Play Me, I'm Yours... Day 14

Covered a lot of distance today! While I can't tell you how many miles I traveled by subway and ferry, I can tell you I stepped foot in 4 different boroughs today and walked 20,000+ steps according to my pedometer.

Piano 33: Staten Island Ferry Terminal
Got an early start and took the 1 train down to South Ferry. I remember when you had to make sure you were in the first five cars of the train to get off there. That has changed now. It was close to 9 am, so I thought I was going to miss the Staten Island Ferry which runs every half hour, but it turns out I was right on time! The ferry ride provided a cool-down -- I had goosebumps, even, from the breeze. As we approached Staten Island, I looked for the piano but couldn't find it. I knew there had to be a view of the Statue of Liberty because one video I saw posted on the Street Pianos website ended with a close-up of Lady Liberty. I barely exited the terminal building when I saw the piano. Someone was sitting at it but only to tie his shoe. When he got up, I sat down and chromatically tested the keys. Several weren't working. What a shame.

Because several adjacent keys were unplayable, that limited my song choices and affected what I did play. First up was "Arithmetic." A female Department of Transportation worker was taking a cigarette break to my left. I could see her in my peripheral vision. To my right, a homeless man was sleeping in a bench. People were walking behind me to enter the ferry terminal. After I finished playing, the DOT worker came up to me and said this was the first time she'd heard somebody play the piano as she usually takes breaks at a different part of the terminal. She said she was glad that I was livening up the place and suggested that I come back to play some more and put out a container for money. I told her that it was a public art project, so I wasn't interested in money. She asked if I knew the theme song from Titanic, and I said that I used to know how to play "My Heart Will Go On," but I didn't have it memorized. I played "Nightminds" second but had some trouble keeping the sheet music in place. The wind knocked over another book that was supposed to be holding down the music! For my third song, I played Josh Groban's "You're Still You" and rested the piano book on my lap so it wouldn't blow away. Two male workers stood for a break, but they were talking loudly to each other about work. It was slightly distracting because I could really hear what they were saying, but they stayed put to chat and I stayed put to play. The fourth and final song I played on Staten Island was "The Special Two."

Requisite passing ferry shot

Requisite Statue of Liberty shot

Piano 34: Battery Park
I spent 50 minutes riding the ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island and back. Fifty minutes for half an hour on Staten Island, but it was worth it! I walked to Battery Park from South Ferry and knew that the piano was somewhere near Castle Clinton, where you can buy tickets to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Sure enough, I found the piano on a path lined with benches and sat down to play "Arithmetic." To my right, a couple of men were talking to each other, and to my left, some people sat down. When I finished the song, a woman standing behind me clapped and said, "Yay!" and a man started humming some of the last instrumental strains of the song. Very cool! I played "Nightminds" as my second and final song. The pedal wasn't working as the piano was too low to the ground. There was no room to properly step on the pedal.

Battery Park -- one of the bigger pianos of the project

Piano 35: Stone Street
After a few map checks along the way, I found my way to a street aptly named Stone Street. The piano was sitting in the relentless, hot sun. The keys were hot to the touch. It was like having to grab hold of a steering wheel after your car's been parked in a lot with no shade. Thus, I only stayed for one song -- you guessed it: "Arithmetic"! Surprisingly, a B key on the piano wasn't working, but I played anyway.

Hot, hot, hot!  I took this picture while crouching in the shade.  Interesting top of the piano.  Is the extra part for displaying more knick-knacks?  I can't figure it out...

Strike One
Walked to South Street Seaport and had some trouble spotting the piano -- there were a lot of people around for the holiday, and there was also a travel & tourism exhibit promoting the great state of Texas (holla, Cabellon family of Round Rock!). I knew the piano had to be by the ships, but I wasn't entirely sure of the angle. I spotted the piano, and a woman in a dress was sitting down at it... but then, when I got closer I noticed she was only fake playing the piano because it was locked! She and two guys looked like they were going to do some video filming, but they were out of luck too.

Potential piano player on the right waiting for the piano buddy who would not come to save the day...

Strike Two
I headed up to Harlem Art Park for the second day in a row, but unfortunately, the park was closed. The gate was locked, and it must have been due to the holiday... I couldn't bring myself to take a picture. As this was only one of two remaining Manhattan pianos that I needed to play to complete my goal, I was downtrodden. I was worried about a strike three for the day. It would have been the right balance, I guess. Three pianos played, three pianos not. I decided to take my chances...

Piano 36: Joyce Kilmer Park
I took the 4 train north to the Bronx. A lot of people on the train were going to the Yankees game, and we all got off at the same stop. Having studied the Google map online for this particular piano, I knew that Joyce Kilmer Park was two blocks east of Yankee Stadium. I also knew that it was in a residential area, so the piano would only be available until 4 pm. When I arrived at the piano, a woman was standing at it and testing the keys. She sat down to play while her daughter ran around the park. She even pulled out some sheet music, and I offered to hold it for her, but she said she was OK. She played a beautiful piece from memory. We got to talking, and she said she lives in Washington Heights and had been traveling around with her daughter to play the pianos. She went to the Coney Island piano and talked about terrible state of the piano but that the gorgeous view made up for it, and she felt like her performance was being carried across the ocean to other countries. I enjoyed talking to her and expressed my wish for the pianos to return next year. She had her doubts about that. Or, at least thought that it would be a smaller project with fewer pianos. She did say that this project has been wonderful in getting New Yorkers to strike up conversations and in learning about strangers who are musicians. She said that the best pianists could be workers who need to work a 9-to-5 job to pay the rent. Too true. I took pictures for her, and then she let me have a go at the piano.

