'A big, wild experiment': Saskatoon sidewalk piano strikes a chord

A piano outside Broadway Avenue store is striking a chord by giving anyone a chance to share their joy of music.

“Mostly they’re just happy,” said Corey Neufeld.

He’s owned The Better Good for 13 years. It specializes in sustainable products, so when a friend gave him a used piano, he wanted to get as many hands on it as possible.

Since pianos can be expensive and guarded instruments, having it accessible to anyone attracts a wide audience. He sees between 10 to 20 people a day sit down to play.

“The kids love to tinker around. Many have never played so that’s fun to see. Lots of people just want to hammer out a couple bars of chopsticks,” he said.

But the effect this piano is having out on the street goes far beyond the music for Neufeld — who doesn’t play any instrument.

“There’s definitely something bigger. We’re trying to bring the street to life. We’re trying to get people talking and out of their regular thought patterns, engaged and this is how you do it. Someone starts playing and you have a conversation,” he said.

Finn Day-Wiggins, stops by regularly to play.

“For me it’s meditative and just to let all the ideas out, it feels good,” he told CTV News.

Day-Wiggins used to be a professional keyboard player, playing with bands around the city, but gave it up about four years ago. He appreciates the opportunity to play.

“It’s great to have more music on the streets any old time. Saskatoon can be dry from time to time so it’s nice to have something cool going on,” he says.

The piano has been out for about a month according to Neufeld.

“People have been thrilled, they are stopping on the street, and now that it’s been painted, they want to just look at it and take pictures and of course, people want to play it,” he said.

The painting was done by another Broadway business, Alt Haus. Staff there wanted to get in on the positive vibes and pitched in to add colour to the piano.

Some who play are just passing by, while others work in the area and frequent the ivories.

Neufeld even gets skilled musicians who play with the symphony to hammer out a tune.

Future plans for the piano will be taken one note at a time.

“It just sits out here until it starts getting cold and then we’ll give it away. Why not. We’ll see. It’s just a big wild experiment.”