Pianos began appearing across Castlemaine and surrounds late last week as the Maine Guerilla Pianos launched their 2025 Castlemaine Fringe Festival project.
The local group is putting the spotlight on pianos and the fun of playing and listening throughout the Fringe (March 22-April 6) and is encouraging community members to jump on a piano and share their gifts with the community.
The group held a launch event at the Northern Arts Hotel on Friday evening, and will host various pop up events and concerts as part of the festival featuring their five ‘Pianists at Large’ – musical luminary and MPG patron Maggie Jackson, MPG president Paul Ryan, The Anticlinal Fold subversive Jem Challender, impro guru Jude Russell, and keys jazz man John Meir.
The project is focused on promoting community music in the region.
Maine Piano Guerrillas, like gardening guerrillas, are a small group of friends who are saving pianos from the tip!
The group began as a conversation over coffee at Wesley Hill in late 2024. The project has grown from finding pianos to inviting well-known pianists to become the ‘Pianists at Large’ or ‘PALs’.
Maine Piano Guerrillas member Helen Sandercoe said all 10 pianos had been kindly donated for this event.
“They can be found at the front of the historic Castlemaine Market Building, the Senior Citizens Centre in Mechanics Lane aka the Flamin’ Galah Fringe Hub headquarters, the Taproom at Shedshaker Brewing at The Mill, Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine Community House and Northern Arts Hotel.
Helen said they were thrilled to also get access to the old Castlemaine Woollen Mill workers piano, which once stood in the former canteen area and can be found at the entrance to the Castlemaine Vintage Bazaar at The Mill during the festival.
“There is another two further afield the at Albion Hotel in Wesley Hill and at the Maldon Bakery.”
The 10th piano can be found in a ‘mystery location’ and there will also be a roving piano doing the rounds.
“Most of the pianos would have been destined for landfill, but Maine Piano Guerillas have given them a new life, which we hope will continue beyond the festival,” Helen said.
The group is pleased to have built a relationship with Joshua and Jo McPherson from Making Melody Music in Bendigo who are assisting moving and tuning pianos. This is a call out to the community of Castlemaine to play a piano, bring your friends and make music, listen to the pop-up concerts, and book for the grand finale concert at the Coolroom at Northern Arts Hotel at events.humanitix.com/mpg-grand-finale
If you have a piano party piece or want more information, see bit.ly/pianoguerrillas or contact mainepianoguerrillas@gmail.com
