Play Me, I'm Yours... Day 10

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to play the pianos today, especially since I won't be able to on Thursday due to a prior commitment. I knew I needed to return a couple items to the Mid-Manhattan Library branch as it has extended operating hours. So I planned my pianos accordingly.

Piano 19: Greeley Square - Pedestrian Area on 33rd Street between Sixth Avenue and Broadway
I made my way to the brown and barely decorated piano. There was a crowd standing and sitting, listening to the man playing. And wow, he really could play. Everything from Bach to Joplin to the Charlie Brown theme song to "Stairway to Heaven" and back to classical pieces.

He has been playing since the age of 4, and his fingers could fly. A girl standing next to me looked eager to play the piano, so I asked her if she was waiting. She said maybe, and I understood. I half jokingly and half seriously said, "Me too, he's so good that I don't want to be the one to follow him!" And she agreed! Luckily there was a buffer. The man who made the most requests asked for a business card so that he could take lessons. I asked the man at the piano if the other girl and I could play and he graciously got up. The repeat requester, who was there before me, squeezed in an original song written for the witch in Hansel and Gretel. It was a very clever song with witty lyrics! After he got up, I played "Arithmetic." Yes, I play it a lot, but it was too breezy to use sheet music. After I finished, the girl who was waiting with me clapped, and then I got up to let her play, but she didn't want to play any more! It's a shame because I would have stayed to listen...

#20 Herald Square: Broadway and 34th Street
So I walked up a block to Herald Square where two women were sitting at the piano. They were there for quite a bit, but everyone was sitting in chairs and not completely paying attention... Or, at least they were not clapping after she played an extremely fast version of "Maple Leaf Rag" or "My Heart Will Go On." After they wrapped up, I took to the piano. From listening to the previous player, I was worried about the pedal. Sure enough, it wasn't working properly when I started to play "Nightminds." That bothered me, so my concentration broke a little. Also, another D key was stuck! The same key as the Riverbank State park piano. Thus, the ending of that song got lost, which is a shame because it's my favorite part of the song to play. No clapping followed, but that was all right with me. I felt as if I were playing for myself at that piano -- I just happened to be surrounded by strangers. I closed my Missy Higgins piano book and began to play "Arithmetic" from memory. Despite the lack of the pedal, it was still fun to play. I opened my eyes more while playing the song and looked around at the people sitting in Herald Square and even glanced up at the billboards & surrounding buildings and soaked it all in. Towards the end of the song, a little girl came up to my left and listened. She lingered at the piano when I finished the song, so I asked her if she knew how to play the piano. She shook her head. I asked her if she'd like to learn to play and she gave a big nod. So I stood up from the chair (no bench at this piano), and invited her to sit down. I tried to think of a song I could teach her, and the first song that popped into my head was "Mary Had A Little Lamb." Now, that song holds significance for me...

When my mom initially asked if I wanted to learn to play the piano, I refused. She didn't pressure me after that, but it wasn't long until I went into my brother's room and played the keyboard in there for the first time. I plunked out the keys to "Mary Had A Little Lamb" and absolutely loved discovering that on my own. And then I told my mom I wanted to take piano lessons. I think I was 6 years old...

Back to my lesson at Piano 15. It actually took me a few tries to remember how to play the song again, haha! I was playing in the wrong key and clearly, my 6-year-old self was a lot smarter than my 26-year-old self. I was making it too complicated with a sharp and knew that couldn't be correct. Finally, I got it right, and then I instructed the little girl to place her right hand on the piano and showed her where to begin -- on the E key. I then asked her to follow along with my fingers, and she was very good at producing a solid sound out of those keys with such tiny fingers! I should also mention that we sang along together, too. She made a fine duet partner. :) After that, I suggested that we sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." I played the melody in my right hand, and we sang together. She loved it so much that we sang it twice. I tried to think of other songs to sing. I asked her if she knew "Three Blind Mice," but she shook her head no. So then I asked her if we could sing our "ABC's" and she was very enthusiastic! Again, we did it twice, and I messed up the second time (not the actual alphabet portion!), but we finished strong. I thanked her for singing and playing with me, took a picture of the piano, and then walked away to return my materials to the library.

My "student" and duet partner is the girl in blue.

