Rami Jaffee, Jonny Kaplan and More Wrap Pop-Up Piano Miami Concert Series

By: Dec. 09, 2013
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Pop-Up Piano Miami (PUPM) and The Related Group's 3-day concert series wrapped Saturday evening, as a trendy crowd rocked out to performances by Rami Jaffee (of the Foo Fighters), Jessy Greene (who has performed with Pink and the Foo Fighters), Dave Krusen (former drummer for Pearl Jam), Jason Abraham Roberts (guitarist for Norah Jones), Jonny Kaplan (singer of Jonny Kaplan and The Lazy Stars), and Jokin Salaverria (bassist of Jonny Kaplan and The Lazy Stars). Setting the energetic tone for the night was Miami-based singer-songwriter Cris Cab, who opened up the Celebrity Jam Session.

The pianos on display this year were particularly special, as one was donated by the grandson of holocaust survivors, who had the piano in his family for decades. After his father passed away, he donated the beloved instrument to Pop-Up Piano Miami.

The free concert series was held at The Related Group's SLS Brickell, Hyde Midtown and Paraiso Bay sites, all designed by Arquitectonica. The collaboration with PUPM is part of Related's longstanding commitment to the arts.

Paraiso Bay, their luxury waterfront condo which just launched this summer, will include a public sculpture park on the five-acre site, in line with Related's mission to incorporate art throughout their projects.

Sales for Paraiso Bay have been strong, where a unit was even sold at Thursday night's concert, and reportedly musician Cris Cab's mother was looking into purchasing one as well.

Notable guests include: Carlos Rosso, President, Condominium Division for The Related Group; Sonia Figueroa, Vice President, Condominium Development for The Related Group.

About the PUPM Executive Committee: The Black Key Group (Whitney Lykins and Isabella Acker) created a special executive committee of young, savvy professionals throughout South Florida to assist in creating, executing, and facilitating Pop-Up Piano Miami. From curating artists to securing locations for the pianos, the following list of people sit on the committee: Patricia Baro (Mixed Media Collective); Santiago Cantillo (Mixed Media Collective); Meris Thomas (Freelancer - Event Production); Jessica Wade Pfeffer (Jessica Wade Inc.); and Kristin Perera (Social Media Marketing Director).

About Uniting Local Artists, Inc. (ULA): Uniting Local Artists, Inc. (ULA) was formed in 2011 as an instrument to help young professionals in Miami who have started a project to help local musicians, artists, and music programs in schools that need musical instruments. ULA mobilizes professional artists - from musicians to artists to performers - in volunteer service programs that benefit youth in the local communities in the field of music and art. The primary mission of ULA is to be the managing organization that pulls together local professionals for volunteering and identifies companies to sponsor these events that will showcase local talent, while donating valuable musical instruments to local schools, charities, and hospitals.

About Pop-Up Piano Miami (PUPM): Pop-Up Piano Miami is a public arts platform, which empowers individuals to use music and art as a means to advance social responsibility in their communities and around the world. The citywide public arts project launched during Art Basel Miami Beach Week 2011. The project was inspired by Sing for Hope, New York City. PUPM enhances and contributes to music programs around the world. Well-known and emerging artists hand-painted donated pianos and then pop-up performances were held throughout the week of Art Basel Miami Beach on these crafted pianos.

About The Related Group: The Related Group was established in 1979, and is America's leading developer of sophisticated metropolitan living and one of the largest development firms in the country. For more than 30 years, The Related Group has created innovative residential developments that have dramatically changed South Florida's urban landscape. Since its inception, the privately held company has built and managed more than 85,000 condominium and apartment residences. The Related Group has earned a national reputation for its visionary design and development of luxury condominiums, mixed-use center and affordable rental properties - often in emerging or undiscovered neighborhoods. The firm is one of the largest Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States with a development portfolio of projects worth in excess of $15 billion. TIME Magazine named Mr. Pérez one of top 25 most influential Hispanics in the United States, and has made the cover of Forbes twice. The Related Group has redefined the new cycle of real estate with the rollout of over 13 projects beginning with Apogee Beach in Hollywood and Mybrickell in downtown Miami, the first in each of their respective neighborhoods to break ground since the boom. For more information on The Related Group and their current projects, visit www.relatedgroup.com.

About Guitars Over Guns Organization (GOGO): Guitars Over Guns was launched in 2008 by Chad Bernstein to formalize the ad-hoc mentoring that he and other members of the Miami band Suénalo were providing to local middle-schoolers. The program sprang from an intense desire to provide at-risk students with the type of musical learning that had transformed the mentors' lives but that was getting cut from school budgets. GOGO mentors now come from diverse musical paths but they all share a passion for music as a transformative gift and a commitment to paying that gift forward.

Guitars Over Guns' mentoring system is unique in its use of music instruction to help forge strong, positive relationships with students, with the goal of reducing dropout rates. Musicians provide weekly programs designed to incorporate one-on-one mentoring, music theory, instrumental instruction, and performing opportunities. In addition, the University of Miami partners with Guitars Over Guns to provide supplemental music training and mentorship to the students. Guitars Over Guns' dynamic approach to student mentoring, its consistent teaching structure and its skilled community outreach have resulted in an exceptional mentoring program that brings the joy of learning to make music to young lives at risk.



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