Unauthorized Piano-Playing in Melbourne

December 17, 2004 10:24 PM

Unauthorized piano-playing [+]

I'm in a strange foreign city (Melbourne) and I have an overwhelming urge to play piano. Didn't bring a keyboard with, though. If I go into a department store or a mall or something, just sit down at the huge-ass grand piano and start playing, what's the worst that could happen?

posted by Tlogmer to travel & transportation (16 comments total)

Go to a music store with good digital pianos (Yamahas and stuff), plug in headphones, and play away. :-) Worst case, you get a sales guy trying to sell something to you.
posted by knave at 10:33 PM on December 17, 2004

Pound-you-in-the-ass prison.
posted by bshort at 10:41 PM on December 17, 2004

Didn't you see Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure?
posted by pemdasi at 12:03 AM on December 18, 2004

DO IT!

The worst that could happen is that you could have only 15 seconds of fun.
posted by blasdelf at 12:51 AM on December 18, 2004

You could always play the dumb tourist angle:"In my country these are for use by the public..."
posted by vacapinta at 1:10 AM on December 18, 2004

Heh. Will do, vacapinta.
posted by Tlogmer at 1:13 AM on December 18, 2004

I think the worst that can happen is that they ask you to stop.

It probably depends a bit on if you are good. If I would start to play on one they might deport me to Siberia or something.
posted by sebas at 1:54 AM on December 18, 2004

Try Allan's Music at 133 Bourke Street (it is between Russell and Exhibition Streets). They are one of the big music stores in the city and I'm sure they won't mind you having a bash (I'd just say to them what you've told us). I'm not sure how you'd go playing one in a department store - though there is a homeless woman in Melbourne who is well known for just sitting down at a piano in a public space and playing beautiful classical music. Allan's has a music school, so if you ask really nicely, they might let you go off and use of the pianos there. I know that Council for Adult Education also teaches piano in the city, so they might let you have a go if you ring and ask.
posted by AnnaRat at 3:25 AM on December 18, 2004

Check out any universities in town. They often have practice rooms with pianos for their music students, which you can use.

Or just go to the department store / mall and ask if you can try out one of their pianos.
posted by Wolfdog at 4:12 AM on December 18, 2004

I did actually think of the university as well - University of Melbourne is probably your most likely central one.. but it is approaching the time of year where most of the universities will shut down completely for up to two weeks. So that's probably only a good tip for either the next couple of days or after the first week of January.
posted by AnnaRat at 4:20 AM on December 18, 2004

I think a music store might be your best bet. People can be quite nice about that sort of thing.

Case in point: I like checking out music stores when I visit a new city. I was in one once and a guy came in and started wailing on the bongos. A sales guy told me that he comes in a couple times a week and has a go at them. So I split and go to the next store on my list. Sure enough, the bongo guy come into that store and starts playing as well. Guess he was on tour.
posted by sexymofo at 6:07 AM on December 18, 2004 [1 favorite]

Music departments at major universities don't usually shut down practice facilities over Christmas, though; the students who use the pianos there to practice would raise a huge stink if they were unable to practice for the two weeks before their beginning-of-semester auditions.
posted by mendel at 7:39 AM on December 18, 2004

At Grace Bros (huge dept store) in Melbourne there's a grand piano on the ground floor. A bag lady often comes and plays it, beautifully. Maybe become a bag man?
posted by TiredStarling at 8:56 AM on December 18, 2004

Suggestions: dress well and put out a tip jar. They might think you belong there.
posted by SPrintF at 9:14 AM on December 18, 2004

let us know what you did
posted by angry jonny at 10:14 AM on December 18, 2004

Hell, I walked into a high-end piano store with the 8 year-old and got permission for her to play on a $100k Steinway five minutes before closing. Tickled her pink, and the owner was super-cool about it.

So I say, don't be afraid.
posted by five fresh fish at 11:06 AM on December 18, 2004