Castlemaine Piano Guerrillas

Duration: 21 March-6 April

The Maine Piano Guerrillas are coming to Castlemaine Fringe 2025!
During Castlemaine Fringe 2025 (21 March-6 April), The Coolroom at the Northern Arts Hotel are joining forces with an underground piano movement to put donated upright pianos in prominent locations around town to encourage a new movement targeting the spontaneous mellifluous, mesmerising and melodious machinations of music in public places. The Program see: bit.ly/pianoguerrillas

PIANOS AT LARGE
During the Festival we will perpetuate piano mayhem at six as yet undisclosed locations around Castlemaine led by our very own Pianists at Large.

PIANISTS AT LARGE [PIANO PALS]
Maggie Jackson • Jem Challender• Paul Ryan • Jude Russell •John Meir + you!

MAINE PIANO GUERRILLAS ON SOCIUAL MEDIA AND WEB

MAINE PIANO GUERRILLAS PIANOS AT LARGE LOCATION 

  1. Market Building Front Portico 44 Mostyn St Castlemaine, 24 Hour access outside
    Piano: Hapsburg, Hugo Wertheim Melbourne made – nice instrument # 3396.
  2. Senior Citizens Centre Flamin’ Galah Fringe Hub next to Castlemaine Library Open from 3pm each day, Gigs most nights.
    Piano: Ronaldi, Berlin Piano [20s-60s] Beale Agents.
  3. Castlemaine Community House through foyer 30 Templeton St Castlemaine, Open 9-3pm Monday to Friday but not Tuesday morn cooking classes.
    Piano: Klingmann, Berlin [Honky Tonk] Not being tuned.
  4. The Tap Room, The Mill 9 Walker St Castlemaine, Open from 12 noon 7 days.
    Piano: Hans Rose Berlin, #12271, Tuned to 320 Hz.
  5. The Mill Castlemaine Bazaar 9 Walker St Castlemaine Open 9-5pm 7 days .
    Piano: Thürmer #35689 Existing in-situ: was workers piano for the Mill when a carpet factory.
  6. Northern Arts Hotel 359 Barker St Castlemaine, 24 hour access outside.
    Piano: Hugo Wertheim Melbourne Excellent tune near concert pitch.
  7. The Albion Hotel, 152 Duke St Chewton Inside accessible during open hours unless gig on. Thur & Fri 5pm-10pm, Sat 12pm-10pm, Sun 2pm – 6pm
    Piano: Yamaha Upright? Tuned to 440 hz.
  8. Maldon Bakery, 51 Main St Maldon Contact: Rebecca Barnett. 24hour access outside.
    Piano: Gors & Kallmann Piano
  9. The Bridge Hotel 21 Walker St Castlemaine Open Hours: Wed/Thur/Fri 3pm til late Sat/Sun 1pm til late
    Piano: Thalberg Player Piano #8750 60 Rolls
  10. Roving depending on need! Will vary! Contact Greg 0408 117 244
    Piano: Yamaha Digital, Yamaha Y142R Rosewood
  11. Mystery Location: Rail Underpass, Corner of Forest and Kennedy St on way to Camp Reserve, 24-hour access
    Piano: F Bauer, Hamburg #18812 total honky tony untuned, possibly untunable, but great echo!

MAINE PIANO GUERRILLAS LAUNCH CONCERT
Friday 21 March at 7.30pm, with a launch of a piano music fundraising concert at The Coolroom Northern Arts Hotel.

PIANOS AT LARGE GRAND FINALE CONCERT
Sunday 6 April at 6pm, end with a public perfectly played grand piano Concert at The Coolroom Northern Arts Hotel.

MUSIC GROUP OR CHOIR – JOIN IN!
Are you a community musician, choir, or small group that would love to be part of our planned and or spontaneous program? Get in touch as we want to program some weekend and mid week gatherings.

Contact Helen 0431 747 504 or mainepianoguerrillas@gmail.com
https://bit.ly/pianoguerrillas

ABOUT THE PIANO PALS

PIANISTS AT LARGE [PIANO PALS]

Maggie Jackson:
Our patron and well known local jazz pianist who can be seen playing piano and many local events including with her NY Jazz Trio, At Arcare for the residents and families, for the IWD Concert, at the Castlemaine Secondary College where she plays for students., Castlemaine Jazz Festival and more. Maggie enthusiastically joined us on this journey as great lover of the piano. Her baby grand Steinway  and Maggie have had a 30 year love affair.

Jem Challender:
Jem plays with a variety of other musicians around Castlemaine and is a passionate Jazz pianist. He is the leader pianist and songwriter and inspiration behind the Jazz group The Anticlinal Fold, He has presented many concerts at The Coolroom , raised money for Asylum Seekers Resource Centre, presented our 2024 Christmas Concert involving his three children, Thomasina, violinist and Castlemaine Secondary College Musician of the Year, Mary another talented violinist, and his youngest is Albertine, who recently commenced her piano journey and is already showing promise.

Paul Ryan:
Paul started this journey for our group leading conversation about the need to save pianos been given away and put them to good use and proposed project to put them on our street and so The Maine Piano Guerrillas was born and now we have the Fringe project. Paul is also pianist who is presenting a unique show during Fringe with a colleague Victor O Circumstance where they use  digital piano, and recorded sounds and projections to explore original poems and musical landscapes based on a range of related themes, traversing fanciful, poignant and sometimes surreal spaces of imagination.

Jude Russell:
Jude says ‘I would dearly love to take advantage of using these pianos in the street.  I’m wondering if you could give me more info on their locations so that I may consider my accessibility to them beforehand.  I’m highly qualified as a classical pianist, have had a major career in jazz but these days I prefer to freely improvise from the heart and I can imagine in this situation taking inspiration from surrounding environment and people.  I’m an Australian Art Orchestra Alumni and these days am mostly involved with their events and their affiliation with Castlemaine-based Punctum.’

John Meir:
John is well known local jazz musician both on guitar and piano and leads the local group John and The Meircats. [more to come!]