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Public pianos go online

To some, stumbling upon one of CityStudio’s 10 outdoor pianos this past summer was a nice surprise to add to a day out. But to a number of artists, they were a chance to perform and make art.
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GP Mendoza, a UBC journalism student and the project’s manager last summer, heard a wealth of stories from passersby at three locations. This year, he decided to capture them on video.

To some, stumbling upon one of CityStudio’s 10 outdoor pianos this past summer was a nice surprise to add to a day out. But to a number of artists, they were a chance to perform and make art.

CityStudio, a City of Vancouver online initiative for university students and community members to launch projects, launched Keys to the Streets last year with three pianos. GP Mendoza, a UBC journalism student and the project’s manager last summer, heard a wealth of stories from passersby at three locations. This year, he decided to capture them on video.

“Really random people all over the seawall sat down and took time out of their day to talk,” said Mendoza. “There was no way for me to really capitalize on the stories that were being shared and I’ve had more time this year to think about it.”

Mendoza’s videos on performers have featured a fishmonger (“I realized all those people I pass every single day, I could walk the seawall and there’d be no piano here and I’d pass those same people”) and local band The Naturals (“We allow people to sing with us”).

A quick YouTube search on Keys to the Streets reveals many videos filmed over the summer of people’s efforts on the pianos.

Diverse locations chosen by CityStudio staff this year include Chinatown, Strathcona Park Community Garden and near the Vancouver Aquarium. Visitors have brought trumpets, drums and computers and include children and seniors alike. An Elton John impersonator has even given a performance.

Mendoza adds that the public atmosphere makes it feel very different.

“For visual artists like photographers, cinematographers, you have the potential to catch special moments,” he said.

Vancouver-based band The Ruffled Feathers experienced such a moment when they were filming an acoustic rendition of their song “Little Sister” at Spyglass Dock. They wanted to feature a string quartet and, unexpectedly, many False Creek cyclists stopped to listen and even sang along. A number of phones were whipped out to capture the moment.

“The impromptu element was the one that caught people’s attention and less so the planned,” said vocalist Gina Loes.

The Ruffled Feathers are one of many artists being filmed by Vancouver media company Big Smoke Productions for a series of YouTube videos.

Loes appreciates how welcoming the pianos are to artists versus some public spaces where permission to perform might be questionable. “It’s more attuned to the busking culture,” she said. “It feels really good when you have that permission to do so in that space. People aren’t as intimidated as if you were to set up on the street corner or some designated area… You’re allowed to be there.”

“I know it sounds cheesy and everyone says it on the media,” said Mendoza, “but it really does bring people together physically. People always stop and talk and there are a lot of opportunities for people like photographers… [There’s] an outlet for music but all other types of art as well.”

The pianos were  retired from the streets in late August.

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