Ten years on from when my painted piano first made its appearance in Pilot Bay over summer, it’s still proving to be a focal point for people to connect, have picnics, and sing to the cruise ships as they leave port.
After finding the piano, now 129 years old, on TradeMe for $30 in November 2013, I then took a bunch of photos of sunsets, surf, pohutukawa, paddle boarders and surfers along with the piano to The Incubator Creative Hub.
There it was wonderfully transformed by The Incubator artists Simone Anderson, Wendy Pedersen, Constanza Tagini Nightingale, Rosey Armstrong, Katherine Steeds, Lisa Meehan, and Jannine Bishop.
Herb’s Autos attached the wheels, which cost $450, funded by Stewart Fleming who owned Mount Backpackers.
On opening night a group of family and enthusiastic supporters turned up, including my mum Pat Liddle and my jazz pianist sister Andrea Pooley.
Of course, Andrea and I played ‘Jaws’ when another sister Carole Meredith went for a dip.
Since then hundreds of people have been by, smiled, stopped to chat, met others there, had picnics, sung, brought along musical instruments.
Once Australians even turned up with a table, tablecloths and napkins.
The following night, a group of Kiwis, after seeing the posh photos on Facebook, decided they couldn’t allow Australians imply that we Kiwis don’t know how to do it fancy and came down with not only tablecloths and napkins but also platters of fine food.
In the very first week of the Mount Maunganui Beach Piano arriving in Pilot Bay on the newly installed boardwalk, the ‘Pilot Bay Piano Appreciation Society’ formed among neighbours along The Mall, passing my top hat between houses to collect up enough to pay for a council busking licence to help keep things legal.
One time a millionaire and a homeless guy sat on the bench-seat next to the piano, chatting away about life, each unaware of the other person’s lifestyle.
Another time Shirley Lee came along to sit on the seat that was carrying a plaque with her late husband’s name ‘Ron’ on it.
She lived nearby and had been feeling lonely.
A young mother passed her newborn baby to her to hold, and they sat together on the seat while Shirley found herself suddenly surrounded by a warm friendly family who spent the evening with her chatting and laughing and enjoying the music.
Shirley sadly passed away over the last two years but her seat is still there.
There have been heartfelt tears and passionate singing from those who have stood around the piano singing a rousing version of ‘Now is the Hour’ as cruise ships sailed out of the Tauranga harbour, and also many ‘Happy birthday’ songs sung.
Some excellent singers and musicians have turned up and enjoyed singing and playing.
A wedding party once came along to take photos – there’s even been a marriage proposal at the piano!