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