UnCaged Toy Piano: Floating Verses, Music-Box Making Workshop
UnCaged Toy Piano invites community members of all ages to attend the Floating Verses music box-making workshop at Full Circle’s The Living Room in Gardiner. Floating Verses is a global music-art piece that invites participants/community members to design music box strips. These strips are connected in a quilt-like fashion as a continuous scroll that turns into music. Floating Verses is an ever-evolving piece (currently about 30 minutes long), hopefully reaching many people of various ages and backgrounds around the world. The workshop will be led by Phyllis Chen and Dr. Christiana Fortune-Reader. Mini toy piano and music box performances will occur throughout the workshop.
No prior experience is necessary. All are welcome.
When: Saturday, October 17th | 12:00 - 3:30 PM
How: Free for everyone!
Where: The Living Room at Full Circle | 297 Bruynswick Rd Gardiner, NY 12525
Described by The New York Times as “meticulously whimsical,” the UnCaged Toy Piano Festival is a three-day event celebrating toy instruments, new music and creative collaborations with artists and community members on keyboards. Founded in 2007 by New Paltz resident Phyllis Chen, the biennial festival took place in New York City until 2019. The festival was greeted with great enthusiasm each time, inspiring concertgoers and performers to cross state borders and oceans to attend. In October 2026, the UnCaged Toy Piano Festival will return as a three day event at its new home– the beautiful Hudson Valley. The inaugural UnCaged Toychestra, a toy instrument ensemble (supported by the SUNY New Paltz SURE grant), led by Elizabeth Margit Distefano and Phyllis Chen, will be a cornerstone feature at every event.