Classical music: The FREE Make Music Madison festival on the Summer Solstice, Friday, June 21, has lined up four acoustic open-mic pianos at four fire stations around the city. So, let’s get practicing. And let’s remember that today is Richard Wagner’s 200th birthday.

REMINDER: Today is the exact bicentennial or 200th birthday of opera pioneer Richard Wagner (1813-1883). Is it heresy to say I think he writes better for instruments than for the voice? What do you think of Wagner? What single opera of his is your favorite and why? The Ear wants to hear.

By Jacob Stockinger

Calling all pianists –- classical and other kinds, students and teachers, professionals and amateurs. Here is your chance to play in public!

The chance comes in the latest news about the citywide festival called Make Music Madison that will be held on the Summer Solstice, Friday, June 21, 2013.

The word comes from Michael Rothschild, who in charge of publicizing the event. Here is a link to an overview of the festival plus the hundreds of groups and individuals who have signed up so far (the deadline was May 15):

www.makemusicmadison.org

And here is a previous post I did about Make Music Madison with some YouTube videos of pianos in the street:

https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/classical-music-on-friday-june-21-the-summer-solstice-madison-will-be-filled-with-outdoors-music-by-the-first-make-music-madison-citywide-festival-but-so-far-no-acoustic-piano-is-available-for-p/

Says Michael Rothschild: “We now know more about the four pianos that will be at fire stations:

“The open-mic pianos will be available 4-8 p.m. on Friday, June 21.

“There won’t be any advance sign-up, but players can just wait for a turn or develop their own ordering system at each fire station.

“The stations (with photos below) are:

No. 3 at 1217 Williamson Street.

No. 6 at 825 West Badger Road.

No. 9 at 201 North Midvale Blvd.

No. 10 at 1517 Troy Drive.

The Ear thanks Michael Rothschild, the piano donor Grant Billings and the Billings Piano Gallery and the Make Music Madison festival for lining up the piano and thinks a fine job has been done at placing pianos at convenient locations all around the city.

The Ear also hopes that the Madison Area Piano Teachers Association (MAPTA) and other piano-related organizations take notice and add to the fun — as do individual pianists of all ages and talent levels and in all kinds of music.

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Posted in Classical music
Tags: Fire station, Friday, Jacob Stockinger, June, Madison, Make Music Madison, Michael Rothschild, Music, Pianist, Piano, Richard Wagner, Summer solstice, YouTube