Total Pianos Played By Borough:
Manhattan: 18 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

Play Me, I'm Yours... Day 6

Today was hands down one of the best I've ever experienced in New York City. So many moments to blog about, so let's get to it:

Piano 3: Gantry Plaza State Park
I was hoping to get tickets to The Merchant of Venice from the distribution in Queens, but I was too late, and all the vouchers were gone by the time I arrived at the distribution location at the Chocolate Factory Theater. I took the opportunity to play the pianos at Gantry Plaza State Park -- I was excited when I found out there were two to play. The first piano was right in the sun, so I only played "Arithmetic" from memory and knew I needed to move on. Thank goodness for sunscreen. What a view of Manhattan!

Standing in the shade after playing the first piano

Piano 4: Gantry Plaza State Park
I found the second piano after walking around a bit. It was quite breezy by the water, and I ended up having to stand up while playing "Nightminds" and "Special Two" by Missy Higgins, so I could read the sheet music. While I was playing and singing, a man riding a bicycle stopped to listen and help hold down the music. He complimented my playing and singing. His name's Wesley, and he mentioned he wished the two pianos could be switched because this second piano had a key stuck. I agreed with him.

Piano 5: Bryant Park Library
I contemplated going to Woodside for some Filipino food, but I was more determined to play more pianos, so I headed back to Manhattan on the 7 train and stopped at Bryant Park. Walked over to 5th Avenue in front of the New York Public Library. A guy was playing the piano by one of the lions, and he seemed to be improvising. I needed to recover from walking around in the heat, so I didn't mind the wait.

Once he finished, I did my now-routine bolt to the piano. Right when I sat down, this woman sat down at the table closest to the piano. I had a feeling she wanted to hear me play. I started off with "Nightminds," and she clapped when I was done. She asked about the art project, so we discussed it a bit. She said that her name was Trish, and she's lived in New York for 25 years -- currently on the Upper East Side -- but had never visited this particular branch of the New York Public Library. She was fascinated by the building and also the public pianos. Trish asked if she could turn pages for me, so I decided to use sheet music for "Arithmetic" even though I've memorized it. So Trish stood at my right, and at some point, another woman stood on my left and listened to me play. I ended my "set" with "Special Two" by Missy Higgins. I told both women that I was taking off to play other pianos, and the woman who stood to my left said she just came from Central Park and saw a bunch of musicians playing together. Trish said she was going to tell her mother about the project, and then we parted ways.

Piano 6: Times Square 42nd Street

I decided to walk to Times Square from Bryant Park to hit up the second piano. When I arrived, this little boy was playing classical music very well, and his father was filming him. There was another stuck key that the boy needed in his first piece, but it still sounded great. After he finished, his father played a bit. Another man played another classical piece, and then another man did a Beatles medley. I seized my opportunity after the medley was over and played "Arithmetic" from memory. A woman sitting in a chair next to the piano asked if it was an original song, and I told her no and then showed her my Brooke Fraser piano book. She said she enjoyed the song.

Piano 7: Lincoln Center NW corner of 65th and Broadway
Had a late lunch and then made my way by bus to Lincoln Center. The first piano I saw was being occupied by opera singers and their teacher on piano. I listened for a bit but figured I wouldn't be able to get on the piano anytime soon, so I walked up to the piano I saw the other day but couldn't play due to time constraints. Two teens were playing -- one on guitar and one on piano.

Even the keys are painted on this piano!

Then, a woman in a yellow dress (pictured above) played a little bit. All of a sudden, I saw two women preparing a professional video camera and boom microphone. I thought the woman last night in Times Square was prepared -- these women in Lincoln Center were really prepared! They set out a portable chair, and all of a sudden, there was Albert Maysles sitting down. The Albert Maysles. Documentarian. Grey Gardens. Now filming a boy play classical music very well.

Albert Maysles with awesome yellow socks!

Unfortunately, a security guard asked Albert and his team to stop filming. They did not have a permit to film. So the boy finished up his last piece, and Albert left. While people were milling about, I decided to just go ahead and play before anyone else did. I played "Nightminds" first, and a woman held down my sheet music since it breezy again. I played "Arithmetic" second and then was asked to write about my experience on that piano in a notebook. Like a little guestbook, if you will.

