Play Me Again Pianos

Play Me Again Pianos to unveil ‘Vincent’ community piano at Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center

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The third community piano provided by the Play Me Again Pianos non-profit in an East Cobb location will be unveiled Jan. 9 at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road).

The debut for “Vincent” takes place at 6 p.m. and is open to the public. Guests can play the piano afterward.

The East Cobb-based Play Me Again Pianos is providing 88 repurposed and repainted pianos throughout the metro Atlanta area. Vincent, named after the painter Vincent van Gogh, is the 20th completed project.

Previously, community pianos were installed at East Cobb Park and the Egg Harbor Cafe restaurant on Lower Roswell Road.

“Street pianos and public pianos inspire people to connect with each other in ways that were once common, but seem increasingly rare. By adding our pianos to the landscape throughout the metropolitan area, we hope to nurture that connection into an evolution of Atlanta’s culture, community and the arts,” said Jason Brett, co-founder of Play Me Again Pianos.

Vincent was designed and painted by Suzzanne Anicette, a local artist and the arts coordinator at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center.

“The idea and design for Vincent grew out of a desire to have an easily recognizable reproduction of a Master work, since we’re placing him inside the Gallery,” Anicette said. “I wanted to depict the feeling of van Gogh’s Starry Night using slightly more vibrant colors to entice players and help them feel at ease enough to enjoy playing.

“Painting Vincent was truly a labor of love. I can see him symbolically unifying the Visual and Performing Arts that are housed at Sewell Mill and being enjoyed for years to come. I’m grateful to Play Me Again Pianos for affording artists the opportunity to complete these public art pieces. I cannot wait to see the subsequent works take shape.”

Anicette is a former arts teacher in Rochester, N.Y. and Atlanta public schools and community arts centers and museums. She joined the cultural arts division of Cobb County PARKS in January.

Vincent will be located in the Carol and Jim Ney Art Gallery near the entrance to the library.

On Thursday, Jan. 10, a “Play In” will include staff from the Cultural Affairs Division of Cobb County PARKS and the Cobb County Library system playing Vincent in an all-day celebration from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

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Play Me Again Pianos to hold East Cobb fundraiser Sunday

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Sunny Piano East Cobb Park, Play Me Again Pianos

We placed this on the calendar but wanted to expand this item more because there’s some news accompanying a fundraiser the East Cobb-based non-profit Play Me Again Pianos is having on Sunday:

The group that refurbishes, repaints and donates used pianos for community use is inviting the public for a fundraiser from 5-7 Sunday at Red Sky Tapas and Bar (1255 Johnson Ferry Road).

The event will be featured around a Dueling Pianos concert (like the Dueling Pianos entertainment programs at the restaurant), and there will be food, drinks, and other musical fun.

Play Me Again Pianos will accept cash donations, and there will be raffle prizes and Red Sky will donate a portion of food and beverage sales on Sunday.

Co-founders Jason and Kelly Brett are aiming to provide 88 pianos to communities around metro Atlanta. Thus far there are two Play Me Again Pianos in East Cobb. “Sunny” at East Cobb Park, pictured above, whose ribbon-cutting we covered last summer, was painted by summer Artscape! painters. Last fall, “Tommy” was unveiled at Egg Harbor Cafe (4917 Lower Roswell Road).

Now for the news part: A third piano will be placed in East Cobb soon, at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center. Kelly told us there’s not an ETA yet on when “Vincent” will arrive. She says he’s still being painted, and “since our artists are volunteers we pretty much just roll with their timeline. We’re hoping that it’s before the end of the year though.”

While the pianos are donated and are free for the public to use, upkeep is not, and that’s what the fundraising efforts are all about. The Bretts estimate that each piano costs $500 a year to tune and make minor repairs.

Right now there 20 pianos in operation or on the way, including Vincent. Here’s more on what he will look like.

And here’s more on how the Bretts began their efforts to create more public music spots for what they say remains a labor of love. Says Jason:

“One of the things we love about these pianos is that they create spaces where friends and strangers alike gather to just enjoy a few minutes of music and happiness together, and that’s exactly the kind of community we want to be a part of.”

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East Cobb Weekend Events: Holiday markets; Free Dental Day; piano fundraiser; Veteran’s Day Parade; football playoffs; and more

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East Cobb Weekend Events, Mt. Zion UMC Craft Show

Early holiday shoppers will have more opportunities to beat the crowds, discover the best finds and help out local charitable efforts with an array of holiday markets leading off upcoming East Cobb Weekend Events.

The Good Mews Holiday Decor Market has been underway for a couple of weeks now and continues every weekend until mid-December at the Sandy Plains Exchange shopping center (1860 Sandy Plains Road at Scufflegrit). Hours are 10-5 Saturday and 12-5 Sunday and all proceeds go to shelter operations;

The Mt. Zion United Methodist Women Craft Show returns (photo above from last year) from 9-5 Friday and 9-4 Saturday at the church (1770 Johnson Ferry Road). It’s the 32nd year for the event, which will have items from more than 100 vendors, door prizes, a bake sale, a quilt drawing and Santa pictures. Proceeds go to UMW programs.

On Saturday, the Ribbons and Holiday Handcrafted Market takes place at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church (4385 Lower Roswell Road), with goods from more than 50 vendors, face painting for kids, food and more. Mt. Bethel’s mission projects are the beneficiary.

Well before dawn on Saturday many will be lining up for Free Dental Day at Mansouri Family Dental Care (4720 Lower Roswell Road). It’s the 8th year for the first-come, first-serve service, which provides free cleanings, extractions and fillings for those who can’t afford them. Treatment numbers will be given out starting at 5:30 a.m.

