14: Pasadena Conservatory of Music

14: Pasadena Conservatory of Music
Designed by: Man One
Piano type: Spinet
Playability: Good
Weather: 68°F, overcast
How I got here: Car (barely)

Returning back on the 210 I headed to the street piano in front of the Pasadena Conservatory of Music.

Unfortunately, right as I passed the building and was rounding the corner to find parking, my engine conked out on me again. I was able to hobble on (limp mode) and find parking a block away. I figured I was so close, I might as well play it.

To my surprise, it was right at the front steps, just a couple yards from passing cars on Hill Avenue! I guess I might as well play to the cars then. One lady slowed down, rolled down her passenger window and took a pic of me. This piano was surprisingly a nice player with sweet action and a pretty nice tone for a spinet.

A dude on his bike took pics and video of me playing this bluesy improv tune:

I asked if he played as well. He told me he was just riding around town checking out the pianos. We introduced ourselves, he told me his name was "Walter," who was the same person who commented on my Flickr site for the street pianos recently. Not only that, I met him several weeks back through some mutual friends while chasing down the LACMA rock's final journey back in early March. Small world!

After practicing it in Claremont, I decided to do Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is":




I had my laptop on me, so I just hung out at the Starbucks across the street for a couple hours and uploaded some street piano pics and video. Later, my car was able to start normally...