People turned sidewalks into stages as they performed music on public pianos around the city.
While professional musicians at the Juno Awards took to the stage at Scotiabank Place last weekend, other performers were plonking away on temporary pianos all across the city.
Inspired by the “Play Me, I’m Yours” international phenomenon, donated pianos were placed at 12 different locations in Ottawa from March 28 to April 1.
Host locations included the lobby of the Canadian War Museum and the National Arts Centre.
The public was then invited to drop in and perform for other passersby.
Beverley McKiver was one of the individuals to take to the ivories at the NAC. As the choir director at Knox United Church in Nepean, she practices music daily to maintain her skills.
“I usually have something on the go to keep up my playing,” she says.
Performing for the public was a good choice, McKiver explained. “I’m a bit shy, so it was a bold challenge for myself to go and do something like this . . . it’s a great opportunity to have this outlet.”
McKiver says she was glad for the chance to play for people.
“It’s something fun to do . . . music is a form of sharing among people, and can be so inspiring.”
Anneka Oudyk has witnessed “Play Me, I’m Yours” performances during her travel through Europe and says the idea of publically accessible instruments is a brilliant idea.
“I just sort of happened across this older fellow playing a ragtag upright piano near Piccadilly,” she says.
“I thought it was fantastic that there was this opportunity for people to perform in public.”
As a participant in a number of community-based music ensembles, Oudyk noted how critical it is to bring music back to the community at large. She says a “divide has developed between (the people) performing and participating in music,” which has led to a decline in accessibility.
“It's important for people to just experience music, it's one of the great connectors, and it's tons of fun,” Oudyk says. “It would be cool to be singing something under your breath and then all of the sudden, boom! There’s a piano accompanying you.”
Patrick Murray says creating accompaniments and music is life. He is a recent graduate of the music program at the University of Toronto, an emerging conductor, composer and concert pianist.
“I think the Juno pianos are fabulous because they democratize the space for music making,” he says.
“The West has created this division between performer and audience in music and the Juno pianos remind us that this doesn’t have to be the case.
"Anyone can be a performer, at any time, in any style.”
Murray also noted that classical music is starting to experience a renaissance. “There’s an indie classical movement that’s starting to flourish . . . soloists and composers are making catchy new music that owes a lot to the rhythms and marketing of pop.”
When asked about the potential for public performances like those of the Juno pianos, he said, “letting out your inner music in public is a very hard thing to do for some reason.”
He says he sees programs like the Juno pianos “as a cool way to encourage people that it’s not taboo to perform. It’s all music, and it’s all human.”