Eight Pianos, Nine Musicians, Four Cameras and One Dog University of Cambridge
go to original November 6, 2012

"Play me I'm yours," but in the end they played together. (CambridgeUniversity)

For two weeks, the ‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ event inspired choirs, ballerinas, pianists and poets to tickle the ivories at fifteen piano hotspots in parks and streets across Cambridge.

Fifteen pianos destined for the scrap heap were given a new lease of life – as public art. Revived by the Faculty of Music for the University’s Festival of Ideas, the pianos were decorated by local artists and charities. Placed in communal spaces around the city, the pianos were an open invitation to sit down, press a key and make a noise.

Ruth Hardie, Outreach Officer at the Faculty of Music, said: “One of the most exciting aspects of the project has been watching it take on a life of its own. The communities haven taken ownership of the pianos by making the most inventive and beautiful films and photographs at the locations.”

Such a grand undertaking needed a fitting tribute, and taking its first foray into music video-making, the Office of External Affairs and Communications, in partnership with the Faculty of Music, went about showcasing the time and effort of the volunteers, artists and charities that took part in the project.

Complementing the many uploads from members of the public on the website the film aims to create a legacy for one of the most exciting projects from the Festival of Ideas.

Nine students from the University’s Faculty of Music volunteered, each lending their own particular playing style, which is reflected in the video.

In order to maintain a level of artistic control, the volunteers were asked to memorise the same chord progression and play along to a beat played off an MP3 player. Playing in whatever style they felt most comfortable, the pianists followed the same tempo allowing for more than one recording to be played simultaneously, creating the illusion of a musical collaboration.

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