The excitement is building! I can hardly wait! The Yarnburners' piano, Tickled Pink, Tickling the Ivories, is about to make her outdoor debut! What will you play when you meet her?
Today's video features our newest Yarnburner, my best friend Kevin, who doesn't even knit (yet?)! He came along to the GO Ahead & Play workspace one day to help me (thank goodness!) and the next thing I knew he had a needle in hand and was miraculously, expertly stitching pieces to other pieces in contrasting yarn, which really makes for a fabulous finished look. Don't worry, this is not the last you'll see/hear of him!
This blog entry is meant not only to share an inside look at our process with you, lovely readers, but to tell Kev that his love, support, and humor throughout the years mean the world to me - especially his involvement in this crazy piano project (though he never once told me I was crazy for trying to cover a piano with yarn). I love you, Boy.
It's about to happen! Later this week (in three days... but who's counting?), our piano will be on Monument Circle!
Are you ready? Have you been practicing your piano skills? Here's a video of Tim from A
Tune Above Piano Tuning (who volunteered his time to tune 20 pianos -
twice!), playing a bit of music on our piano, Tickled Pink, Tickling the Ivories. I know, you want me to
zoom out so you can see the whole thing, but I didn't want to ruin the
surprise when you see her in person!
... sometimes it's about pianos and paint. Or pianos and mirrors. But for me, especially today, it's mainly about pianos and smiles (and videos! Click my links, I'm serious - I got this stuff on video)! At first, I thought it was simply going to be cool to cover a piano with knitting (oh, I'm right about that; but I digress). I was tickled when I'd find crochet pieces in my mailbox, and pleased as punch every time one or more of our merry band of "fiber enthusiasts" would join me at a "piano knit night." And how nice to walk into the LYS (local yarn shop) and find someone had left a knitted piece or a ball of yarn in the "Pink Piano" basket!
Then I started to notice as I would encounter other artists or Women's Fund staff or their families in the workspace, every single time they saw our pink, yarny piano, they smiled. They touched it. They told me they wanted to hug it. Then they smiled some more. Sure, I thought, these are people on the journey with us. Of course they are being supportive.
There were two preview events for for the pianos today, and I went to both - these were the only chances people would have to see all 20 in one room! At the first one, there were lots of kids... and they loved our piano (especially the pom poms). One toddler tapped on the keys for a minute, with a big smile on her face, and then she looked at me very seriously and said, "Thank you for making this pretty piano." I swear, I teared up! I thanked her for playing it, and I had to look away because I didn't want a baby to know I was a crybaby!
At the second event, people were admiring "Tickled Pink, Tickling the Ivories" and all the pianos, taking pictures, smiling all the while. Then, as a gracious speech was winding down, we were told that for 18 months, the GO Give Back students had really put their heart and soul into this project... and someone started playing Heart and Soul at a piano behind us. People smiled. Then Tim (yes, Tim the intrepid piano tuner) started playing it on Cheryl Anne's piano beside us. More people smiled, and then another person joined in playing on our "neighbor," Nancy's piano... and then another in the corner of the room... there were huge, wide smiles all over the place. It was really a wonderful moment!
I can hardly wait to experience random passersby reacting to pianos all over town! I hope people will want to see as many as they can... and I especially hope that a certain pink piano on The Circle makes them smile.
[Insert big official announcement music here!] The Yarnburners' piano (titled Tickled Pink, Tickling the Ivories) will be on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana! She's yarn-clad and tuned up and ready for everyone to visit August 1-18, 2013!
The exact location will be 40 Monument Circle (Southwest quadrant - right in front of our sponsors, radio stations 93.1 WIBC FM and Soft Rock B105.7). Here's a link to the interactive map. Keep in mind, she has 19 piano friends in the area and all around town - transformed with everything from paint to paper, sculpted to carved - who would also love to see you! If you're like me, you'll want to print out the downloadable map so you can plan your trips to see each one! Play a song, take some photos, have a seat and sing a little ditty anytime - and when you're tweeting, instagramming, pinning, etc., use "#indypianos" so we can see how you like her!
So, The Yarnburners' GO Ahead & Play piano is done! At least, that's what I've thought since the last work day (June 30). However, we hit a little snag. We stitched (very securely, I might add) over some parts that had to be opened for piano-tuning purposes! Silly me, I thought it was just the top that had to open! I should have paid attention when my childhood piano was tuned; failing that, I should have looked on YouTube just to make sure. I swear I have learned so many things from YouTube, I don't know why checking there didn't occur to me! Tim the Tuner sent me a link to this informative video - isn't it amazing?
I went and removed some of Kev's delightful seam stitches yesterday, and will go back tomorrow to alter the design ever-so-slightly, so "Betsy's" innards can be easily accessed for future tunings... we want her to sound her best! It's just a few minor adjustments; she's still going to be breathtaking when people in Indianapolis see her in public (August 1 through 18 - stay tuned for location specifics, coming soon!)
