Keystone Pipeline Protests Aren't the Only Visible Aspect of Downtown Santa Barbara
Outside of tourists, the most common thing you’ll see on the main drag in Santa Barbara (State St.) is protest marchers. In 2013, my wife, my daughter and I did our thing re: the KXL Pipeline.
A less common sight: pianos. Once a year, there are 15 – 20 upright pianos wheeled out for those willing to perform. I played the easy parts of Chopin’s Berceuse and one of his mazurkas at four or five of the instruments. Nobody threw tomatoes, so I count that as a success.
Our intern, Fabio Porcu, writes: Sorry I couldn’t make it. Was it good?
I write:
Yes, but it was weird. Some of the pianos were in terrible condition. For example, one had its black keys spray-painted white! That was an interesting experience. Obviously, you can tell where each of the keys are by their arrangement on the keyboard, but trust me, it’s a lot easier when Db (the key of the berceuse) is black than when it’s white. One had no pedals, so I’m trying to play the pieces as legato as possible, but that was a wreck too. Some were so out of tune that the correct notes sound incorrect, which makes for a terrible problem for someone of my modest abilities.
I found a few that were good, though.
I like the experience overall; it’s good for overcoming stage fright; you just keep playing, moving around and playing some more.
Fabio writes: I’m sorry I missed it. Maybe the next time.
Yes, for sure. I also want you to come up here, and I’ll happily play for you. Don’t expect too much. Here’s the Berceuse the way it’s supposed to sound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ4gHR9IYio Spoiler Alert: I can’t make it sound that way.