Dueling Pianos, a fundraising event sponsored and hosted by The Rage Room-York to benefit Theater Arts For Everyone, or TAFE, will happen Saturday, February 24, 2024. It is slated to be a multi-hour event starting at 1PM.
The Rage Room-York is a place where people can make stuff, break stuff, throw paint, and now destroy pianos?
“When we got the baby grand from Aaron Marshall at Artemis Vintage,” rage room operator Phyl Campbell said, “I started thinking about how we’d never get a donation like that and how could we use it to help the community. When we got the SECOND piano, I started making some calls.”
Those calls ultimately led to a collaboration fundraiser project with TAFE, Theater Arts For Everyone, and TAFE organizer Shama Mir. “Shama and I are very similar in terms of our vision for the community. I am thrilled to work with such an energetic and caring individual.” Campbell said.
So what will happen with DUELING pianos? Some kind of rage room concert?
“Oh, we’re going to destroy the pianos.” Campbell said. “First, we’re going to invite people to come learn how to safely unstring pianos. Kids and adults. It’s not too dissimilar from tuning a guitar – we’re just making the strings really loose so we can take them off without them snapping under the tension. This is going to be on a ‘pay what you can’ or donation basis. And we’ll talk about how a piano should work and why these pianos came to us because they were considered broken.”
Because pianos are so heavy, taking a piano to a dump site or having a piano hauled off can be very expensive. And when pianos cannot stay in tune, sound tinny, or otherwise do not make their appropriate sounds, musicians look for ways to affordably and responsibly dispose of them. Rage Rooms serve an environmentally conscious niche here. The Rage Room-York not only allows people to break stuff down, but also reuses and recycles as often as practical and even rehomes things that still have life left in them.
“Next, we’re going to sell off the piano parts. Black and white keys, hammers, strings, pedals, harp. A buck a piece for the small parts. Best offers on the larger parts, like the bridges, soundboards, and harps. This is going to be someone’s chance to have really cool pieces for art projects. We’re also going to invite people to decorate the actual piano bodies with chalk. AND people will create music-themed art in many of our creating rooms – maybe they’ll draw a picture of a piano with markers and crayons. Maybe they’ll build a mini piano out of Tinker Space parts. Maybe they’ll splatter-paint an abstract based on themes of music,” Campbell said.
“For the finale, we’re going to allow all those piano students who were forced to take piano lessons or practice, or all those people who had to listen to someone play the piano badly, or whatever their situation, we’ll let them have their revenge on the instrument that so badly frustrated them,” Campbell said. “One piano at a time, and people paying to take whacks at them until they’re both a lot lighter and easier to move. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Who: The Rage Room-York, Theatre Arts For Everyone (TAFE), the community
What: Dueling Pianos: a fundraising event to benefit TAFE
When: Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 1PM for deconstruction, 2PM for art, 3PM for demolition
Where: The Rage Room-York, 2300 Industrial Hwy
Why: Educational Fundraiser and Community Event
How: Pre-bidding and buying of piano pieces and/or destruction opportunities may happen anytime by emailing Phyl at TheRageRoomYork@gmail.com. Destruction fees will be $1 per whack or $10 per minute, and people can purchase consecutive whacks or minutes. Destruction will start at 3PM. People coming to break either piano must wear closed-toe, thick-soled footwear. They must also wear long pants. Long sleeved tops are highly recommended. The rage room will provide gloves and face shields. They will also have a viewing room so people may watch the destruction from a safe distance.
People may also donate directly to TAFE. TAFE donations may be sent to PO Box 20573 York, PA 17402 or donations may be made online: https://tafepa.org/ways-to-give.
For further information or to follow up, contact Phyl Campbell at 717-850-8699 or TheRageRoomYork@gmail.com. Contact Shama Mir at 717-495-8082 or smir@tafepa.org.
