Danville outdoor pianos summon public players

Whether you’re another Liberace or Jerry Lee Lewis, or perhaps a budding young musician with an urge to share your art, anyone who can play a piano is encouraged to perform publicly in downtown Danville, where two pianos have been placed in visible outdoor spots.

Ivories are now ready to be tickled outside the Danville Community Center, 420 Front St., and outside the Danville Senior Center, 115 E. Prospect Ave.

Cousins Lauren Torchiana and Katherine Gilen, both students at San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, brought the idea of public pianos to the town’s Recreation, Arts and Community Services Department last fall, which embraced the idea. The cousins’ friend Grace McClure, a student at Monte Vista High School in Danville, helped design the paint scheme for the pianos.

Henry Perezalonso, Danville’s recreation, arts and community services director, said:

“We are always looking for ways for our residents to express their artistic sides, and to embrace the culture available here in Danville. … I think it’s going to be a great gathering space for our town.”

If you’re planning a public performance, do it soon – the pianos are seasonal, and will be accessible only into September, mainly because of weather-related concerns.