Nanaimo is a beautiful place to be in the summer – emcompassing the best of Vancouver Island: the ocean, the mountains, beautiful weather, the arts.  This summer Nanaimo is a little more fun, do to a street project where two old pianos are outside in public spaces for anyone to play.  One is a grand piano in Diana Krall plaza, the other is an upright piano right on the harbourfront walkway, opposite the Port Theatre.  The upright piano is even painted with fun and funky designs!

As a piano technician, I have volunteerd my time to ensure that the Nanaimo pianos remain playable during their outdoor stint this summer.  Keep in mind – these are old pianos, and this in not the best situation to put a piano in to keep it working well!  The over 2000 different parts of a piano prefer stable temperature and stable humidity, something that doesn’t happen on the waterfront of Vancouver Island.  However, it has been fun to hear the sounds of piano music wafting across the harbour this summer as anyone who wants to play can go give it a try!