Pop-Up Pianos: Days 14 and 15 in Pictures

Friday

Piano #43: John Paul Jones Park in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.  The piano was a little on the quiet side.

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in the background.

Wider shot of the gazebo.

Piano #44: Shore Road Park.  I had to wait a little while to play the piano, and by the time I could take a picture sitting at the piano, the piano buddy had already closed the lid.  Sigh.  Oh well.  At least, the piano sounded good, and I got to talk to some nice people here.

After I played, a woman recommended that I check out the fancy homes along Shore Park Road, so that's just what I did...

After viewing the homes, I passed by the piano again, and it was already locked and covered.

Saturday

The ceiling of the gazebo at Prospect Park - Grand Army Plaza.

Piano #45: Prospect Park - Grand Army Plaza.  This piano is from Philadelphia.  It had a lovely sound.  The one trouble I had was looking at sheet music.  I tried placing it on top of the piano, but I couldn't see, so I placed my sheet music on my backpack.  (Instead of a portable bench, the seating area in the gazebo served as the "piano bench.")  A young girl and her mother listened to me play, and when I finished, the little girl smiled at me and babbled.  I asked her if she wanted to play the piano, but the mother said she was thanking me for playing.  So I happily told the little girl, 'Thank you for listening!"

This piano is called This Too Shall Pass.  I played "Arithmetic," "The Sound of White," and "Grow Old With Me."

Piano #46: Fort Greene Park at Myrtle Avenue.  I actually passed another piano in Fort Greene Park, but someone was playing it, and it was out of tune.  I didn't want my record-breaking piano to be that out of tune.  Luckily, there was another close by, and nobody was playing it when I arrived.  When I lifted the piano's tarp and looked at the artwork, I loved the painting.  Beautifully done!

Four keys on the piano weren't working properly, but the sound/tune was decent.  I played "Arithmetic," of course, followed by "Gravity."  Yikes, wrong choice.  I messed up near the end, so it couldn't be my finale song.  I then played "Where I Stood."  Only time I've played it during the 2011 Pop-Up Pianos.  It was my last song of the day and 15-day pianothon.  Though I considered visiting more pianos, even just to listen, I made the executive decision to head home and rest.  Running around New York City is exhausting.  Seriously exhausting.  But for pianos?  Worth it.

Pop-Up Pianos Summary
1) Played all 33 Manhattan pianos.
2) Set new personal record for pianos played: 46.
3) Played at least one piano in each borough.

• The Bronx: 1 piano
• Brooklyn: 6 pianos
• Manhattan: 33 pianos
• Queens: 3 pianos
• Staten Island: 3 pianos