For the third consecutive year, the Deise joins the world wide Piano Day events on the 88th day of the year to celebrate 88 keys of a modern piano, on Friday March 29th.

What's happening this year in the Deise?

Piano Day in Waterford will feature a custom made E-motion Piano which will bring emotional awareness with a trail of musical notes. This is basically an adult sized tricycle with an inbuilt piano, which was designed by Declan Kelly of Wild Rover Bikes.

Thomas Mearon will set emotions in motion with soothing music during a lunchtime recital in the foyer of University Hospital Waterford. This event is co-hosted by Waterford Healing Arts Trust. Following that recital, at about 1.45pm, The E-motion piano will start to make its way into Waterford City.  Keep your ears peeled for Josė Salum, a pianist from Mexico, as he leaves
an emotional trail around the city centre.

The now annual tradition of putting a piano in John Robert's Square continues, and the instrument will be in situ on Friday from 12pm. Members of the public are invited to take turns to play, and to bring their own instruments too. This is a great opportunity for aspiring and emerging pianists to jam as performances will be live streamed, reaching a wider audience this year.
Killian Browne from a local funk band Backroad Smokers Club will be there to play a few classics.

The grand finale of Piano Day will feature an array of artists headlined by Marian Ingoldsby, a well-established musician and composer with work commissioned by the RTÈ National Symphony Orchestra and the Dublin
International Piano Competition. Marian will play classical and improvised pieces accompanied by a lyrical dance artist Jess Rowell. The audience will also witness a collaboration between Brian Dillon, a member of the
widely acclaimed experimental band Meltybrains?, alongside an experimental dancer Enda Moran from Core Creations.
This will be preceded by a performance from Doug Lowe on the piano, accompanied by Ian McHardy on the cello. This is a ticketed event at the Large Room in City Hall and it gets underway from 7pm. You'll find out more here.

Magda and Declan in studio

To talk all things World Piano Day in Waterford, I was joined On the Fringe by organiser Magdalena Lipinska, and by Declan Kelly of Wild Rover Bikes, designer of the E-motion piano.

Have a listen here to our chat:

https://soundcloud.com/wlrfmwaterford/waterford-is-a-hive-of-activity-for-world-piano-day-2019