I started "Arithmetic" and a few young girls came over to listen to me play and sing, so I sang to them. When I finished, I asked two young ones if they knew "Mary Had a Little Lamb." The older one shook her head for the both of them. I then asked if they knew their "ABC's" and the older one nodded. The younger one didn't say anything when I asked her, so the older one said that she didn't know them yet. I invited the older one to sing with me, but both girls ended up just listening to me. :) The younger one (pictured below in the pink bathing suit) looked like she wanted to play the piano, but she was too short to reach the keys while standing, so I lifted her onto the piano bench, so she could try it out.

When she finished, I sat back down and played "Nightminds" for everyone, including an adult couple (the parents of one of the children, I presume) sitting on a bench. They asked me about the project, so I told them about it. A couple of older girls stood by the piano, and I asked them if they knew how to play. They said, "No, but we want to hear you play." So I obliged and pulled out the sheet music for "Grow Old With Me" and anchored it with piano books, but it was too breezy, so one girl helped me by holding down the music. So sweet of her to do so! I thanked her and then went on my way. The man asked if I was going to play more pianos, and I said I didn't think so because it was so hot!

I ended up going home around 3 in the afternoon. Took a shower, rested, turned on the computer, downloaded my pictures from my camera, opened up a new blog post -- this blog post -- and realized, "I'm not done playing pianos for the day." I made up my mind to hit up some pianos in Brooklyn and printed out a Google map to be safe. I replenished the supplies in my backpack and headed out the door at about 6 o'clock...

Piano 37: Willoughby Plaza
Took the A train all the way to Jay Street/Borough Hall and found Willoughby Plaza. If I were in "The Amazing Race," I'd want my race partner to be the expert map reader because I got a little disoriented in Brooklyn. No matter, I eventually found my way and sat down at the piano. A family was enjoying some fried chicken while I played. They didn't pay attention to me, but I played for the walking passersby. In fact, while I was playing "Arithmetic," I looked up several times, and while nobody truly stopped, some people smiled at me while they walked by. (In writing this and reflecting on my experience, I hope I smiled back at them. I really have to concentrate when I play from memory, and I sure hope they got that I was appreciative of their smiles even though I have no idea what kind of expression my face was making!)

Next, I played "Remember When It Rained." The song calls for varying dynamics, including forte for the big finale, but try as I might to produce loud sounds, the piano would only offer, well piano (that is, a soft volume).  I kept that in mind for my final two songs and ended up playing "Scarlet" and "Nightminds."

I did try to take a couple self-portrait pics of me with the piano, but neither was very flattering, so here's a solo shot of the piano!  Love the colors!

Piano 38: Columbus Park
The piano at Columbus Park (right in front of Borough Hall) was relatively close to Willoughby Plaza! When I spotted the piano, somebody had just walked away, but then a group of three people made it to the piano before I did. I stopped to look around while a woman played "Heart & Soul." Surprisingly, that was the first time I'd heard it played over the past two weeks! The three of them didn't stay very long, so I took my place at -- get this -- an upright cinder block. That's right. There was no bench, so someone had used one of the cinder blocks (there to keep the piano from being stolen) as a bench. I adjusted my "block" and sat down to play "Arithmetic." Almost immediately, a father laughed with joy as his young son, a toddler wearing an Elmo shirt (literally, the face of Elmo on a red shirt) and shorts began to dance with enthusiasm. I so wish this were capture on film or even as a photo, but being that I was the piano player and singer, I had no available hands to stop and capture it. I turned my head to watch the boy dance, and I could see people sitting on the steps enjoying all the entertainment.

For my next song, I chose "The Special Two." Not exactly dance music, so I think the father and son went on their way before I finished playing. But before I started, a group of people stopped, and I heard a man with an Australian accent say, "Missy Higgins! She's from Australia!" And I said, "Yes, she is!" His companions didn't look as thrilled as I did, so I turned back to the piano and began to play. (They didn't stay very long either, haha.)

For my third song, I decided to pull out RENT and played "Your Eyes."  The open area of the park allowed the piano's sound to carry, so I really gave it my all at the end. Immediately after I finished, a woman called out, "One more!" She wanted to hear me play another, and it turns out she's Filipina. She had asked if I was Chinese, but I told her, of course, who I am.  It turns out, her daughter, who is a nurse in the Philippines, is also a piano teacher. I was going to play another song for her, but then a man politely asked if I would let his female friend play -- they were documenting her playing each of the 10 pianos in Brooklyn. I happily let them. The woman placed her sheet music for Bach's Prelude in C Major -- a beautiful piece I learned to play once upon a time -- and began to play. I knew it was breezy, so I held down the music while she played and was pleased with myself that I was able to follow along and move my hands out of the way for each particular page she needed to play. I'll have to take a look at the Street Pianos website to see if I'm in any of the pictures or if I see the woman in any of the Brooklyn pictures.  She thanked me for holding down the music, and then they were on their way to the next piano.

