The 3rd annual Newton Festival of the Arts is about to kick off again.  This year its even bigger and better than ever.  One of last year’s highlights was the “Artful Pianos” – beautifully painted street pianos that were distributed around the city for anyone to play.  This year they’re trying something new.

Festival Director Linda Plaut says “the street pianos were such a hit with the public last year that we knew we had ‘struck a chord’.  This year we’ve decided to try something new – tubas.  We’ve got 13 donated tubas.  We’ve been working with Mel Rosenberg at Brass Buff Antiques in Upper Falls.  Mel has meticulously restored each one and then DPW has installed them in each village with a steel cable attached to a poured concrete block.”.

With 13 tubas the festival has been able to install them in all 13 villages.  Says Thompsonville resident Adam Peller “we got stiffed with pianos last year so we are thrilled that we’ve got our very own T’ville Tuba.  That bad boy’s going to get a lot of use I’m sure.  Thompsonville will be honking all month.”

Says Artful Tuba mastermind and organizer Maria Beatriz Arvelo “that deep sound of the tuba echoing through each village is sure to touch the recesses of each citizen’s soul … or maybe just drive them crazy.  We’ll see.”