On the morning of Tuesday 16th April, over 40 pianists will gather to perform an outdoor concert in an act of musical solidarity to show that we care too! We will add to the growing chorus around the world calling on governments to respond now to our “direct existential threat” (António Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN). The performance will be part of a cultural festival taking place in April on London streets supporting mass peaceful action to demand change.
COME ALONG!
To find out where the piano will be look on social media from 10am on Tuesday 16th April
Twitter: #xrpiano4planet
Twitter: @climatekeys
Facebook: Play Piano for the Planet
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TESTIMONIALS FROM PARTICIPATING PIANISTS
“For civilisation to survive into the 22nd century, we need an urgent shift in cultural consciousness! Yes to art, no to fossil fuels. Yes to sustainability, no to consumerism. Yes to creativity, no to society's suicidal status quo.” (BENJAMIN COMEAU, COMPOSER PIANIST)
"I want to express through music, the swansong of our Earthly paradise and the lament of the sixth mass extinction." (TOM MATOS, SCHOOL STUDENT)
“I’m playing to show my support for Extinction Rebellion. There’ll be no pianos on a dead planet. (STEFAN LINDON, PIANIST)
“Our world is on fire and we all need to wake up to this fact and do something. If music can be part of that wake-up call then i will join the chorus. (BETHAN JONES, PIANIST)
“We have to do everything we can to draw attention to the emergency we are in right now. I play the piano, so… that’s what I’m doing! Music has the power to connect and us with emotions. It gives us time to reflect. So my hope is that people stop for a moment, listen to the music and think about the seriousness and poignancy of the climate crisis. Maybe from there people will be more inclined to take their own action. Who knows? But we have to do something.” (OK BERTIE, PIANIST, COMPOSER)
“Artists these days have far more powerful voices than many politicians and therefore we can make a real difference! The planet needs us more than ever to save it! I personally thank it every day for having all us here, giving us ‘home' in a real sense and cannot wait to connect with my audience on this special day!’ (GéNIA, PIANIST)
“I really want to do anything I can for this important and urgent cause. I often feel helpless about what I can do specifically. So when I saw this opportunity to do what I do best in life, which is play the piano then I jumped at the chance!” (SARAH KERSHAW, PIANIST)
“I'm in 'Play Piano for the Planet' because culture declares a climate emergency.” (EMILY HALL, PIANIST)
"I'm in 'Play Piano for the Planet' because it is a simple as this: we have a responsibility to those who come after us.” (ALICE THOMPSON)
"Humans are the worst natural disaster known to humankind” (RUPERT COLE, PIANIST)
“I'm in 'Play Piano for the Planet' because I care about our planet present and future.” (MARIA, PIANIST)
“I think that climate change is an important problem to solve.” (ANGELA TURSI, PIANIST)
“I believe music is a great way to make your individual voice, and the voice of many, heard and able to effect change.” (KIRSTY CHAPLIN, PIANIST)
“Contributing to the wellness of the Planet makes me proud and happy. I think it is a great privilege to use music as a factor to protect our Planet.” (NIL MLADIN)
“Music can save the world.” (EVGENY KUZNETSOV, PIANIST)
“Music is the language of the soul and our planet needs to heal, let music lead the way.” (GILLY BEAN, PIANIST) “Music helps us reconnect with true human nature.” (JESSICA PEVERELL, PIANIST)
HOW TO GET INVOLVED The call out for pianists has now ended. If you are interested in performing in this in the future, or in performing a solo ClimateKeys concert, please email lola@climatekeys.com
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ABOUT THE CREATORS: ClimateKeys is a global initiative with a no-fly policy that has to date triggered over 60 events in 13 countries in which musicians and climate change experts collaborate to lead discussion on action on climate change. ClimateKeys is proud to support the aims of Extinction Rebellion and its mass peaceful civil action commencing on 15th April with two specially created performances; ‘Play Piano for the Planet’ and ‘Sounding Twelve Years’.
ABOUT THE EMERGENCY: 2019 is arguably our last chance to drive policy and culture change so as to achieve the ambitious targets set out in the UN’s IPCC 2018 report which describes the enormous harm that anything above a 1.5°C rise in global temperature would cause. It told us that limiting to 1.5°C may still be possible yet requires “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society”. The problem though: we’re not on track. Carbon emissions haven’t stopped rising and temperatures are heading towards 3°C. If we continue on our current course, future changes in climate could be dramatically abrupt and irreversible, seeing mass migrations, crop failures and unprecedented disasters. This is already putting pressures on the ecology, with 200 species going extinct every day due to habitat loss as well as change in climate. A 2018 study of British mammals found that 1 in 5 could be extinct within a decade. It’s time to increase ways to shift the global narrative and generate the necessary political will.
