hope, has set up pianos on sidewalks and city parks throughout 5 boroughs. Any passerby can show off their skills on one of the colorful pianos marked with the words, “Play me, I’m yours.” After the two weeks, the pianos will be donated to local schools.

I began my trek yesterday, knocking out 5 pianos in lower Manhattan - Battery Park, City Hall Park, TriBeCa Park (2), and Seward Park in Chinatown. My favorite location was Seward Park in Chinatown. As soon as I started playing, children gathered around me and asked to hear lullabies. I played Twinkle Little Star, Mary Had a Little Lamb, and The Eensy Weensy Spider for them. Those are the best moments. What is the point in playing music, if not for others to enjoy?

This is gonna be hard, but fun! I’ve started an album of pictures for each location on facebook. To see more photos, click here. To see videos, click here. I’ll keep you posted!

Short video clip from Seward Park:

Comments

Christopher said…

This is really cool.

June 22, 2010 at 10:26 PM

Anonymous said…

This looks like fun. I would join you if I lived closer! Anita

June 23, 2010 at 8:58 AM

D Krasny said…

I knew I couldn't have been the only one that thought of this. My documentation gets posted here: finishthesentence.tumblr.com

Hope you're having fun doing it - I know I am. Best of luck,

-Dmitriy.

June 29, 2010 at 1:26 AM

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