Interactive piano exhibit hits the streets in Mesa
MESA, Ariz. (KSAZ) - It's a skill that 14-year-old Emily Bear has been crafting since she was a toddler.
"I love how you can give people emotions from your music," she said.
Music is a passion that Emily believes can change lives and that's exactly the goal of projects like Play Me, I'm Yours, which is an interactive exhibit where pianos are displayed for public use.
"We're eight years on, we've done over 50 cities all around the world," Sally Reay of Play Me, I'm Yours, said. "We've done Peru, Chile, all over Europe, loads of states in America."
Sally says each destination has seen amazing success, from people meeting their spouses, to a man getting a record deal. The project has made profound impacts and now, it's here in Mesa.
Twenty-four pianos were donated by people across the community. They had them in their homes and didn't use them anymore, but still wanted people to enjoy them.
The local community groups teamed up with artists to decorate them and give each one a unique story.
"They got together and talked about what's important to them, what do they want to honor or celebrate in their piano, and those became the themes of the piano," Casey Blake, of the Mesa Arts Center, said.
Each will be placed in a different location around Mesa and it all starts on Saturday with a special kickoff event.
Emily traveled all the way from Chicago to play an original piece of music that she arranged for 24 pianists to play together, in hopes of bringing harmony and inspiration to another lucky community.
"I feel like, you don't actually know how much music can have a big impact on you unless you have your hands on it, and I feel like having these pianos all around the city can really inspire people," she said.
The exhibit runs throughout Mesa until April 9.