If your daily commute or lunch break seemed more melodic than usual, it’s likely thanks to the 13 pianos appearing across the city to promote the Manchester Jazz Festival.
They have been placed from MediaCityUK to Piccadilly in the run-up to this year’s festival.
Anyone from the merry to the maestros can take a seat at the keys to become an impromptu street pianist – leaving people in cheers and chagrin.
Emma Loat, general manager of the music shop Forsyth, which has supplied the pianos for the trail since last year, said: “I think having the street pianos ties in with people wanting to be authentic and make music themselves.
“It’s all about making music more accessible and less of an elitist thing.”
Many nearby businesses have seen people using the pianos every day, with some customers visiting just to use the keys.
(Left to right, top to bottom: HOME, Manchester Central Library, Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester Piccadilly Station, Manchester Arndale, Harvey Nichols, Manchester Victoria Station, Corn Exchange, Royal Exchange, The Village Hall, Great Northern, Spinningfields, Forsyth, MediaCityUK)
But that doesn’t mean it was always welcome. There was even a small but significant minority who claimed people on a night out would wake residents in the middle of the night through overzealous tinkling.
One person mentioned how many of the pianists in Piccadilly station were buskers and beggars. While another spoke of a worker near one piano who now suffered from debilitating headaches – forcing her to take sick leave.
Yet the vast majority praised it as an enjoyable experience for all involved. Adele, 25, a waitress at Bill’s in Spinningfields, said: “From classical to jazz, pop songs to Adele. They play anything, anytime of day.
“Customers love it.”
One such bystander, Cathy, a café-goer in the Manchester Art Gallery said: “To my mind, it’s a bridge that lets people experience things themselves.
“You don’t even have to play a tune, you just twang along. It’s a common language.”
In fact, many of those playing were young people, such as Temi Balogun, 15. He was playing improvisational jazz at the Manchester Central Library, starting to learn when he was 11 and practising jazz since lockdown.
He was so impressed by the skill of other street pianists that he asked his teacher to focus on the music genre.
Meanwhile in the Royal Exchange, Jaiden-Rhys Pickering was playing renditions of Coldplay and Keane tunes, impressing shoppers and passersby.
He said: “I got an electric piano for my birthday in 2020 during lockdown and I like playing it.
“I found it alright really. It was something to do while I was stuck inside, then I really got into it.”
Jaiden has been playing for three years, and learned entirely through videos on YouTube.
But one of the most gifted virtuosos on performance was Ali,19, playing in Harvey Nichols. He has been playing piano for five years, also learning through YouTube alone.
Ali said: “I still make a lot of mistakes, but it is what it is.
“I watched other street pianists, how people crowded around to see them. I want to be like that.”
Running since 1996, the Manchester Jazz Festival is the city’s longest running music festival. It supports up-and-coming musicians through its talent programmes, promotes regional jazz artists, and hosts 60 events each year.
Here we are @ManJazzFest singing around the piano in Harvey Nicks.
— Fab Choir (@FabChoir) May 21, 2023
Great buzz in the city with #mjfpianotrail2023 crowds of chilling people and the fabulous sunshine pic.twitter.com/2uh6y1GcXp
The 166-year-old family business which is run by Emma and her brother – the fifth generation to do so – previously organised very intermittent recitals, but are now hosting two to three free showings a month. Such as James Pearson, artistic director of the famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London.
Emma said: “The loveliest thing about the Jazz Festival is that a lot of it is free.
“This year we’re now hosting two of the gigs in store and the trail is going from strength to strength.”
Asked about whether Forsyth would continue to sponsor the event, Emma couldn’t see a reason why not.
“It’s only been going for one year but it’s become embedded in the city,” she said.
“Music helps cheer us all up. I think through these weird times we’ve had through the pandemic, it’s something that has remained strong.”
The festival runs until 28 May. You can find a leaflet here.
