On July 10, Toronto becomes latest city to join ‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ street piano phenomenon

Artist Karen Miranda Augustine’s painted piano, representing Dominica, will join 40 other instruments on the streets of Toronto on July 10 (John Terauds photo).

On July 10, Toronto gets a taste of street piano culture in honour of the Pan Am Games, which the city will host in 2015.

The day includes a big flag-raising and celebration at noon, featuring the cultures of all 41 participant countries at Nathan Phillips Square. That evening, at David Pecaut Square, outside the former Metro Hall on King St W., CBC Radio’s Andrew Craig hosts a big concert that will, in its wake, unleash 41 pianos onto Toronto streets, parks, squares and, if things go according to plan, the ferry to Centre Island.

Video: Halo video game keeps on dancing with Toca Loca

Gregory Oh, keyboardist-around-town and leader of new music experimenters Toca Loca, just sent me a short clip from latest instalment of Halo Ballet, from a Young Centre workshop.

With the help of composer Aaron Gervais, the group has been having fun in matching music with the onscreen acrobatics of Halo heroes and villains\. As far as I know, the first public performance of the Halo Ballet was at the Music Gallery’s X Avant festival in the fall of 2010.

If video games can have sequels, so can ballets.

John Terauds

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