Singing for Hope on Shore

Shore Road will soon be alive with the sound of music.

The Shore Road Parks Conservancy is the proud recipient of one of 50 community pianos distributed by Sing for Hope, a non-profit whose mission is to bring neighborhoods together through music and art.

Each piano is uniquely decorated by visual artists. Bay Ridge’s piano, which will have a home in the gazebo on Shore Road and 90th Street, was painted by South Brooklyn contemporary artist Diana Jaworowski, otherwise known as Daika.

“The spot is actually very special to me, because I graduated from Fort Hamilton,” Jaworowski said. “In school, I had a clandestine, secret affair with art. I am a first generation American from Ukrainian immigrants. We were recommended to pursue stability rather than what sets your soul on fire. During school, I would take any art class I could, and that was the highlight of my school day.”

The design of the piano was sparked by a Russian phrase which translates to “like two drops of water,” signifying that no two individuals are alike. The piano features vibrant blue hues against a silver, crystal-encrusted backdrop, and was inspired by Jaworowski’s family’s hometown of Kiev.  

“A school could be hot pink; a pharmacy could be yellow. I wanted to bring that to the piano as a homage to where my family comes from,” Jaworowski said. She also painstakingly applied layers of paint, saying, “I really wanted this piano to be perfect, because if a child sees something perfect, to them, it can be magical.”

“It’s a wonderful chance to combine art with all the diversity in the neighborhood and have people not only experience the visual art, but also the performing art,” said Linda Allegretti, founder of the Shore Road Parks Conservancy.  

Allegretti is no stranger to the Sing for Hope program and has helped to facilitate the program in past years.

“One time, I passed by the piano, and everyone was gathered around, singing show tunes. That was thrilling, to see the community coming together like that. I see people stopping by, and even cars stopping. It’s really quite an extraordinary event.”

Jaworowski is excited for such events to transpire again.

“Being an immigrant, I had never really seen a piano until I was sanding this one down,” she said. “The arts are a luxury to some children. I hope this piano will bring people together who wouldn’t typically speak to each other.”

After the piano’s tenure on Shore, it will be donated to a local spot, which has yet to be determined. Sing for Hope pianos have gone to facilities such as the Guild for Exceptional Children and Shore Hill Senior Center in the past.

The piano will be accessible from June 6 to 25, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. for all to play. Several concerts, sponsored by the Shore Road Parks Conservancy, will be held throughout the month.

• June 9, 7 p.m. Opening Concert  Tony: Travis-Singer/Songwriter and Friends 
• June 10, 5 p.m. Hanna Sobel-Singer/Songwriter
• June 15, 7 p.m. Mary Carmosino-Community Sing-Along  
• June 16, 7 p.m. Youth Concert
• June 23, 7 p.m. Fumiyo Narita and Yuko Shigeoka-Classical Musicians

Concerts are free.  There will be no rain dates.

More art from South Brooklyn artist Diana Jaworowski, otherwise known as Daika, can be found on Instagram @daikadoodles, or at www.daikadoodles.com.