by Mike Telin
In addition to its move to The Cleveland Museum of Art, the 2013 edition of the Cleveland International Piano Competition will also include the first-ever CIPC Festival that runs concurrently with the Competition and adds a variety of activities to the excitement. The Festival willalso reach out to the community through “Play Me, I’m Yours,” an installation of more than 20 decorated “street pianos” located in the area surrounding CIPC’s two performance venues and beyond. The project is designed to engage the community, encourage the interaction of passersby, and create lasting friendships through the international language of music and creativity.
“Play Me, I’m Yours” is the brain child of British artist Luke Jerram and was first commissioned by Fierce Earth in Birmingham, UK in 2008. With 15 pianos located across the city for three weeks, it was estimated that over 140,000 people played or listened to music from the pianos. Since then “Play Me, I’m Yours” has reached an estimated five million people worldwide. Each new city that commissions the artwork becomes part of this growing international legacy.
On his website, Jerram says “The idea for ‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ came from visiting my local launderette. I saw the same people there each weekend and yet no one talked to one another. [Read more…]
