After the people next-door recently shouted, “more!” whilst I was practising the piano with the door open, I decided to play a little piano out on the driveway for the neighbours. Meaning to play outside on Friday, the weather proved rather incompatible so, with the threat of rain removed I finally managed to get outside last night.
After raiding the loft for the keyboard stand, and utterly failing to locate my stool or music stand (hope they are at a friend’s house), converting some youTube bass and drum backing tracks to .wav files so that my stage piano can play them, and testing my very old little speaker amps, I was ready to go outside.
It was certainly strange having people sit down across the street, and to the sides in their gardens but, once I got going it was pretty enjoyable. Being used to playing at an event or in a pub where people, otherwise occupied, tend not to just sit and stare at you so this was rather different. The lack of a music stand meant I had to try and play from memory or look down sideways onto a small table for my musical reminders. The trouble was it was very windy so that was pretty impossible, and was rather awkward in the first place.
A lot of the street came out and stood or sat, socially distancing of course, and many passers-by stopped passing by and listened. Some of the playing was, even if I say so myself, at times quite good especially at the beginning when I was playing some of the old memorised tunes (C-Jam Blues, Foggy Day in London Town, Take the A-Train, etc). However, I know some of the later tunes weren’t, especially those where I was trying to read music from my side, with sheets of music flailing in the wind and partially covered up with a water bottle to try and weigh them down.
A neighbour recorded a snippet on their phone and actually, the sound was quite good, all things considered. I do realise though that performing to “practice” backing tracks is not that ideal…they go on…and on…and on. I think I need to get Audacity fired up and chop out two or three choruses (or more in some cases). I played a solo version of Over The Rainbow as a nod to the NHS and finished with a nice little arrangement of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star that I did for a friend’s little girl.
The response was really nice and I have been asked to do it again. It certainly brought people out of their houses and gave a shared experience and something a little different for a bit. I hope someone else will play along next time as that would really help knot the community together.
Jane Saunders
21 April 2020Bravo SoloDad- you are significantly braver and a whole lot more talented than me. You’re also setting a great example to your boys and your community.
Solo Dad
29 April 2020I was asked back and repeated it last weekend. Seemed like most of the street was out to listen, along with people from other streets.