DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A group plans to ask the City Council on Monday for permission to place pianos outdoors on sidewalks and plazas in downtown Des Moines.
Organizers behind the City Sounds: Des Moines Public Piano Project want to have up to three pianos available around the city this summer, The Des Moines Register reported (https://dmreg.co/1mMi5xb ). Installation would begin in mid-June, and more pianos could be added in future years.
“The whole purpose is to generate life on the street and generate activity,” said Larry James, a co-organizer with City Sounds. “In other areas where they have done this, it has been a real boon to business because it gets people out on the street.”
In Iowa City, pianos have become a staple downtown through the city’s Tickle My Keys program.
“There’s always people out there playing, and people stop and watch,” said Brian Ledesma, 31, of Des Moines, who previously lived in Iowa City. “I think it’s a really good idea.”
The pianos in Des Moines would be bolted to the ground and would be covered and locked overnight and during rainstorms. They would be taken indoors during winter.
James acknowledges vandalism is possible, but said it’s not been an issue elsewhere if pianos are secured.
However, in Mason City a man is accused of tipping over a piano early Sunday. He has been cited for criminal mischief and public intoxication.
The program would rely on pianos donated through West Music of Urbandale. Each would cost about $3,000 to maintain and would need to be replaced after each season.
Co-organizer Kathryn Dickel said she imagines different people playing the pianos, including children and professional performers.
“Des Moines has done such a tremendous job of supporting visual art,” she said. “I think the piano project would really bring music into the same space that you see art in our community.”
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Information from: The Des Moines Register, https://www.desmoinesregister.com
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