The woman who made the request for one more song had to be on her way, so she didn't get to hear me play "Nightminds." After that, I stood up and placed my backpack on the cinder-bench to pack up my music. A woman and her daughter who had been sitting on the steps of Borough Hall stopped by and asked if I was done playing. I said yes, and the woman said her daughter was a big RENT fan and was singing along. If only I heard her! The daughter had a wide grin on her face, and I told them both that I was so happy they recognized the song and were the first to say something about it. What a thrill!

I wonder if the original bench was decorated...

All right, a bit of decoration.  But an even cooler backdrop.

Piano 39: Brooklyn Bridge Park
A lot of people were walking west, so I joined in with them. I wasn't sure exactly where I was, although the area was slightly familiar as I've seen my friend Meghan play in the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra at St. Ann's Church. Eventually I ended up at Brooklyn Heights Promenade. A lot of people were sitting down. I think they might have been waiting for the fireworks in an hour's time, but I overheard a guard tell someone that you couldn't see the fireworks from the promenade. I was glad that wasn't my final destination. I walked north to Brooklyn Bridge Park and made my way to the piano, which I knew had a spectacular view of the bridge, Manhattan, and the Statue of Liberty. A teenage boy was soulfully playing on the piano. He could be the next Eric Hutchinson or James Morrison. He played a little Michael Jackson for the growing crowd.

He let a man play a piece and then sat back down to play some more. I inched closer to the piano so that 1) I could hear better and 2) that I could hint that I wanted to play too. Then, all of a sudden, I see a man with a professional camera filming and decided I could wait. I didn't want to be filmed on this occasion. Well, it turns out these people were speaking in French, and a woman wearing eyeglasses asked me if I was waiting to play. I told her yes, and she asked if I wouldn't mind letting them do a two-and-a-half minute performance so they could capture the light of the setting sun. Sure, why not? The performer, it turns out, didn't know how to play the song on the piano. She was just lip-synching words to a song, and they were using the pianos & locations as props & backgrounds for their music video. The woman wearing eyeglasses would give directions to the performer in French. It was kind of cool to see it all, but at the same time, it was a little bizarre. I'd be curious to see the final, edited video but most likely never will see it...

After they finished filming, I sat down to play "Arithmetic." The soulful teen stood at the piano tapped out a quiet beat on the piano while I played. A woman sitting on the bench asked me to play another song when I finished, and another woman standing behind me asked if she could play. I got up to let her play and while I waited my turn, a guy asked if I was from Seattle. I thought to myself, "Hey wait, how does he know that? Oh right, I'm wearing a University of Washington T-shirt." I said yes but that I now live in New York, and we high-fived each other because he and the woman he was with was also from Seattle and he was now calling New York his home too. He said I did a good job representing Seattle.

For my second song, I played "Nightminds" and the soulful teen helped me out by holding down the sheet music. I knew I was in my groove for the ending and nailed it. Phew! After a little applause, I told the soulful teen that I wanted to hear him play again. He played some Coldplay and then got requests for Justin Bieber (haha).

He asked if I wanted to play again, and I declined. "You sure?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm sure," I replied with a smile.  I didn't mean to disappoint in the sense of capping my set to two songs, but I also didn't want to disappoint by playing a song I could potentially mess up! The day was succumbing to darkness, and if you've been reading all these blog entries, you know how much I rely on sheet music! As I walked away, I smiled to myself and thought of the line from the musical Gypsy -- in a non-stripping sense, mind you -- "Make them beg for more... and then don't give it to them!" It was good to end on a figurative high note and let others play on into the night.

Slightly blurry, but here's the Brooklyn Bridge with the patriotic Empire State Building

It was almost time for the fireworks when I decided to buy an ice cream from Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. I could not help myself. I was hungry. I probably should have tried the organic veggie quesadilla instead for something more substantial, but my sweet tooth had another plan for me. I enjoyed my peaches 'n' cream in a waffle cone as I saw some of the fireworks on the opposite side of Manhattan. If the crowd at Brooklyn Bridge Park was big, I can only imagine the crowds along the West Side Highway. The A train was, indeed, packed on the way home. Luckily I had a seat, since I came from Brooklyn.

Update on my final goals:
1) Play all remaining pianos in Manhattan (2 more to go) and
2) Play at least one piano in each borough (COMPLETE).

Total Pianos Played By Borough:
The Bronx: 1 piano
Brooklyn: 3 pianos
Manhattan: 32 pianos
Queens: 2 pianos
Staten Island: 1 piano

Play Me, I'm Yours... Day 12

Lots of pianos to discuss, so I'm going to jump right in...

