Chicago Plays is one man's mission to provide free piano access in public spaces

You could call John McCarthy Chicago's piano man, and his organization Chicago Plays is his way to bring free access to pianos in the city's public spaces.

McCarthy started playing piano as a child.

"We always had a piano in the house and I was always doodling around and sounding stuff out and playing things," he recalled.

Now retired, McCarthy had time to tinker with an idea to bring back to Chicago what he loves about traveling through Europe.

"You go into train stations and airports, and you see public pianos," he said. "We would look at ourselves all the time and just go, like, 'Why don't we have that back in Chicago?'"

So McCarthy created a nonprofit he calls Chicago Plays.

"The mission of Chicago Plays is to give free access to pianos in public spaces in Chicago," he said.

Every piano is donated, and some travel from family living rooms to the most public of places like County Fair Foods in Beverly. People can play while they shop, or while they visit Navy Pier.

For a project of that scale, McCarthy can't be a soloist; he needs an ensemble.  Every piano gets turned over to a Chicago artist like Megan Quigley.

"I try to make it as much of an atmosphere for myself as I can, but it's hard when it's a garage," she said with a laugh.

Quigley's garage is a makeshift studio, and the piano is her canvas. She's done a lot of paintings before, but this is the first time she's created public art that's playable.

"It'll end up at Ogilvie Station and it'll be very cool," she said.

At Ogilvie Transportation Center's Metra Market, a purple piano is the one arrival no one expects. McCarthy thinks the old upright fits right in.

"It seems to bring a little bit of life. A little bit of energy," he said.

The piano quickly exposes hidden talents. The next thing you know, that stranger on your train has turned your commute into a concert.

The mission is as simple as black and white: give the city a piano, and listen to what Chicago plays.

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