PLAY. LISTEN. ENJOY.

Pianos on State, a collaborative and interactive musical experience coinciding with the 2011 New Noise Festival (www.newnoisesb.org), kicks off downtown during First Thursday November 3rd. Sponsored in part by Santa Barbara Beautiful and Cox Communications, this is the second annual event made possible by the collaborative efforts of the Santa Barbara Bowl, Notes for Notes, Santa Barbara Education Foundation, Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative, Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, and New Noise Festival Nov. 3-8. Each piano will become its own piece of art as local professional Santa Barbara artists create unique looks. Pianos will be available for musical exploration, impromptu play and planned performances morning, afternoon and evening over two weekends (10am - 9pm per piano). Amateur and professional musicians alike will be scheduled to perform and the public is invited to sit down and play during non-scheduled hours.

This project also raises awareness for the 3rd Annual Instrument Drive 4 Youth taking place during the month of November. The Instrument Drive is another wonderful collaboration between the Santa Barbara Bowl, Notes for Notes, and the Santa Barbara Education Foundation, collecting new and used music instruments and equipment from the community for disbursement to young musicians through the SB School District and non-profit organizations. Over 200 instruments have been collected and distributed to local youth through the previous Instrument Drives.

2010 Instrument Drive -- "It was amazing to see the quantity and quality of instruments donated by the community that will benefit not only Notes or Notes, in helping to build a 'library' of instruments to loan to deserving kids in the community, but also the school music programs."
- Philip Gilley, Executive Director of Notes for Notes

Play it Forward... Do you have an instrument you no longer play collecting dust in your home? Are you storing music equipment that you no longer need? Consider donating it to this year’s Instrument Drive 4 Youth. Drop off locations include: Nick Rail Music (2801 De la Vina Street), Business First Bank (1035 State Street), and Santa Barbara Sheet Music (1036 Santa Barbara Street) during the month of November. Instruments will also be collected at the Youth Symphony’s Winter Concert at the Lobero Theatre on November 13th at 3pm. Instruments will be donated to local schools and arts organizations working with kids. Contact us at (805) 284-9125 for more information or to make a cash donation towards instruments.

Be sure to look for Pianos on State on Facebook