Public pianos in unexpected places?

Gombessa

I wish I had a picture. I was taking my daughter to buy a new bike, and we were at our local sports superstore. We stopped by the winter sports area (yeah it's big enough to have a permanent ski section in July) and....they had a full sized upright just sitting there! The bench was made from a snowboard bolted onto some legs, which was pretty cool and fit the theme. The piano worked, too. Not really in tune, but no missing keytops, broken keys or anything like that.

Have you run into a piano in a completely unexpected location?

twocats

Gombessa I wish I had a picture.

Me too!

ShiroKuro

Gombessa There's an art store at our local mall, they sell artwork by local artists, which is great. I recently discovered that they have a very old and beat up grand piano with a big sign on it that says "play me!" -- I love that sign! Especially given the frequency with which a public piano is closed or says "do not touch."

I've only played the piano once, but I'm planning to go back and play it again.

Actually, I've been practicing playing some of my repertoire pieces from my cellphone -- I mean, using the score on the phone. With pieces that I've completely, I don't really need to read them closely, but I also don't play from memory. So I put forScore on my phone, and sometimes after practicing, I'll get out the phone and play a piece or two using the score on the phone. The first time I did it, I couldn't really follow along well, but now (after maybe three times over the last few weeks) I find that I can play from the phone score just fine (again, only with polished pieces)

So the next I'm in the art store, I'm going to play. 🙂

Sorry for a bit of thread drift, but it was a public piano I wasn't expecting to find. 🙂

Gombessa

ShiroKuro That's great! I absolutely love the preparation you take (I would need to do something like that to be able to read from the phone, too).

I also have a copy of my sheet music on my phone. But I wouldn't have my foot pedal if I'm somewhere using my phone, so I set it to change pages with gesture, but I never use it so I don't remember if it's a head turn, a wink, sticking my tongue out, etc. I should definitely do what you do and practice with it regularly.

One thing I noticed, even when I need to look at sheet music, if I know the piece enough to try playing it publicly, I don't need to see every note clearly; just seeing the thumbnail of the page phone-sized can be enough for me to get my bearings.

ShiroKuro

Gombessa But I wouldn't have my foot pedal if I'm somewhere using my phone,

I usually use a foot pedal too, but when playing from my phone, I've been just tapping the screen. It's super fast, much easier than turning a page in paper music.

Gombessa even when I need to look at sheet music, if I know the piece enough to try playing it publicly, I don't need to see every note clearly; just seeing the thumbnail of the page phone-sized can be enough for me to get my bearings.

Yep, that's what the phone-score does for me. Just enough to keep me in the music, and also take away the fear that I might forget.

I'll report back about how it goes when I try it in public! 🙂

dotann

I think I have played this piano, next to a bunch of hiking clothes, slightly uncomfortable to sit down but quite a delight for it just being there!

Still a beginner with paralyzing stage fright, I try to play one or two pieces on every public piano in sight, and have collected quite a few over the years. The most memorable one was an antique Vogel piano in National Archaeological Museum in Naples, in the hall that hosts the grand Toro Farnese sculpture, it's barely working and missing a few keytops, but feels totally appropriate (not exactly unexpected) for the setting.

navindra

dotann That grand looks amazing!

navindra

Finding an acoustic piano in Mauritius anywhere at all is highly unexpected.

Last year, not only did I manage to see one at Le Méridien, I got permission to use it and recorded my entry for PianoTell Recital #1 on it:

https://youtu.be/isZBiY78t1I

Last night, to my surprise, I also found a piano at Ravenala Attitude. The pianist Rudy allowed me to play it, which was pretty cool.

This morning I asked for permission to play at the reception and was refused. 🤣

I circled the hotel and couldn't find the piano... then I realized a whole cluster of people were surrounding it and using it as a table. I waited for a rare moment when there was no one around this "table" and took this unsatisfying snapshot:

I'm a little bitter I can't play it, but Rudy will be back tonight.

HeartKeys

Gorgeous, 19th century looking Steingraeber art grand piano, in middle of random room in a hotel in Portugal!

navindra

HeartKeys Wow! That one takes the cake. Did you play it?

ShiroKuro

HeartKeys Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HeartKeys

navindra Wow! That one takes the cake. Did you play it?

Nope, and I don’t recall why. The keyboard was probably locked, or perhaps I didn’t expect it to sound like a restored piano. Or maybe I was mesmerized by its art case! 🙂

Jane

Burlington (Vermont) airport 1 of 2 - some kind of player machine in the game room.

Gombessa

Jane Wow, that's a nice, clean looking airport. Amazing that it has a couple of pianos available!

Jane

Burlington (Vermont) airport number 2.
Can't remember which gate (this was August, 2024).
I didn't stumble across the piano until almost time to board my flight.

L-M

Public pianos in unexpected places are a beautiful form of public art. They invite spontaneity, create human connection, and make people pause in their busy lives. A piano in a train station or under a bridge can turn an ordinary moment into something magical.

navindra

Almost every time I visit Mauritius, there's a new or expanded mall. There are so many of these shopping centers now, I haven't visited them all. These malls are comparable (if not superior) to the ones I've visited in the West.

It appears that one of these malls, Tribeca, finally got big enough to house an entire stage complete with piano.

This was definitely an unexpected find. Seems I'm on a roll!

ShiroKuro

navindra so, did you walk up onto the stage and play the piano?? 😉

navindra

ShiroKuro You're asking the right question to the right person!

The last time I tried a piano in a mall (in the US), I got walked off the stage by security. 🤣

This piano was cordoned off and there was a guard near by... I didn't risk it this time. 🤣

ShiroKuro

navindra The last time I tried a piano in a mall (in the US), I got walked off the stage by security.

Oh no!!! Also, good grief!!!

I hate it when pianos are locked up and people aren’t allowed to touch them.

OTOH, I suppose TPO matters… we were at our gate at O'Hare the other day, after having been in transit for over 20 hours and waiting for our last flight of the trip, exhausted and trying to get through the last four hours of the trip, there was a guy sitting there (at the gate, and the whole airport was packed) playing scales on his trumpet. He had a mute in so it wasn’t very loud, but as it happens, his trumpet was pointed right at my head. …

I’m as much a music lover as anyone, but I found that a bit unpleasant.
😅

macuaig

I was talking to someone about portability. As tricky and random finding pianos might be, compare to something like a guitar. If you’re away from home, how likely is it to get ahold of someone else’s guitar to play? It’s a much more personal instrument, with configs like strings, straps, tuning, transportation, potential damage. How about a saxophone or violin?

But with no forethought and not carrying anything, if you find a piano, at a friend’s house, a reception room, a church or an airport lounge, you can sit down and play. You’re portable.

It’s a bit of tortured rationalizing, but an entertaining notion.

ShiroKuro

macuaig compare to something like a guitar. If you’re away from home, how likely is it to get ahold of someone else’s guitar to play? It’s a much more personal instrument, with configs like strings, straps, tuning, transportation, potential damage. How about a saxophone or violin?

But with no forethought and not carrying anything, if you find a piano, at a friend’s house, a reception room, a church or an airport lounge, you can sit down and play. You’re portable.

I missed this comment when you first posted it, but I love this way of thinking! People often say guitar is better than piano specifically because you can take your guitar with you relatively easily. But the point about playing other people’s guitars as being a little (or a lot) awkward is something I had thought about. But it’s a good point. Most instruments are personal. Probably no one wants to share their wind instrument with someone else!

But a piano can be everyone’s instrument! And that’s a lovely thought.

You are all welcome to play my piano if you ever come to visit!

Just please don’t adjust my bench height, I have it in just the right spot! 😅