Verso University Presents: The LID Sessions from Frederic Chiu’s Studio

Connecting Community Through the Piano, Live in the Trefz Forum.

Verso University is happy to present this music-making, community-building program as part of Frederic Chiu’s broader project with communities near and far.

Estimates are that 43% of the US have learned to play the piano at some point in their lives.
Many stopped and a few chose it as a career, while many others have made playing the piano a regular part of their life, sometimes out of the public eye and even the eyes of friends and family. Are you one of those people? If so, The LID Sessions are for you!

Renowned pianist Frederic Chiu hears many stories about people and their pianos and has always been fascinated by this common “underground” thread of piano talent that connects people of diverse ages, backgrounds and experiences. He was inspired to create The LID Sessions to tap into that thread to facilitate deeper community connections.

Through The LID Sessions, Frederic invites people from the community to take a chance and “Lay It Down” for an audience of their fellow community members. The playing doesn't have to be perfect, and the audience doesn't need to know how to play; the shared experience creates connection for everyone.

Frederic kicks off The LID Session by playing a short piece to warm up the piano, after which he hosts each guest pianist on the Trefz Forum stage at The Westport Library’s special Yamaha Disklavier which captures the performance for posterity! To close, Frederic leads the audience in a community conversation.

With The LID Sessions, it’s always a surprise to see who shows up and to experience the unexpected connections that ensue! Be brave and apply to play, or come to support those brave players as part of the audience.

If you would like to play, please fill out this short application form. The deadline for application June 8. You will be notified by June 10 whether you are selected to play.

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Verso University is the Library’s lifelong learning and education initiative, serving up year-round offerings of classes, workshops, and lectures designed to further education and learning. Offerings run the gamut of educational opportunities, ranging from one-time lectures to ongoing courses to classes that meet weekly or perhaps monthly.

Verso University programs are made possible by the generous support of the Nancy J. Beard Lifelong Learning and Education Fund.