We're sitting on the sidewalk. This young lady was playing a piano. I am so excited
that we're going to turn it over to Mickey and she's going to play whatever God put
in her spoon to play. The Gather Here Tour, it's a project where I travel around the country with
the piano in a van and yeah I play in community gathering spaces instead of formal concert halls
where you know not everyone might feel welcome or they might not even have geographical access
you know. So I bring the music to the people really and all my concerts are free. It's all
about making classical music you know available to everyone who wants it or who may not even
know that they want it. You know like a lot of people I play for have never gone to a
classical concert. Yeah and they show up because I'm playing in their local cafe that they like
to go to so. But the tour is really about getting to know America really deeply on a level that not
many other people are and trying to find common humanity with everyone who's you know on different
sides of political spectrum, the economic spectrum, you know these racial tensions,
everything in America that can keep people apart. I'm trying to find something that brings us
together which can be classical music. Classical music can't be enjoyed by more people than is
currently and it's a matter of being brave and where you take your music, thinking outside the
box, being aware of current events and what people are talking about and what issues and how can
classical music interact with that. It's the country that lets me be who I am like it is very
free being in this country like of course we always talk about the problems but also like it
is a privilege to be here and yeah to like to do this crazy thing and people appreciate that I'm
doing this. I'm starting to be able to say that I understand America more than most people. Yeah
you too. Join us this Tuesday, February 6th at 8 p.m. Eastern for an inspiring conversation with
Miki Sawada, classical pianist and CEO of Gather Here Inc. streaming on Piano Pod's YouTube channel
and available on your favorite podcast platforms. Hit that subscribe button, spread the word and
don't forget to follow the Piano Pod on social media. Catch you Tuesday!