Keys to the City: An Opportunity for All

 Photo from 2011 Sing for Hope Pop Up Pianos

From June 1 – 16, residents, commuters and visitors to any of NYCs’s five boroughs may be surprised by some unusual ‘street sounds’ and sights.  During these two plus weeks you can be a part of one of New York City’s most vibrant public art installations.  Eighty-eight uniquely designed rehabbed uprights and grand pianos will be placed in parks and public spaces in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island by the Sing for Hope organization.  Why 88 pianos you might ask?  It is symbolic for the 88-keys found on a piano.  From a roster of over 1,000 volunteer artists and local community members, the artists for 2013 were selected to donate their time and talent to create these unique gifts to the broad New York community.

Once placed in their designated locations throughout the City, neighborhood associations and community groups will serve as “piano buddies” overseeing the opening and closing of the instruments each day and being sure that they are protected from inclement weather.  The pianos invite anyone and everyone to sit down and ‘tickle the ivories’ whether or not you know how to play.  The message is simple, “Everyone belongs. Everyone’s invited. Everyone can play.”

Sing for Hope was founded in 2006 by best friends Camille Zamora and Monica Yunus, internationally acclaimed sopranos who met as students at Juilliard.  Camille and Monica share a belief in the power of arts volunteerism to transform communities in need. Recognizing their shared passions, they established Sing for Hope as a resource for artists to engage local communities. Today, Sing for Hope is the country’s leading “artists’ peace corps,” a nation-wide movement that activates artists as agents of transformation in under-served areas and promotes the ideal of art for all.  This is the third year of presenting the Sing for Hope piano festival.  This year's event is made possible through the support of Chobani Greek Yogurt. The Sing for Hope Pianos unite the city, as artists from all walks of life create daily spontaneous concerts and neighborhoods come together around the shared gift of music and art.

After their public residency, the pianos are donated to under-served local schools, healthcare facilities, and community organizations, where Sing for Hope artists continue to bring the pianos to life year-round through classes, performances, and workshops.  Camile Zamora, co-founder of Sing for Hope, told the Huffington Post, "We have a huge waiting list of organizations. There's such a desire for this kind of programming."

Camille and Monica consider Sing for Hope as a ‘sort of an artists' Peace Corp.’  “The idea is that some people don't get a chance necessarily to have access to great art, like in hospitals and the elderly. There are children in our city who do not have regular arts education… The piano is kind of the hardware for the software of our programming that goes on year round," they say.

The pianos were refurbished and stored in a warehouse in Tribeca where all of the selected artists or arts groups came together to create their specific themed piano.  This also brought a community of artists together to share their styles, vision, and talents with each other.  Some designs are whimsical, others philosophical, others environmental but all bring new meaning to the phrase ‘the keys to the city.’  Follow this link for a sampling of these artistic masterpieces and locations.  For a short video on the Sing for Hope organization click here.  Sing for Hope is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes professional artists in volunteer service programs that benefit schools, hospitals and communities.  

Piano designed by Stefanos Milkidis