Luke Jerram's Pianos Are Coming to a Public Location Near You in Cincinnati, Ohio

If you're walking along a Cincinnati sidewalk and notice a piano that's bold and colorful and painted with a written invitation, "Play Me I'm Yours," don't fight the urge to tickle the ivories. That's exactly what artist, Luke Jerram, wants you to do. Those pianos are part of a Jerram art installation and playing is what he had in mind.

Since 2008, Jerram's Street Pianos have captivated passersby on some of the busiest streets, bus stations, parks and other public spaces in cities from New York to Sydney; and now he's bringing that creative magic to Cincinnati. The piano art is part of the anniversary celebration for the trio of Cincinnati Public Radio stations: 90.9, WGUC - 50 years; 91.7, WVXU - 40 years and 88.5, WMUB - 60 years.

Play Me I'm Yours

Play Me I'm Yours was an idea that came together in two part inspiration. As one of the weekly patrons of a neighborhood laundromat, Jerram realized he was a member of what he calls an "invisible community," people sharing the same space yet never speaking to one another. His first public piano placement was an effort to spark interaction and communication among those silent populations.

Jerram's Street Piano art began as a last minute alternative to his planned Sky Orchestra performance artwork. His Birmingham, England Sky Orchestra was to be an an airborne entourage of 7 pianos in 7 hot air balloons, all amplified by surround sound, all drifting and playing over the city during the early morning hours. His scheduled 7 AM performance was to be an experiment in art perception while sleeping.

With an unexpected storm approaching , the money already spent on pilots and musicians, and a commitment to reach a minimum of 100,000 people with his art, Jerram devised Play Me I'm Yours, his first Street Piano installation. Since then his pianos have been turning up in public locations all over the world and inspiring passersby to create music.

The Artist's Reaction

In addition to engaging those silent communities Jerram speaks of, he's also seen his pianos "disrupting people's negotiation of their city," not a bad thing at all the way he does it. According to Jerram, his pianos are a "blank canvas for everyone's creativity." They "...provoke people into engaging, activating and claiming ownership of their urban landscape." While watching the reaction to his Street Pianos, Jerram also realized there are many "hidden musicians" without pianos to play or an audience to hear them.

Play Me I'm Yours, Cincinnati

From August 2 through September 21, 2010, pianos will be in place and ready to play in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky locations. If you feel inspired to play, you may find one at the Cincinnati Museum Center, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Findlay Market, The Purple People Bridge, Fountain Square East & West, Hyde Park Square, Mainstrasse in Covington, Women Writing for (a) Change and many other public places.

For the full list of Play Me locations, see http://www.playmeimyourscincy.com/map/

Help Play Me

Donate a Piano - If you live in the Cincinnati area and have an old piano to donate, let the artist know about it: http://www.playmeimyourscincy.com/donate/

Sponsor a piano - Make a donation to the project and get your name on a piano: http://www.playmeimyourscincy.com/sponsor/

Be a Piano Buddy - Help watch over a piano once it's in place: http://www.playmeimyourscincy.com/pbuddy

Source:

http://www.streetpianos.com/nyc2010/

http://www.playmeimyourscincy.com