It’s piano season in Davis

By: Barbara Archer, City of Davis

The City of Davis is pleased to announce the 11th annual In the Key of Davis, a program that provides free public pianos for recreational music-making and merriment, at the following community locations:

• Central Park (corner of Third and C Streets)
• Davis Food Co-Op (620 G Street)
• Hunt-Boyer Plaza (corner of Second and E Streets)
• Mary L. Stephens Davis Branch Library (315 E. 14th Street)
• Wyatt Deck (UC Davis Arboretum)

The pianos will be available starting June 5 and will remain accessible until wet weather returns in the fall. In the Key of Davis offers a space for improvisational gatherings, spontaneous connections and celebrations of music. All pianos in the program have been donated by community members.

“This program is beloved by the Davis community,” said Davis Mayor Bapu Vaitla. “Hearing people play on the pianos is a great summer joy, and the City is thrilled that In the Key of Davis is able to continue this year.”

Not only do the pianos offer free public access to live music, but they also present a chance each year for students to design and paint used pianos. This year’s collection includes a newly painted piano by local high school students.

Kyle Monhollen’s art students at Davis Senior High School designed and decorated the newest piano to join the collection. 

“Art is typically individual, but this artistic project was not and that is what made it so special, we saw the combination of different art styles and personalities and made friends in the process,” said DSHS Community Art Society Club president Victoria Dahl, a senior.

In the Key of Davis was launched in 2015 as the brainchild of two local teenagers, Isabelle and Hailey Shapiro, who experienced a similar program while visiting another city. The Shapiro family has been coordinating the program ever since and works with the City each year to introduce new pianos and locations.

Participants are encouraged to send their photos and videos of public piano playing to In the Key of Davis by email: inthekeyofdavis@gmail.com, Facebook: IntheKeyofDavis or Instagram: @key_of_davis.

Learn more about the program, view its history and enjoy photos and video of players of every kind on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/inthekeyofdavis/. For questions regarding this program, contact Rachel Hartsough at: rhartsough@cityofdavis.org or 530-747-5640.

The City of Davis Arts & Cultural Affairs Program supports community-based arts projects, cultural opportunities and education initiatives that foster excellence, diversity and vitality in the arts. The program is the clearinghouse for all creative activity in the City of Davis government and serves the entire Davis community. The program also develops community partnerships, explore best practices, manage the public art collection and support Civic Arts Commission initiatives.