Farmer's Uncle Becomes Popular Playing Piano: "The Sound of Piano on the Street" Warms a City's Public Welfare | Piano | The Sound of Piano

Not long ago, a video of a construction worker improvising a piano on the streets of Shenzhen became popular on the internet. Why do pianos appear on the streets? What kind of story is behind it?

The reporter found a worker playing the piano in a construction dormitory in Shenzhen. His name is Yi Qunlin, and people around him call him Lao Yi. Lao Yi comes from Yueyang, Hunan. He came to Shenzhen more than 20 years ago. Now, he and his son Yi Wenli are working as temporary builders in Shenzhen. Initially, it was his son Yi Wenli who filmed a video of him playing the piano on the street.

Yi Wenli, the son of Yi Qunlin: When we passed by the subway entrance that day, we saw someone playing the piano there. We asked and said it was a charity piano, and anyone can play it. Then I encouraged my dad to go up and play it. Because I knew my dad could play the piano, I played a few songs with a playful mindset.

Lao Yi said he loves music very much and plays the harmonica during his free time. He learned to play the piano when he was young at a relative's house in the county town. Although decades have passed, those scores are still remembered. He, who has not touched the piano for over 30 years, never expected to one day play the piano again on the streets of Shenzhen.

Construction worker Yi Qunlin: I was already a bit nervous and afraid of being laughed at by others. There were also some people standing next to me, all adults. As a migrant worker, I was very dirty and always afraid of being looked down upon, which had a psychological effect.

Lao Yi has a pair of experienced hands. In the past decades, they have washed bowls, assembled toys, held shovel, and mixed cement, and their palms have worn out many calluses. But these are hands that can play the piano. That day, with the encouragement of those around him, he played more than ten songs in a row.

Yi Qunlin: With a round of applause, my mood improved and I gradually became less nervous. I felt a sense of being recognized by everyone. On the way back, everyone was so happy, so happy.

After playing the piano on the street that time, Lao Yi specifically asked his son to print out the score of an old song called "Dream Chaser", and prepare to memorize it before finding a chance to play it.

Yi Qunlin: Music gives people a joyful mood, and they should relax after getting tired from work. I don't know how to say it, but if it's not good, it's just that I feel very comfortable in my heart, a very joyful feeling, forgetting all my worries and worries.

Public welfare piano conveys warmth

Connect everyone's lives

Whether you play well or not, and whether you are professional, these are not important. Music brings joy to Lao Yi, and more importantly, it can convey warmth, resonate, and even connect with life through the sound of the qin, giving people a sense of gain.

The public welfare pianos placed on the streets of Shenzhen provide us with another perspective to feel the warmth of urban development. In the fast-paced life, we may as well stop our hurried steps and together experience the sound of the street piano.

Early in the morning, the reporter arrived at the Shenzhen Huaqiangbei subway station as mentioned by Lao Yi. Coming out of the subway entrance, he indeed saw a piano.

On the Huaqiangbei Pedestrian Street, there are a total of eight pianos like this, which were placed by the Huaqiangbei Street Office in 2018 for citizens to play for free. Over the years, due to piano wear and tear, the pianos here have been replaced in three batches.

Zhang Chen, Deputy Director of Huaqiangbei Sub district Office: Because Shenzhen has always advocated that everyone can enjoy various public cultural services at their doorstep. This is a commercial district located in the center of Shenzhen. We focus on how to bring high-quality public cultural services into the commercial district and provide diversified cultural facilities. This is also an innovation in our street, I didn't expect so many citizens to come and clock in.

For several years, Huaqiangbei Street has been responsible for the maintenance and repair costs of pianos. In the bustling streets, these public welfare pianos not only provide a stage for people to showcase, but also provide opportunities for enthusiasts to practice.

Wang Qihe is a frequent visitor here. He works as a decoration worker in Shenzhen and teaches himself to play the piano in his free time. When the job comes, he immediately starts working again.

Renovation worker Wang Qihe: November 18th, 2018, I will always remember this day. I passed by here and came across this piano. I felt very strange. At that time, I didn't understand anything and often got up early and spent my free time practicing. I started practicing at the age of 53, and my fingers have become so stiff. I have been practicing for 4 years now. I am very proud to be able to play to this extent.

Public welfare piano entering the neighborhood

Let the pianist reap joy and warmth

Moving public welfare pianos into the neighborhood provides a vivid attempt. During the interview with reporters, people of different ages and professions played the piano here, and each person who came to play the piano gained their own unique feelings.

Ophthalmologist: I am a doctor and usually quite busy. For example, during lunchtime when there are not many patients and there are relatively few people here, I just play the piano when I see something available. The music I play usually has a strong sense of rhythm, because it is inevitable to face a lot of pressure when facing patients, and I can also have a way to release pressure myself.

Piano teacher: I am a piano teacher and I will come over around around the end of work. I feel that the atmosphere playing here is completely different from that in a training institution. It can better train a person, improve my psychological quality, and meet more like-minded people or like-minded people here.

Retired teacher: I am a recently retired university teacher. A friend said there is a piano here, and while playing, many friends gathered to watch. I think to myself that my piano sound can bring happiness to others, and I also hope to bring this residual heat to more music loving friends.

The black and white piano keys connect unfamiliar people in the city, and over the years, some regulars have gradually become familiar, forming a music community.

Shenzhen citizen Yi Hongfeng: This group is called Huaqiangbei Public Welfare Piano Fan Group. In this group, there are friends of all professions and age groups, all because they love piano. Because this is a charity piano and we are gathered together, I feel very interesting and humane.

Nowadays, these strangers who would have passed by on the road often meet up after work to hold small street concerts here, feeling the joy and warmth beyond the busy life.