Piano 21: Riverbank State Park - blue piano
Was able to take the day off work, so I planned out my piano journey. I decided to return to Riverbank State Park because I knew exactly where the unplayed piano was. When I arrived, a young girl was playing the piano. When she finished, I sat down and played "Nightminds" and then "Remember When It Rained," my first Josh Groban song for this art project. Toward the end of RWIR, two children -- one girl and one boy -- came up and listened to me play. The sheet music started to waver from the breeze, and all of a sudden an older woman (their grandmother, I presume) stepped behind the piano and held the music for me. I looked up at her and smiled. After I finished playing, we discussed the pianos a little bit. I asked her if she played.  She answered that she took lessons over 50 years ago and joked that she couldn't even play scales now. I played one more song, "Arithmetic," and since it was still the morning, my voice hadn't fully warmed up yet, so I sang a softer version of the song -- closer to the way it was originally recorded by Brooke Fraser, actually. It was nice to give the song a more intimate feel, what with my audience of three standing right by the piano.

The girl who listened to me play Josh Groban and Brooke Fraser sat down to play after I finished.

Piano 22: Central Park: Dana Discovery Center
Got back on the 1 train, and it turned out it was going express to 96th Street, which worked to my advantage. At 96th, I transferred to the uptown 3 train and got off at 110th. Based on the Google map posted the Street Pianos website, I walked west after entering Central Park. I searched and searched for the piano. Based on pictures, I knew it was by the water, so then I started to circle Harlem Meer. It wasn't until I was halfway around the body of water that I heard the piano and spotted it across the way! It was to the east, not the west. I kept walking around Harlem Meer, but wow, it took much longer than I expected. If only the Google map were accurate in the first place...

I may have taken the long way 'round, but at least the view was gorgeous!

When I arrived at the piano, a girl was playing it, and then a mother encouraged her young son to play. He didn't really know how to play, but he was having fun pressing the keys. Then another mother encouraged her son to play, and he knew a short and sweet piece. Very cute. The girl was going to return to the piano, but I asked if I could squeeze in two songs, and she graciously let me do so. I played "Special Two" by Missy Higgins, and after I finished, a man said it was "very nice." For my second song, I played "Arithmetic." I kept my word and got up. Here's a parting shot of the piano, which sounded wonderful, and the actual keys were so smooth to play. (Same with the Riverbank State blue piano -- they were lovely-to-the-touch keys, and I'm not talking about the feel of the keys but the actual playing/pressing of the keys!

Piano 23: Metropolitan Museum (Central Park: Cleopatra's Needle)
After eating my first-ever potato knish for lunch in Central Park, I took a bus down Fifth Avenue to the Met. Luckily, I had done my research on the Street Pianos website and learned that the piano at the Met was actually behind the museum and inside Central Park at a place called Cleopatra's Needle. I'd never heard of this place in Central Park, but it's an Egyptian obelisk. Very cool.

I let the sounds of the piano being played guide me and found my way. It was HOT and sunny, so I stood in the shade of the obelisk while the man before me played. He played a wide variety of songs, including "Maple Leaf Rag" (quite a popular tune for this art project), a fun ditty I didn't recognize, and Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." He invited everyone to sing along, but I just listened.

I played "Arithmetic" from memory. One woman came up to the piano for my second and final song "Nightminds." After I finished, she said she didn't know the song, so I told her that it was written by Missy Higgins, a singer-songwriter from Australia. She said that my performance was a "spot-on interpretation and genuine." I was -- and still am -- so humbled by her kind words. I stayed to listen to the woman play a little bit, but it really was hot, so I moved on.

Piano 24: Central Park: Bandshell
Took another bus down Fifth Avenue for about 10 blocks and entered Central Park again at 72nd Street for my final Central Park piano at the Bandshell. It's funny, I wasn't quite sure where it was, but then when I looked at a map in the park, I saw that it was just south of Bethesda Fountain, which I've been to several times! I never knew they were so close to each other. I remember the Bandshell from walking in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure last September. Unfortunately, someone stole the bench at this piano. Terrible!

Love the decoration of this piano.

After a couple men experimented with the piano, it was my turn to play. I played "Arithmetic" first, and a guy asked me about the song, so I told him about it. I asked if he played the piano; he said no but that he played the guitar. Next, I played "Grow Old With Me." It was during this song that I discovered one of the E keys wasn't working. Oh well. The guy who asked me about "Arithmetic" asked if I knew any Beethoven. Sadly, I could not honor his request. My third song was "Special Two," and my final song was "Nightminds." While I was playing "Nightminds," a woman came up behind me and started clapping and said, "I've been looking for you!" After I finished, I spoke with her. We didn't know each other, but she was just implying that she'd been wanting to see someone perform on the piano. Her name's Beverly, and she's retired now, but she said she used to work in the costume department under Joseph Papp for the Public Theater, including Shakespeare in the Park. Very cool. We both lamented on the lack of a bench. It was difficult to play standing up. I had to shift my weight to my left leg, so that I could use the pedal with my right, and it got tiring. Beverly didn't play, but we stayed to listen to a pair of men play two duets incredibly well -- professionally well. They came prepared with sheet music, and I even held down the music and turned pages for their second piece. What an honor.