Piano 8: Lincoln Center SW corner of 65th and Broadway
I asked one of the volunteers where the other three pianos in Lincoln Center were, and she told me their locations, including the one just across the street. The two boys on piano and guitar just finished up their final song when I got there. I should have taken one of their free CDs, but I didn't. When I sat down at the piano, two men were asking me what I was going to play, and how long I'd been playing the piano. I told them that I was covering my favorite singer-songwriters and that I'd been playing since elementary school but I wasn't very diligent about becoming classically trained. As I played, I could feel the crowd growing behind me, and I could see someone taking a picture (or filming?) in front of me. (Another security guard told her to stop filming, too, so it's not just picking on Albert Maysles.) One of the men stood by the piano to listen to "Arithmetic," "Nightminds," and "Special Two." His name's Leon, and he played after me. Having only been at it for 4 months, Leon was great! He has a wonderful, soulful voice too!

Piano 9: 14th and 9th Avenue
I walked by the piano near the David H. Koch Theater -- the one where the opera singers were performing. It didn't seem like they were going to be done anytime soon, so I made the decision to take the A train down to 14th Street, and I walked over to 9th Avenue to play the piano there. A couple was plunking away, improvising until a few raindrops came along. When they left, I quickly sat down and played "Arithmetic" from memory while the taxi cabs and other cars drove by me. There was no plastic in sight, and that concerned me. Why would someone want to steal the plastic covering for the piano? I could see the rain splash slightly on the keys and on my arms (which were slathered in sunscreen, so I was getting splotchy white spots). As I finished the song, I closed the piano but was sad I couldn't cover it in plastic. The piano's not in the best shape as it is.

Piano 10: Chelsea Market
I walked up a block to the 9th Avenue entrance to Chelsea Market and found the piano on the other end of the market. It's the only indoor piano I know of, but I suppose there could be more. It turns out there was a concert going on. They had microphones and speakers -- their equipment and their long string of songs should have tipped me off. But when they announced they were taking a break, I decided to ask the man if he would let me play during the break. He said no and that I had to wait until 8 o'clock because the Chelsea Market piano was one of the ones that could be reserved from 6 to 8 for concerts. I had nowhere to go anyway, especially since I wasn't sure if it was still raining, so I enjoyed some butterscotch and strawberry gelato. No picture, you'll just have to imagine it. Mmmmm, gelato. The concert ran a little past 8, but when it wrapped up, I was the first to play, and I drew in a little crowd of people who hadn't seen any of the other pianos, so they stopped to listen to "Nightminds" and "Arithmetic." Mind you, "Arithmetic" is actually soft, subdued, and perfectly done by Brooke Fraser, but in my version, I decided to belt out my favorite part, the bridge, so that people could hear me. So thrilling. And with those two quick numbers, I hopped off to the next piano!

Piano 11: Gansevoort Plaza

Final piano of the day, since the sun set while I was playing! Nobody was playing the piano when I got there, and nobody was waiting to play so I expanded my public repertoire. I started off with "Scarlet" by Brooke Fraser, and as luck would have it, the D key was stuck.  If you know the song, the D key is a must! Oh well. I also played "Nightminds" and "Arithmetic," and a couple stopped to listen to me play. The woman said she had played a piano on Bleecker and 6th, and we both agreed that this is such a wonderful public art installation because it gets strangers to strike up conversations with one another. She wished me luck in playing more pianos. Women dressed up to have a night out on the town were taking pictures of me playing the piano. I saw them in my peripheral vision and gave myself a good inner chuckle because here I was in a T-shirt, jeans and ponytail, just playing for myself -- yet they wanted to take a picture of me on their night out. I proceeded to play "Hymn" and "Shadowfeet" by Brooke Fraser. The latter is actually one of my favorite songs of the past two years, but it can be difficult to play. As my brother Jason commented in February, "That has a lot of sharps." It certainly does! I figured I could keep going, so I played "Special Two" and finished my personal "concert" with "Sun and Moon" from Miss Saigon. I didn't sing along because I wanted to concentrate on playing the notes correctly in the growing darkness.

Oh, D key.

Gansevoort Plaza

Nine pianos in eight hours.  What a day!

Total Pianos Played By Borough:
Manhattan: 9 pianos
Queens: 2 pianos
Note: There seems to be a discrepancy in the total number of pianos in all of New York... 60 is the publicized number, but on various maps/listings I have counted 57 or 54.  In any case, I will just do a running tally of unique pianos played.

