Talented musicians from across the North West will showcase their skills at Liverpool ONE to mark World Music Day on Monday 21stJune.
Creating serene sounds for visitors to enjoy, trained pianists and vocalists will be taking to the keys to commemorate the global event as part of the award-winning retail and leisure destination’s much-loved Tickle the Ivories Piano Festival.
Among those performing on the day will be Andrew Fisher – often described as the ‘human jukebox’ – offering heart-pumping, genre-jumping music which is guaranteed to boost the mood and put a pep in anyone’s step.
Blind pianist Frank McFarlane, who has become a regular at Tickle the Ivories, will be performing a whole host of songs, with some classical pieces thrown in for ultimate relaxation.
Running throughout the summer, Tickle the Ivories has been returning to Liverpool ONE for more than a decade, planting pianos at various locations across the estate.
Pianos are located across Liverpool ONE, on the Leisure Terrace; by Sugar House Steps outside John Lewis; College Lane; and Peter’s Square, with all performers licensed to busk, meaning anything they earn, they keep.
It is hoped that this year’s Tickle the Ivories will go some way to lifting the spirits of visitors, following the various lockdowns and restrictions.
According to research, composing and listening to music helps to elevate mood and motivation levels, as well as reducing stress, improving focus and encouraging relaxation.
A study by Dr David Lewis-Hodgson, of MindLab International, revealed that instrumental, classical or ambient music can help reduce anxiety by up to 65%, while metal and electronic music tend to have the opposite effect.
Professor Vicky Karkou, director of the Research Centre for Arts and Wellbeing at Edge Hill University, said:
“We know that music, next to other art forms, has an important role to play in supporting the wellbeing and mental health of all of us and our physiology, indicated by biomarkers such as changes in heart rate, cortisol levels and quality of sleep.
“Music therapy is a professional discipline that capitalises on the therapeutic potential of music and encourages active engagement in music making in the presence of a qualified professional. It has been used for a range of different conditions in children and adults. Our research shows that music therapy, as well as other creative forms of psychotherapy, can substantially improve our mental health and can benefit our sleep, offering opportunities for people not only to decompress but also to work through difficult issues.
“Given the challenges of the pandemic, trying to reduce stress levels and improve our mood is more important now than ever before. Using music and other art forms in a caring and sensitive way is vital for ourselves and the communities we live in”.
Also lined up to entertain Liverpool ONE visitors on World Music Day are Daniel Green, a self-taught 11-year-old who will be making his debut Tickle the Ivories performance with a variety of renditions from the likes of Queen, Bon Jovi and Elton John.
Performer Jim Finn will be throwing it back to an eclectic selection of popular evergreens from the 1950s and 60s, while professional pianist Chris Davies will be putting on a mixture of classical and modern tunes.
Donna Howitt, Place Strategy Director at Liverpool ONE, said:
“The Liverpool City Region has an extremely rich musical history, making it only right that we pulled out all the stops to commemorate World Music Day and give gratitude for all that music has done and will continue to do for us.
“From rockstars to budding musicians, and everything in between, Liverpool is well known for being a musical hub that is teeming with talent, so what better way to celebrate than encouraging the use of our Tickle the Ivories pianos!”
For more information on Tickle the Ivories at Liverpool ONE, visit: www.liverpool-one.com/events/tickle/