Piano 25: Little Red Square at Bleecker Street and Sixth Avenue
After resting a bit in Central Park, I almost felt like calling it quits for the day, but another part of me felt the need to continue, so I took the local C train from 72nd and Central Park West all the way down to West 4th. And yes, I napped on the train. I found the piano at Little Red Square (never knew it was called that until this project), and there were some women sitting right by it. They didn't move when I played, but they didn't exactly look like they were paying attention either. I played "Arithmetic" followed by a decent attempt at "Anthem" from the musical Chess. It was slightly difficult to hear the piano, but I did OK. After I finished, a man sitting at a bench behind me requested "one more" song, so I played "Nightminds."

This is a picture of a picture of a cat resting on the piano.  It was taped to the piano.

Piano 26: St. Mark's Church
My energy perked back up after playing at Little Red Square. I walked up Sixth Avenue and decided I would turn right onto West 8th Street. As luck would have it, there was a crosstown bus on 8th right as I turned the corner, so I rode it to the stop closest to Astor Place. There was a bit of a crowd there, so I decided to walk to St. Mark's Church. I had to wait a little bit, but it was nice to sit and rest. An elderly woman threw bread on the ground for the pigeons, and when they flocked to the carbs, it reminded me of Piazza San Marco in Venice. How fitting is it that there are pigeons at two places called San Marco / St. Mark's? Finally, the piano freed up, and I played "Arithmetic" and "Nightminds." A few people stopped to listen and then walked away.

The second player after my arrival at St. Mark's Church

I was content after two songs and decided to head farther east...

Piano 27: Tompkins Square Park
Luckily, it didn't take me to long to find the piano in the park. I was worried I wouldn't find it easily. I noticed one of the previous players from St. Mark's Church had just wowed the crowd and got up. People were taking turns, so a little boy played, followed by another man, then another, and then another.

Then, another guy was summoned back to the piano. He was very, very, very good! He could play a lot of popular (as in recognizable) music, including Neil Diamond and Billy Joel. He could play on request, such as songs by Ben Folds. There was a rousing version of "Army" sung by the crowd. If he didn't know a song from memory, he was very good at improvising. I was amazed. A skateboarder in the crowd requested "Imagine," and while the guy didn't truly know it, he was able to get the basic chords down, and he and the skateboarder did an improvised variation based on "Imagine" that transitioned into a sing-along for "Hey Jude." Several more songs were played until the talented guy's fingers started to bleed. He just said that he couldn't do more "glissandos" (I just looked it up, and technically, the plural is glissandi), but colloquially, "glissandos" sounded perfectly right to me! A violinist turned up to play and sing Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" and "Ring of Fire" while he was accompanied by the popular piano player. A guitarist also stopped by to lend his support. The skateboarder borrowed the guitar, and they played an original song and also an improvised blues jam session. It was so amazing.

Fantastic Four: the pop piano player, the skateboarder, the violinist, the guitarist

I was in no rush and loved all the music. Eventually, the pop player got up from the piano, and it was just the skateboard sitting down on the bench with the borrowed guitar, so someone called out for another player. Some people had noticed that I'd been standing around, so they invited me to sit down. A man behind the fence asked my name. I told him my name and what I was playing. He had been the "emcee" at times, announcing people and sometimes cracking jokes, so he said, "This is Allison. She's playing a song from New Zealand." I began to play "Arithmetic" from memory, and the violinist and skateboarder on guitar were able to jump in and play along with me. I loved every second of it. The violinist had a beautiful quality to his playing, and it made that performance extra special. (There are strings used in Brooke Fraser's original recording of the song.) After I finished (and believe me, I didn't want the song to end with that impromptu band), a man asked if he could play a song. He played "Pinball Wizard" by The Who. A woman in the crowd sang it for us all. I was invited back to the piano to play another song, and I said I didn't know anything else from memory but could play something with sheet music, and people were impressed that I'd brought sheet music with me. Before I started to play again, the woman who sang "Pinball Wizard" asked if I knew "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" by Carole King, and I said no... (Second denied request of the day... so sad.) When I pulled out my Missy Higgins' songbook, a woman behind the fence commented that she'd seen Missy open for Ben Folds. I was at that same concert at Terminal 5! I played "Nightminds" for the crowd. And then it was time for me to go. I walked all the way to Eighth Avenue and 14th Street but not before stopping by Stogo on 2nd Avenue and 10th Street for some delicious mango, non-dairy, frozen goodness. I also walked by Astor Place where I saw the pop piano player waiting to play. I decided that Astor Place would just have to wait. Dinner and rest at home were calling my name.

Total Pianos Played By Borough:
Manhattan: 25 pianos
Queens: 2 pianos

Play Me, I'm Yours... Day 9

On May 21st, my friend Jessica was the first to let me know that the public piano project was coming to New York. But to back up even further, over two years ago, I used to tell Jessica how much I wanted to play the piano that was in our old office's entryway.  The piano belonged to the company we shared the space with, so I never had the courage to ask permission to play it -- or just play it without even asking permission...

