Piano Wo(Men) 09.19 Painting

My parents own a mini-grand piano- a mini grand they purchased when I was around 12. My Dad had always wanted one, even though he himself didn’t play. Around the same time, as I was “coming out of my shell” into high school, I found myself at parties and homes where a piano would sit, though without anyone to play it. It usually sat there in the dark. 88 keys that almost looked like a frown. Begging for attention for anyone to sit next to it. And play. Play anything- play popular tunes, Happy Birthday, Chopsticks- whatever. The little I taught myself in the beginning, was returned in the form of instant communal reaction - you realize it doesn’t matter that you don’t know how to play Billy Joel’s Piano Men perfectly- only that you know how to play the first chord to the chorus, introducing the group to the next words “Sing us a song, you’re the Piano Man…”. They would then take over. Every time. People WANTED to gather. To sing. To enjoy each other’s company. It was then that I decided I would self-teach myself the piano. That’s what this piece means to me. A community of people all different, but deep down the same, coming together to connect in any way they can.