Jazz Sudbury and Science North have joined together to bring you the second edition of the Keys to the City community piano project. Dust off your sheet music and head over to Northern Ontario’s top tourist destination to experience the centre’s new musical addition.
The beautifully painted piano will be revealed on June 27. Science North will host the piano during the summer months, leading up to the Jazz Sudbury Festival, September 5-9, 2018.
The vibrant instrument tears down barriers to music accessibility as it sets the stage for the community to come together to celebrate culture, and art. There are no age restrictions, ability requirements, fees, or genre restrictions. The public is invited to share their love of music by playing and enjoying the instrument.
Keys to the City Space Odyssey is a collaboration between Jazz Sudbury and local visual artist, illustrator, graphic designer and maker of things, Tracy Baker.
Baker’s influence throughout her creative process has been the famous quote by Carl Sagan, “All of the rocky and metallic material we stand on, the iron in our blood, the calcium in our teeth, the carbon in our genes were produced billions of years ago in the interior of a red giant star. We are made of star-stuff.”
“My inspiration over the course of this project shifted quite a few times but it was always rooted in the idea of space exploration. I love the idea that music can carry a listener away to another place, so this idea of a journey emerged very early on,” says Baker of her process. “I’ve been fascinated with space for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are of lying in the grass with my siblings looking for shooting stars.”
The illustrations on the piano represent the story of a journey of leaving Earth to seek what lies beyond. A space love story is told from one side of the piano to the other in a comic book-style panelled layout. The interior and keyboard, painted to resemble a space craft’s cockpit, allows players to become a part of the journey.
When Baker’s mother passed away earlier this year, she could not stop wondering what happens when we leave this earth. “I plan to dedicate this piece to my mom, who always said ‘I love you to the moon and back.’”
Hosted by Science North, the space-themed piano will aim to inspire children and future musicians. Arts education and exposure to music at a young age can nurture a lifelong interest in the arts and help build audiences for the future.
This piano will not only bring the community together, it will also help ensure a sustainable and growing arts and cultural sector within the city.
If the public happens to be too eager to wait for the unveiling of the Space Odyssey piano on June 27, they are welcome to visit the original Canada 150 piano. Unveiled in 2016 as the inaugural piano of the Keys to the City project, the instrument features artwork by local artist and educator, Johanna Westby and continues to call Kuppajo Espresso Bar its home.
Jazz Sudbury gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Ontario Media Development Corporation, Ontario Arts Council, Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, and the City of Greater Sudbury, who, through their generosity, have helped make this event possible.
Jazz Sudbury is a charitable not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring appreciation for the colourful and diverse form of live music and by presenting the industry’s best in jazz, blues and world music through festivals, performances, and workshops.
