Debut near for fundraiser featuring student-painted pianos in public spaces

 

Linda Jones

Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Society

Look out … they’re coming soon to a street corner near you: those seven donated pianos you may already have heard or read about, magnificently decorated by art students at our seven county high schools, destined for the entrances to seven select shops along Main Street in Salisbury starting May 1.

They’ll stay in those locations for five months, through Sept. 30, for anyone to sit down and play and passersby to enjoy 24/7.

And wait till you see the incredible creations students have been working on since last August. North Rowan High School’s piano celebrates the cultural arts of stage, music, visual arts, and literacy with “Life is a Stage” as its theme.

South has chosen Van Gogh’s famous painting “Starry Night” to portray on its piano.

East’s design includes the elements of earth, fire, air, and water.

West Rowan’s piano is undergoing an appropriate “metamorphosis.”

“The Music and Mystery of Mardi Gras” will emanate from Salisbury High School’s piano.

Jesse Carson’s piano is based on the book, “The Timekeeper,” and Henderson has chosen to celebrate “Turning Over a New Leaf,” proudly proclaiming that students from a so-called alternative school can be just as successful as anyone else.

The project — called “Come Tickle Our Ivories!” — is a novel partnership between the Salisbury Symphony and the Rowan-Salisbury School System, with an eye to benefitting both organizations.

As organizer Mary James explains, “There always seems to be a lack of sufficient funding for arts education, so the symphony thought this could be a great way to put the ‘A’ for ‘arts’ in the ‘STEM’ curriculum, giving education the ‘STEAM’ it deserves. And based on the wild success the project has enjoyed in other cities around the world and the U.S., it should be a terrific way to enliven our downtown!”

But time is running out if you’d like to show your support for our kids and our symphony. April 1 is the deadline for getting your name on all publicity materials with your tax-deductible contribution.

Sponsorships are available for a single piano for $1,500, or at these levels: $2,500 (Concert Grand), $1,000 (Baby Grand), $500 (Upright), $250 (Spinet), or $100 (Keyboard). You can do it as an individual, a company, or by joining forces with others.

Donations can be made online at www.salisburysymphony.org, by calling the Symphony office at 704-637-4314, or by mailing a check to Salisbury Symphony, P.O. Box 4264, Salisbury, NC 28145.