Fangliang Xu, Centretown News
Laine Flynn tries out the new public piano on Sparks Street.Sparks Street is in the mood for a melody — and you don’t have to be the Piano Man to join in the fun.
Ottawa’s first public piano arrived on Sept. 15 and is set to stay at 138 Sparks St. for three to five weeks.
As part of the Pianos in the Park initiative founded by local culture advocate Nicholas Pope, the project aims to support Ottawa-area artists and make the arts more accessible to ordinary people.
“Typically in North America, the arts can’t sustain themselves,” Pope says.
By offering people a chance to practice the piano for free, Pope hopes ordinary folks can join and strengthen the arts community.
“Whatever we can do to raise money to help them is a good cause.”
Pope’s project is run by donation and he was able to find most of the pianos he needed for free on Kijiji.
Pope hopes to expand the program to 24 pianos across the city by 2017 in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary.
Pope says the next public pianos should pop up in Little Italy on Preston Street, at Dow’s Lake or possibly in the Byward Market.
Pope wants every piano painted uniquely by local artists. The Sparks Street piano includes a depiction of Parliament Hill as well as the Tulip Festival by local artist Jodi Deguire.
The piano is now safely tucked below a tent to protect it from the rain and snow in the coming weeks.
“I think it’s a cool idea. I think it could really foster a sense of community based on a love of music,” says Kaylah Edwards, a local resident passing by the Sparks Street piano.
“This way everyone gets a time to shine, even those who may not be able to afford a piano.”
Les Gagne, executive director of the Sparks Street Authority and Business Improvement Area, says the public piano is a perfect opportunity for Sparks Street to connect with the arts community and help rebrand the area.
“This is all part of the direction we want to go in animating and creating a whole new vibe on Sparks.”
Gagne says Sparks Street has recently held other successful cultural events, such as Fiesta Mexicana and Latin Sparks. He says he hopes the piano is the next step in reviving the area.
“We think more and more groups will see Sparks Street as a place to display their culture and entertainment. We’ll see the area take on a whole new dimension,” says Gagne.
By offering more people a chance to get their hands on a piano, Pope says he hopes to preserve a proud and entertaining Canadian tradition.
Canadian pianists are no strangers to the spotlight with famed jazz musicians such as Oscar Peterson and Diana Krall.
Angela Hewitt, born in Ottawa, has also garnered international attention playing with both the Oslo and London Philharmonic symphonies.
Hewitt was named “Artist of the Year” at the 2006 Gramophone Awards and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2000.
Clearly, Canadian pianists have a reputation to uphold.