Friday Night Lights have been extended for three East Cobb high school football teams that have qualified for the Georgia High School Association playoffs. Two are playing at home: Camden County is at Walton, while Carver of Atlanta visits Kell. Pope will be playing at Creekview in Canton. Kickoff times are all at 7:30 p.m.

On Sunday, the East Cobb-based Play Me Again Pianos non-profit is having a family-friendly fundraiser from 5-7 p.m. at Red Sky Tapas and Bar (1255 Johnson Ferry Road), as it continues to provide refurbished pianos to communities across metro Atlanta. Two are located at East Cobb Park and Egg Harbor Cafe, and another will be presented soon at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center.

Monday is Veteran’s Day, and there are plenty of events slated around the county to mark the 100th anniversary of the armistice ending the First World War. The closest to East Cobb is the Marietta Veterans Day Parade that will be held on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. at Roswell Street Baptist Church (774 Roswell Street) and traveling to the Marietta Square, where speakers and commemorations will take place. The parade is in its 14th year, and is put on by the City of Marietta and the Marietta Kiwanis Club.

Check our full calendar listings for more things to do in East Cobb this weekend, and beyond.

Did we miss anything? Do you have a calendar item you’d like to share with the community? Send it to us, and we’ll spread the word! E-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com, and you can include a photo or flyer if you like.

Whatever you’re doing this weekend, make it a great one! Enjoy!

 

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East Cobb community piano program expands to Egg Harbor Cafe

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Tommy, East Cobb community piano
“Tommy” will make his debut at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 4 at Egg Harbor Cafe in East Cobb. (Photo provided by Play It Again Pianos)

Back in July East Cobb Park was the benefactor of a community piano program thanks to Play Me Again Pianos, a local non-profit (previous East Cobb News post here).

“Sunny,” named after East Cobb Park advocate Sunny Walker and located in the upper gazebo, will have some nearby accompaniment of sorts soon, at Egg Harbor Cafe (4719 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 210), on Nov. 4.

That’s when “Tommy” will be unveiled during a ribbon-cutting at 12 p.m. Like “Sunny,” the first tunes played on “Tommy” will be by a young local student musician.

It’s the latest in a community piano program started last year by East Cobb-based Play Me Again Pianos, co-founded by Jason and Kelly Brett. Their aim is to purchase, restore, paint and place 88 pianos throughout the metro Atlanta area, designed for community use.

Angela Lockman, East Cobb Middle School
Angela Lockman, East Cobb Middle School art teacher.

“Tommy” is also locally painted, by Angela​ ​Decker​ ​Lockman, a visual arts teacher at East Cobb Middle School.

“Street​ ​pianos​ ​and​ ​public​ ​pianos​ ​inspire​ ​people​ ​to​ ​connect​ ​with​ ​each​ ​other​ ​in​ ​ways​ ​that​ ​were once​ ​common,​ ​but​ ​seem​ ​increasingly​ ​rare,” Jason Brett said. ​”By​ ​adding​ ​our​ ​pianos​ ​to​ ​the​ ​landscape​ ​throughout the​ ​metropolitan​ ​area,​ ​we​ ​hope​ ​to​ ​nurture​ ​that​ ​connection​ ​into​ ​an​ ​evolution​ ​of​ ​Atlanta’s culture,​ ​community​ ​and​ ​the​ ​arts.”​

Here’s Lockman, last year’s Middle​ ​School​ ​Art​ ​Specialist​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Year​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Cobb​ ​County School​ ​District, on how she went about her work:

“My​ ​vision was​ ​to​ ​translate​ ​what​ ​we​ ​love​ ​about​ ​our​ ​area​ ​onto​ ​eggs​ ​that​ ​cover​ ​the​ ​piano. There​ ​are​ ​16​ ​eggs​ ​that​ ​encompass​ ​fun​ ​places​ ​to​ ​visit,​ ​our​ ​sports​ ​teams,​ ​and​ ​even​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​to our​ ​state​ ​song,​ ​‘Georgia​ ​On​ ​My​ ​Mind.’ Then​ ​as​ ​a​ ​nod​ ​to​ ​our​ ​host,​ ​we​ ​also​ ​incorporated​ ​two brightly-colored​ ​roosters​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Egg​ ​Harbor​ ​Cafe​ ​logo.”

The Bretts said “Tommy” is named after a member of the family-run Egg Harbor Cafe business. Unlike others in the family who had menu items named after them, there was no mention of Tommy on menus or business literature or logos.

Other Play Me Again Pianos are located ​in​ ​Chastain​ ​Park,​ ​​The​ ​Woodruff​ ​Arts Center,​ Colony​ ​Square,​ ​the​ ​Dunwoody​ ​Nature Center,​ ​the​ ​Chamblee​ ​Rail​ ​Trail,​ ​​Brookhaven,​ ​Ponce​ ​City Market,​ ​Atlantic​ ​Station​ ​and​ ​Alpharetta.​ ​​ ​

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PHOTOS: ‘Sunny’ piano ribbon-cutting and dedication at East Cobb Park

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A major project for summer ARTSCAPE! students at East Cobb Park was celebrated on Saturday, with a ribbon-cutting and dedication of the “Sunny” piano at the upper pavilion.

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The piano, which is part of the Atlanta-based Play Me Again pianos non-profit, was painted by children at this summer’s ARTSCAPE! Program at East Cobb Park. It is named after Sunny Walker, one of the driving forces behind the creation of East Cobb Park and the first board president of Friends for the East Cobb Park.

After the ribbon-cutting, East Cobb youngster Nico Brett, age 12, played the debut music on “Sunny,” Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag,” along with the theme song from the “Peanuts.”