NMBS

Since last week, the sounds of a piano have been echoing in the stations of Bruges and Brussels Central. Whether they are a delight to the ear or just annoying noise, depends on who happens to be sitting on the piano bench. Anyone who wants to can play the piano. Most passers-by in Brussels Central are enthusiastic. “I’m waiting for my friends for a day in Brussels. I just let them know that I am close to a very good pianist,” laughs Nilaye Goetghebuer.

The pianist in question is Tyson, who prefers not to have his family name in the newspaper. “Sorry, I’m just doing something,” he laughs shyly and points to another pianist who is now playing. “He is really at the conservatory level.” The two take turns. Tyson, dressed in a black hoodie and with a bandage on his hand, plays a piece of Rachmaninoff. “I didn’t learn it anywhere, because I can’t play,” he insists after his performance. “I didn’t do solfège, so I can’t read scores, even if I wanted to. I don’t have a piano at home. Too bad it will only last a month.”

© Bart Dewaele

Learned via Youtube

The pianos are part of the NMBS ‘Life in the station’ project. They will remain in the stations of Bruges and Brussels Central until May 9. They then travel to ten other stations, including Antwerp Central. “The NMBS wants to make the station a place where there is life,” says spokesperson Vincent Bayer. “A piano creates conviviality and interactions between travelers.”

Arnaud Verlaeken likes to play music everywhere. — © Amelie Van Negen

In Brussels Central, this plan appears to have been successful. With recognizable pop rock and French chanson, Arnaud Verlaeken succeeds in attracting people to the piano. Fiona Fouda is one of them. She gathers her courage and sings ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen. It is not the first time that Verlaeken has gotten to know people in Brussels Central in this way. “Last year there was also a piano here and a spontaneous friendship developed with a young lady who sang. Together with a boy we performed a version of ‘Unchained melody’, which was great.”

“I see myself as a folk guitarist and ‘musician who plays piano’,” he says. He points to the man sitting at the piano. “I’m not really a pianist, he is.” Verlaeken takes a thick folder with scores full of notes from his bag. “I indicate everything in my own way, so that I can easily read the music. As a child I learned to play the piano from my great aunt. Now I make music on my keyboard everywhere, even in the subway.”

Issam Benyamoune also shows his skills. “It feels good to play here. I forget the people around me and only think about the piano.” Like Verlaeken, he never took piano lessons. “It’s hard to believe. I often listened to piano music when I drove the car. One day I just bought a piano for 3,000 euros and learned to play it via YouTube.”

Infectious

A group of curious people are standing near the instrument. Brigitte Vermeulen cautiously joins in. “I’m making a video for my grandson, who plays the piano,” she says. “On the internet I often see people playing the piano in stations. It’s the first time I’ve seen it in real life. If I could, I would play here too. Piano is my favorite instrument, but now it’s too late to learn it, I’m afraid.”

A little further away, Jo Baute is listening. “Public pianos are fun,” he says. “It gives some color while you wait for the train. There is a risk that children will harp on it as if it were a cheap toy, but here in Brussels the standard is generally quite high.” Baute wanted to play himself, but the piano is highly coveted. “I haven’t played for a while, but seeing people play is contagious.”

2024-04-08 14:30:00
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