After four consecutive days of actively participating in "Play Me, I'm Yours," I figured I had enough experience under my belt and was ready to perform for people who know me -- as opposed to getting to be anonymous. I extended an invitation via e-mail and Facebook for friends and family to come and see me play starting at 7 PM.

Piano 15: Lincoln Center - Columbus Avenue and 62nd Street
While I was waiting for my friends Kerri and Jessica to arrive, I sat down and listened to a man play the piano. He played a lot of pieces from memory and was a wonderful player. It was rather breezy out, so I was concerned about my need for sheet music. Kerri and Jessica arrived at nearly the same time, and we inched ever closer to the piano, so that I could begin to play. Technically, the "Play Me, I'm Yours" instruction manual says to limit your playing time to 10 minutes if there are other people waiting. That particular piano didn't have the manual at it, so I was little concerned, but it all worked out. The man got up and I plopped myself down at the bench, handed Jessica my Flip cam, and played Brooke Fraser's "Arithmetic" from memory. It's pretty ingrained in my head these days.  I prefer to close my eyes when I play that song.  While I don't exactly visualize the written notes in my mind, I don't like to look anywhere for the most part when I'm playing -- I find the peripheral visuals I can't control, such as walking passersby, end up break my concentration -- so I keep my eyes closed when I can.  The Flip cam battery died shortly after I finished the bridge, but it really did end in a nice spot... here's the video!



I invited Kerri and Jessica to request a showtune, but they both told me to play what I wanted.  So I chose "I'm Not That Girl" from Wicked. I know Kerri enjoyed watching that musical (as did I, even though I haven't seen it in a few years).  For the first time, I played it in public, and it went pretty well.  Kerri and Jessica held down the pages for me, since it was still breezy.

The next song I chose to play was "I Will Never Leave You" from Side Show.  Being that it's a duet, I asked Jessica to sing with me, and she did!  She was Violet to my Daisy.  It was beyond thrilling to sing those harmonies with her!  I can't possibly express the elation.  After we finished, we hugged.

I started to play "Private Conversation" (also from Side Show) but didn't get very far because I didn't want to sing and play at the same time, and it doesn't work well in performance without the singing, so I cut the song short to be merciful to all!

Finally, I moved onto RENT and played "Your Eyes" and only sang the last "Mimi" at the end of the song because I couldn't resist.  After the song, I said goodbye to Kerri, who had to leave, and then Jessica and I walked a short distance to the piano at Damrosch Park.

Piano 16: Lincoln Center - Damrosch Park ("between" Metropolitan Opera and David H. Koch Theater, home of New York City Opera)
A father was taking pictures of his young son at the piano.  When the photo session was through, a man waiting to play performed some classical pieces.  He asked if we wanted to play, but we encouraged him to keep playing.  He said he didn't like playing in public.  It was nice to see he was pushing past that discomfort to actually perform in public.  While we were waiting, my friend Meghan joined us!  When the man at the piano finished, I sat down and played "Nightminds."

Afterward, I took requests again, but I got responses that it was my decision.  So... I picked "I Know the Truth" from Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida.  I used to play this a lot back in high school.  Hadn't pulled it out until a few days ago, and it came back to me like riding a bike.  I used Sherie Rene Scott's riffs, but I love what she does with that song, so it was an homage to a great Broadway talent, who can currently be seen on Broadway in Everyday Rapture through early July. (In case you're wondering, I don't work on the show, I just enjoyed seeing it!  She is phenomenal!)

Next, I played the snippet version of "Another Day," and I thank Jessica for singing Mimi.  I'm sure she would have wanted to sing "Out Tonight," haha, but I can't play it on the piano.  Or the guitar, for that matter.

The final song at Piano 16 was "I Will Never Leave You" from Side Show.  Since Meghan wasn't there for the first performance, Jessica was game to do it a second time.  Again, those harmony lines are so good!  At the end of the song I gave a little flourish my lifting my hands high after the final chord, and we all figured that was the song to end the set. After I got up from the piano, a middle-aged man came up to us and asked if we'd sing a song... we turned him down, but I invited him to follow me to Riverside Park if he wanted to go, which was a bit crazy on my part, but a) this project has made me do things I wouldn't normally do in NYC and b) he declined anyway!  Meghan and I said goodbye to Jessica and then walked to Riverside Park.  I'm so glad Meghan wanted to come with me because I wouldn't have known how to get down to where the pianos were located without her!

Piano 17: Riverside Park - yellow piano
We arrived at the pianos when the sky was beautiful with pink streaks.  It was a really gorgeous evening.  The two pianos in this park face each other, and a man was playing and singing a growling, gritty rendition of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" on the blue piano. Nobody was sitting at the yellow piano, so Meghan suggested that I wait until he was done and then begin playing. Good call. I sat down on the bench and took pictures while I waited for my turn.