We interrupt the piano adventures for food raves

Met up with Alexa for dinner Friday evening after my Columbus Circle piano adventure. I wanted to celebrate her new EP release over dinner and suggested that we have organic ramen at new restaurant called Totto Ramen. Time Out New York wrote about it recently, and when it comes to ramen, I know that Alexa is game! Even when it's hot, haha.

The restaurant is on the small side, but we were able to get a table. Our waiter said we could store our belongings on the shelf above us. Very convenient! Alexa and I both expressed concern though that our things would fall on us. Maybe it's my Pacific Northwest earthquake mentality that took over. Alas, we were fine. :)

I ordered the organic ramen as it's vegetarian, and here's a picture -- the presentation was so beautiful!  (Also, what you can't see is the pedestal on which this bowl rests.)

I mean, come on! Looking at it makes me want another bowl right now. The broth was so delicious. Now I understand the word "umami," which was used repeatedly on the Food Network last year, and I never quite got it until this bowl of ramen. The combination of veggies was perfection, and I especially liked the delicate texture of the avocado slices. You can't see the noodles from this shot, but they were also really good, especially with that broth. Mmmmm, mmmm!

Afterward, Alexa asked if I had room for dessert. Of course! She knew just the treat for us. There's a place called Xie Xie on Ninth Avenue between 45th and 46th that sells ice cream sandwiches for dessert, among other items. Specifically, it was called the "1000 year old ice cream sandwich," and Alexa explained it looks like the 1000 year egg. Ice cream plus black caramel plus a thin cookie on each side. Sooooo good. And well worth the wait for a table.  Thanks, Alexa!

Play Me, I'm Yours... Day 5

Part 1:
Success! Before meeting Alexa for dinner, I decided to take my chance on the piano at Columbus Circle -- the piano I couldn't play on Tuesday due to the light rain that caused the piano to be covered in plastic and locked up.

As I waited for the crosswalk, I saw someone sitting at the piano. He got up, but as I started to cross the street, a woman sat down to play a song. Luckily, it was short and sweet, and she got up. At last, it was my opportunity for the taking, so I bolted for the piano before anybody else could get to it.

First, I played Missy Higgins' "Nightminds," which you may have seen me play on my keyboard (if not, the video is on my Facebook page). After I finished, people sitting on the benches clapped for me! I nodded to some of them and was thrilled by their response.

Next up, "There's a Fine, Fine Line" from Avenue Q. I hadn't practiced this one much, and it showed. But... there was a couple that was walking by, and they stopped. The man knew it was from Avenue Q and told his companion that. He tried singing along, and I pointed to my sheet music where I was in the song. And I tried to help him out by singing as well, but that song can be a toughie playing just the piano part. I messed up a bit from overthinking and worrying, but by the end, some other people came up right by the piano and smiled and clapped. Oh, during the song, it was a little windy, so the man held my sheet music down for me. So nice of him to do that!

After that, this girl came up to me and asked if I was a music student. I told her no, but I also said I took piano lessons from elementary school through high school. She told me she wanted to hear me sing again, and then I pulled out my music book of Brooke Fraser songs. Now, I've been spending time memorizing two of her songs, but I didn't want to mess up after my Avenue Q hiccup, so I stuck to the sheet music.

I first played "Arithmetic," which my friend Katherine first introduced me to. Love that song. Now, the piano is a bit out of tune, but what can you do? It's been hot and humid in NYC. I played on and sang as best as I could. It was a thrill to finally play that song in public.

My final song was "Scarlet" by Brooke Fraser. I told the girl that it was a quieter song. I knew I could do well with it. The girl turned pages for me, which was really nice of her. After I finished, people clapped again. And then it was time for me to go and meet Alexa for dinner. I thanked the girl for turning pages and asked what her name was: Simone. I told her my name was Allison, and she said to keep playing. And I certainly will!

P.S. There were strangers taking pictures of me, so if they appear on the Internet somewhere, please tell me! :)

Part 2:
After dinner & dessert, Alexa and I walked over to the pedestrian area in Times Square between 45th and 46th Street. Forever 21 (where Virgin Records used to be) has a giant screen above its storefront that shows people on the street, so a bunch of tourists were standing around looking at themselves. Good for business? Um... Fun for tourists? For sure... Annoying for New Yorkers? Most definitely. But, we played tourists for a little bit, stood with everyone else, and waved at ourselves.

