In Portland, summer sounds like a scintillating sonata performed on the sidewalk and in the park. Piano. Push. Play. is an interactive community art project that started in 2013 with the mission to make music accessible to all — and it’s still going strong.
The nonprofit rescues old pianos and gives them a tune-up before letting local creatives transform each instrument into a mixed-media masterpiece. Your best chance to see all 10 in the same place is the free 2024 Kickoff Concert, which will be held Thursday, July 11, 7-9 p.m., in Director Park.
Expect planned performances as well as impromptu numbers courtesy of audience members who are willing to have their names drawn from a hat. On Friday, July 12, the pianos will be dispersed to locations across the city, where anyone is invited to play them.
Ultimately, they will be donated to schools, recording studios, hotels, food cart pods, and other organizations.