Listening to "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" on the blue piano while I sat at the yellow piano

As you can see, I placed my Brooke Fraser piano book out.  I figured I'd put it there because most people wouldn't recognize the song, so I wanted people to know the original artist/songwriter whose song I was playing.  Right after the man at the blue piano finished, I began to play "Arithmetic."  I immediately knew the piano was out of tune and turned around to look at Meghan and I made a sour face at the sound, but I kept  playing anyway.  Also, a few of the lower keys had weird vibrations, so something was probably wrong with the hammers and/or strings...  When I finished, the people standing around the pianos clapped, and one woman complimented the song.  I stood up from the yellow piano, and a man in a suit sat down to play the blue piano.  When he finished his song, the question was posed, "Who's next?"

Piano 18: Riverside Park - blue piano
I jumped at the chance to squeeze in a song at the blue piano.  It was very nice for everyone to take turns after each song.  I haven't seen that happen anywhere else so far.  Unfortunately, I don't have anything else other than "Arithmetic" 100% memorized, and I wasn't about to play it again.  I decided to play something that would be recognizable from popular music, so I chose "Grow Old With Me."  The sheet music wasn't staying put, so Meghan helped out by holding it down for me.  Though I was concentrating on reading the notes, I could see a couple embrace in my line of sight, and that was nice.  The crowd applauded after I finished, and then Meghan and I headed off to dinner on the Upper West Side.

A shot of the blue piano before Meghan and I took off.  The "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" player returned to perform another song on the more in-tune piano.

Total Pianos Played By Borough:
Manhattan: 16 pianos
Queens: 2 pianos

Play Me, I'm Yours... Day 8

After working inside all day, I was itching to get back out and play. A lot of pianos are way downtown, but I didn't want to travel too far.  It wasn't until around 7:30 pm that I decided where to go, so I hopped on the 1 train and headed to 145th Street. I thought I was clever when I tweeted that I might try playing "There's a Fine, Fine Line" again. However, during my walk to the train, I realized that would not be the case and tweeted this. At 145th Street, I walked the downward slope toward the Riverbank State Park, and I could see the beauty before sunset.

There's a wonderful view of New Jersey and the George Washington Bridge (which inevitably makes me think of In the Heights).  I've really appreciated traveling to parts of New York that I haven't been to before.  All because of this project.

I got a workout walking around in search of the piano.  I walked the entire length of the park, retraced some of my steps, and was getting worried I wouldn't find the piano at all.  Finally, I found a park ranger and security officer, and they pointed me in the right direction and also let me know there were TWO pianos.  That came as a surprise to me!  The one they first pointed out, unfortunately, was covered in plastic and locked up.  I was very disappointed because the rain had long since passed, and there was a canopy overhead.  Why the need for the lock?

Cheese puffs on the ground!  Cheese puffs on the ground!

My consolation was that I had one more chance to play a piano for the night, and I only could hope that it wasn't locked.  Hope was granted...

Piano 14: Riverbank State Park
I almost wanted to run when I saw the piano closer to the entrance.  I hadn't noticed it when I first entered the park because I didn't think it would be where the buses were parked.  I didn't run because a) I was sweating profusely and b) there was a woman sitting at the piano.  She wasn't playing though.  In fact, when I plopped myself down near the piano, she was making a call on her cell phone and said that I could play because I was more talented.  I don't know why she made that statement, but I didn't hesitate to start playing.  Pulled out all my sheet music and set it all up, but then I proceeded to play "Arithmetic" from memory.  When I first started playing, two little kids on scooters came up and listened for a bit, but they were more interested in playing, so they took off.  The woman also finished up her phone call and left, so it was just me with the piano to myself.  There were some people standing at a distance and also others exiting a building (I think a complex with a swimming pool, but I don't know for sure) from time to time.  Next up, I played "Where I Stood" by Missy Higgins.  It's on her second album, On A Clear Night.  I've been meaning to karaoke this song forever, but it's kind of sad, so I never sing it at birthday parties.  In any case, I love the song, and I'm glad I could finally perform it outside.

Switching genres, I played my favorite part of "Another Day" from RENT.  Whenever I do this, basically I start with "The heart may freeze, or it can burn.  The pain will ease if I can learn there is no future, there is no past.  I live this moment as my last..."  I keep playing but instead of playing Roger's interruption, I skip to the coda: "I can't control my destiny.  I trust my soul; my only goal is just to be..."

After I finished playing the snippet, I played "Your Eyes" in its entirety.  Another one of the D keys (this time an octave up from Gansevoort Plaza's piano) was depressed, meaning I could play it the first time and it would make a faint sound, but I had to lift the key back up to elicit another sound out of it.  I had no shot of playing "Scarlet", so I switched back over to Missy Higgins and played "Nightminds" followed by "Special Two."  While I was playing "Special Two" I knew my next song would thematically be "Grow Old With Me." (If you know both songs, then you'll know why they go together.  And even if you don't, it makes sense, doesn't it?)