I saw that there was a crowd around the piano -- the biggest crowd I've seen so far. A young guy was playing the piano, and then this woman jumped in and played along with him! That was such a highlight! Two strangers making music, and it worked! Next up, another young guy said, "And now for something completely different..." and he played and sang operatically in German. His younger sister was his page turner.

When he finished his second piece, a mother strongly urged her young daughter to the piano, so she played, and a couple of other children came up to the piano to hear her play and decided to plunk some of the upper keys. The mom of those other kids told them not to touch the piano, but one of the girls responded, "I'm helping her!" It was all very cute. After the girl finished playing, I decided to go for it.

When I sat down at the piano, a guy to my left asked me if I was going to sing, and I said yes. I covered "Arithmetic" by Brooke Fraser, and at least one person was taking video, and another person was taking pictures with a nice digital camera. I couldn't tell if he was a tourist or affiliated with this public art project. In either case, it was pretty cool. Thanks to Alexa for turning pages and taking this picture!

When I finished the song, I got up to let others play. A woman came prepared with her own handheld video cam and body microphone, and she asked someone in the crowd to film for her. She played two songs. Then Alexa played her original song "Try" which is part of her Sunland EP, now available on iTunes! Visit Little Anchor's MySpace for details.

What a day! What a rush. As I said in my first tweet/Facebook status update: More to come.

Manhattan Piano Tally: 2/29

Play Me, I'm Yours... Days 1 - 4

As you may have seen on my Facebook page, I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of NYC's public piano project, Play Me, I'm Yours. The same project happened last year in London and is going on this year, too. There are 29 pianos in Manhattan and several more in the outer boroughs. Well, I'll be posting my daily updates, but to catch you up...

Day 1: Monday, June 21
Watched Titanic the Musical's benefit concert at the New York Society for Ethical Culture and attended the pre-show discussion (let me say, composer Maury Yeston is a genius). Developed a new appreciation for some of the songs, and it was glorious to hear the entire score again with some original Broadway cast members and a sensational new singer named Ryan LaTour. After the concert, I walked around Lincoln Center, where there are supposedly 4 pianos, and also Columbus Circle, but could not find even one! Frustration galore. I logged onto the website the next day and found out the pianos are only available for playing from 9 AM to 10 PM, so I wouldn't have been able to play that night anyway.
Manhattan Piano Tally: 0/29

Day 2: Tuesday, June 22
Had to attend a marketing meeting in the Union Square area, where there are zero pianos (kind of disappointed about that), but after the meeting I needed to make a trip to the Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center, so I looked again. No pianos in sight. They must not be in the Lincoln Center area that I know and love but in random places instead. I walked down to Columbus Circle and finally found a piano near the Central Park entrance and not in the actual circle. Well, it had lightly rained earlier that afternoon, so the piano was covered in plastic and locked up. Sigh.  I couldn't even bring myself to take a picture, I was so disappointed.
Manhattan Piano Tally: 0/29

Day 3: Wednesday, June 23
After having to travel around the city the previous 4 days, I decided to take a break and stay at home. It was hot and humid to boot. Accomplished a lot during the work day and practiced the piano. Tested out my new Flip camcorder, and it is AWESOME.
Manhattan Piano Tally: 0/29

Day 4: Thursday, June 24
It's the afternoon in NYC, and there's humidity and now a thunderstorm. I bet the pianos are covered and under lock & key. I do need to return a book to the library though and am also going to see the play Next Fall at 8 PM, so I will check out other parts of Lincoln Center and also Times Square area before the show.

Update: Saw one of the four pianos at Lincoln Center, but someone was playing it both times that I walked by. I didn't have enough time to wait to play it, so I headed down to 50th Street on the 1 train in a subway car that had NO AIR CONDITIONING. That's just cruel punishment, even for two subway stops. It was a relief to get back outdoors, let me tell you. I walked in the pedestrian area in Times Square and found a piano between 45th and 46th Streets, but again, someone was playing the piano. This is going to be harder than I thought with the free-for-all.
Manhattan Piano Tally: 0/29