Pasadena Street Piano Stolen?

A street-side piano that Pasadena classical concert pianist Cindy Lam installed recently outside her studio for the public to play on and decorate went missing Wednesday morning and believed to have been stolen.

Lam sent an urgent message to Pasadena Now to say the piano no longer on the street side when she came home past 11 a.m. Wednesday.

“I’m heartbroken to tell you that I came home just now to discover that the piano has been stolen,” Lam wrote. “Maybe the person who took it didn’t know it was part of a kids’ art project?”

The piano has been sitting on Lam’s driveway until she decided to put it out on the curb on Sunday. By Tuesday, it was officially installed as a street piano on Waverly Drive, right outside the Cindy Lam Piano Studio (CLPS).

“This colorful piano, transformed into functional artwork, will live on the curb and be available to anyone who wants to play it,” Lam wrote in a press release last month as she was planning to put the piano on the curb. “The art project will serve to engage people to create and enjoy music in the moment, as well act as a common thread for people to share a connection, thus creating a sense of community through music.”

Since the piano was on her driveway, residents along the artsy block between Fair Oaks and Pasadena Avenue have been dropping by to add their piece on the artwork. Local musicians and music students also became regular visitors.

Tina Carter, a CLPS parent, said her three kids love to express themselves on the piano.

“This street piano is a fun and exciting way for the kids to share their enthusiasm for piano with the Pasadena community. It means a lot to my kids to have their piano teacher enjoy time with them doing all sorts of different, amazing, and creative projects.”

Neighbor Sandy Portaro, who owns the Athletic Garage nearby, was thrilled about the idea of installing the piano out on the curb.

“This is a wonderful thing and a great addition to our block,” Portaro said. “We just created an urban wall mural in our parking lot, and having a street piano right across the street complements that perfectly. I love the melding of different forms of art that happens here — the making of music, moving to music — and now there is access for anybody who spontaneously wants to make a little music while walking by.”

Lam was inspired by the pianos in and around the subway stations in urban spaces like New York City and Europe, and how they had the ability to bring strangers together who otherwise wouldn’t cross paths.

“I’ve seen an opera singer spontaneously teach a random little boy how to play ‘Twinkle, Twinkle.’ This kid’s first lesson on the piano was completely unexpected and taught to him on the street by a stranger. How great is that?”

Lam and her supporters are asking for help in finding their beloved piano. Anyone who has information about the whereabouts of the missing street piano can contact Cindy Lam by phone, (626) 416-9474, or by email, cindy@cindylam.com.