I started to play John Lennon's fine music, and then I realized I needed that D key.  Oops.  So I played a little slower than usual tempo so I could lift the key back up... and then some young, teen boys noticed me playing and they decided to pester me.  I put up a wall immediately and continued to play.  One of the boys asked if I'd sing him a song.  Inside I was thinking: Um, I am singing a song, but I'm not singing to him.  Another one of the boys asked if he could play with me, so I just nodded my head -- honestly, I didn't care, I just wanted to finish the song.  I had to turn my sheet music back over, and they read the title aloud and made up their own melody, repeating the words "grow old with me."  They sat down for a little bit but quickly grew tired of that too and left.  I would not be riled.  I would not just stop playing in the middle of song.  They could not break through my wall.  I only wish I had the chance to play what I wanted to be my final song.  It'll just have to wait for, pardon the phrase, another day.

P.S. My most attentive audience members tonight were the insects that flew around my face because I was so sweaty and warm.  Ew.  I admit, the insects scared me more than the hecklers ever did.

Total Pianos Played By Borough:
Manhattan: 12 pianos
Queens: 2 pianos

Play Me, I'm Yours... Day 7

Day 7 already? This is going by way too fast. Granted, my personal start was delayed, but I am making the most of it.

I didn't go to bed until about 2 am. Performing has been a thrill and a rush, so I was naturally wired. However, I woke up this morning a little past 9 and could have slept, but the sun was too bright. My body and mind were exhausted. I had a specific goal to visit two pianos today and made sure I was fully hydrated before going out into the heat and humidity of the early afternoon. Here's the piano recap:

Piano 12: St. Nicholas Park at 135th Street

I took the A train to 145th and transferred to the C for one stop further. At 135th Street, I exited the station and made a pedestrian U-turn into St. Nicholas Park. Did a quick scan of the park and spotted the piano, still covered in plastic, so I'm assuming I was the first player of the day.

Favorite piano bench thus far

I quickly took pictures and then sat down to play "Arithmetic" from memory. A couple women came up to take my picture, and one of them said, "Hello?" She wanted me to look up and pose! I got a big kick out of it, so I smiled while she took some pictures. She asked me if there were other pianos in the city, and I said yes and I would show her after I was done playing. Mind you, everything I just described took place while I was still playing "Arithmetic"! After I finished the song, another woman by the name of Michelle (she was wearing a nametag) asked me if I had been to other pianos, and I told her this was my 12th. She said that when they found out a piano was coming to the park, they asked if they should have soothing music playing in the background, but the parks department said no. I also told her that I was trying to visit as many pianos as possible, and she described that one man was attempting to document all 60 on video. I then said that I had noticed people taking pictures of me, but none had volunteered to e-mail their pictures, and then she said she would e-mail me hers, but she also offered to take my picture with my own camera, so I gladly took her up on the offer! Here I am playing "Nightminds."

And she surprised me further by letting me know she took a video! Thank you, Michelle! She told me to stop by her exhibit after I was done playing.



I played "Scarlet" (complete with a D key intact on this particular piano, yes!) and then expanded my performance repertoire with "Your Eyes" from RENT and "Grow Old With Me" by John Lennon, famously recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter. Now, I learned to play "Your Eyes" many years ago, but I hadn't played it in a very long time.  "Grow Old With Me" was a song I first learned strictly as an accompanist for my fellow choir peeps the summer between 8th and 9th grade. We played for my science teacher's wedding ceremony. This was the first time that I played and sang the song in public.

When I finished, I stopped by Michelle's art exhibit and said hello to the group of women who had just heard me play. They were all so wonderful to speak to.  I gave my printout of the piano locations to the first woman who had asked me about the pianos while I was playing "Arithmetic" and she was very happy that I gave it to her. Part of me didn't want to leave St. Nicholas Park because I had such a lovely time there, but it was time for me to head to the second and final piano of the day...

Piano 13: Cathedral of St. John the Divine
I got back on the C train and headed to 110th Street. Walked to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Luckily, I had seen pictures on the Play Me, I'm Yours website, so I knew where to look
for the piano. Come to think of it, I should do that for my future adventures to make the most of it all.

A teen boy was playing softly when I got there, so I sat down to wait. Then this teen girl asked if she could play. She played Ballade Pour Adeline (thanks to Janice for identifying the piece for me via a humming voicemail!), another piece, and then she asked her dad if she could playing something different, and he said sure. She played -- wait for it -- "Poker Face" and "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga. Awesome!

When she got up, I took to the piano -- this time I didn't bolt, but I was ready to take my turn. Being that it was so close to the cathedral, I just knew that I wanted to play something appropriate, so I played "Hymn" by Brooke Fraser. Unfortunately, the pedal wasn't working on the piano, but I did what I could to honor the piece and honor the place.

I played "Arithmetic" from memory and realized just how much I need the pedal. "Nightminds" was next, and I ended my session with "Your Eyes." Without the pedal, I made sure to hold down the notes played by my left hand to create the effect of the pedal. Jonathan Larson's nod to La Bohème in that song still gets me every single time. What a pleasure to play.

Total Pianos Played By Borough:
Manhattan: 11 pianos
Queens: 2 pianos