Play Me, I'm Yours! In the last few days, pianos with this written on them have started popping up all over downtown Norfolk. Each one decorated and painted in a different way. The piano in the food court of MacArthur Center is done in bold blocks of color. The one in front of the Moses Myers House is decorated to look like a small replica of the house, complete with a mirrored fanlight in the roof.

Play Me, I'm Yours is also the name of Luke Jerram's public art project. This traveling exhibit has visited 55 other cities around the world, including London, Paris, Boston, and Munich. The purpose of the project is to encourage people to "take ownership of their urban environment" and encourage people to connect with each other.

We took the kids downtown this weekend to hunt out a few of the pianos. By parking at MacArthur Center we could walk and visit the ones at Slover Library, Moses Myers House, and MacArthur Square. The kids enjoyed picking out melodies and making up their own songs, and also listening to the talented other pianists waiting to perform. Some people had brought guitars to play along and some were singing along. Others were lifting up the lid of the piano to see the inner strings and hammers. Even the babies enjoyed taking their turn at the keys.

I think this was a wonderful project. Not only did it get us out and about on a beautiful day, chatting to strangers, but it got our older kids interested in piano. Anouk has asked for lessons and ever since we have been listening to a lot of piano music and talking about it. Being able to sit and play whatever you want in a special space is empowering -- not only for kids but for anybody!

The pianos will be in their spots through June 4. Click here for a map of where to find them all.

Right after Gus was born Molly told me about a wonderful music class that meets at the Fred Heutte Center and I feel like I have been waiting for him to be old enough for it since then. Now at 18 months Gussie likes all things musical (AKA noisy) and loves to dance. So we were off to Little Rockstars, finally.
Little Rockstars is run by Miss Holly, of Mountaintide fame. For the first half of the class she plays the guitar and everybody sings. Some of the songs are old favorites, some are rewordings of old favorites and some are her very own creations! They are all very interactive and require the listeners to help moo, stomp, clap, etc. Then comes the dancing, and after that, a giant bin of instruments to root through and experiment with.

The Heutte Center is a wonderful place for the class, its cozy and friendly but still has plenty of light and space for babies to run. Plus with all the flowers blooming around its the perfect place to play after the class is over, too.

The video below is not only Gus's favorite of Miss Holly's songs but shows a little big of how fun the classes can be. The Little Rockstars classes are $8 per session, $5 for each additional sibling. Or else you can purchase a special pass, 8 classes for $40.