Piano Project Brings Music to Iconic Quad-City Destinations - The Echo

River Music Experience unveils their creative placemaking program: OneSound. The OneSound Piano Project has strategically placed ten artist-designed pianos in iconic Quad-City locations for the public to interact with, bringing more music, art, and interaction to our community’s public spaces.

“Music is a universal language. Regardless of what we all may disagree on in a divided society, the joy of music is something we all have in common,” Tyson Danner, RME Executive Director, said. “OneSound brings people in our community together through music. Whether it’s children playing in a park and having their first musical experience with one of these pianos or a practiced musician getting a chance to play in public, we’re excited to see the interaction that comes with the OneSound project.”

OneSound is an initiative to put the soundtrack of today into the hands of our community by providing them with not only the idea of but the means to engage in creativity, and break down social barriers through music. This project builds community and long-term relationships with local businesses, local government, and organizations that go beyond the program.

“OneSound will add another artistic element to our already thriving creative community in the Quad Cities,” John Langworthy, OneSound Program Director, said. “It is going to bring people together in public spaces who may have never thought to interact with one another.” 

In January of 2022, John Langworthy, OneSound Program Director, put out a call for ten artists to design and paint ten pianos to be scattered across the Quad Cities. The artists selected for the project were Atlanta Dawn, Karen Blomme, Abigail Kongkousonh, Lisa Mahar, Carolyn Kreuger, Regan Hatfield, Ella Crockett, Amber Abel, Nicholas Frey and Heidi Sallows. Each of their individual pianos will be placed at:

  • Niabi Zoo (Coal Valley)
  • Arts Alley (Rock Island)
  • Freight House Farmers’ Market (Davenport)
  • Quad City International Airport (Moline)
  • Runner’s Park (East Moline)
  • Antique Archaeology (LeClaire)
  • Quad City Botanical Center (Rock Island)
  • Mercado on Fifth (Moline)
  • VanderVeer Botanical Park (Davneport)
  • Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center (Bettendorf)

Outdoor pianos will be in place until Labor Day weekend, with indoor locations remaining until next May.

Partial support for the program comes from Supporting Program Sponsors Quad City Arts and West Music. Site sponsors include Davenport Riverfront Improvement Commission, Respect Abilities & East Moline Main Street Association, Pierce’s Promise, and Northwest Bank and Trust.

More information on locations and artists here.

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