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Sing for Hope Piano uplifts, engages FIU early voters

Sing for Hope Piano uplifts, engages FIU early voters

October 30, 2020 at 1:00pm


As early voting continues in Florida, in what many argue to be one of the most critical elections in a generation, FIU School of Music has collaborated with Sing for Hope Pianos to help get out the vote.

Sing for Hope Pianos placed one of its iconic artist-designed pianos near FIU’s early voting site to inspire voter engagement, bring joy and create community through the arts.

Sing for Hope Pianos is a community initiative that places custom pianos in parks, public spaces, refugee camps and transit hubs in what is the country’s largest recurring public art project. This year, due to COVID-19, instead of the annual public art installation in New York City, Sing for Hope Pianos is creating vibrant, pop-up events around the country that encourage voter registration and concerts for frontline workers and isolated patients.

FIU School of Music students and faculty artists are giving pop-up performances on the piano as many students, faculty, staff and community members patiently wait in line to cast their ballots during the last weekend of early voting.

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“This is a wonderful opportunity to provide arts advocacy and the power of music,” says Karen S. Fuller Veloz, director the School of Music.

The piano was designed and hand-painted by acclaimed Cuban-American artist Alexis Mendoza. When early voting is over, the piano will be donated to FIU’s School of Music where students will be able to enjoy, learn and practice on it for many years to come.

Sing for Hope co-founder Camille Zamora says, “The Sing for Hope Pianos aim to democratize the arts. Like voting, they speak to our belief that everyone has a voice and every voice should be lifted. Music helps us mobilize. It powers social movements and that’s why it’s so vital right now. It’s one of the few things big enough to connect us across division and to hold both our struggle and our hope.”

The piano will remain near FIU’s Student Academic Success Center (SASC) through Nov.1 to continue inspiring and entertaining voters. 

To learn more about Sing for Hope and its Sing for Hope Pianos initiative, visit singforhope.org.