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Tiffany harper Rose plays the piano at the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre on Wednesday. (Photo Courtesy Ross Lavigne)

Visiting student tickling the ivories in the Esplanade lobby

Aug 10, 2022 | 3:41 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – You may not know this, but the piano in the lobby of the Esplanade isn’t just for decoration or use on special occasions. Members of the public are allowed to sit down and tickle the ivories.

Tiffany Harper Rose has been doing just that this summer.

She has been in Medicine Hat since April as an exchange student at Medicine Hat High School. One of the school’s vice-principals told her about the Esplanade piano.

“There is not a music studio that I can rent like for practice so like those staff were really kind when I asked them like to like maybe just play for a little bit and then they always just say ‘hey, go for it you’re more than welcome to play for all day if you like,” she says.

Rose says you can see her perform at the Esplanade for an hour or two most afternoons from Tuesday to Saturday.

An accomplished musician, Rose writes classical music compositions on the piano and writes pop music and names Beethoven, Chopin and Franz Liszt as her favourite classical composers. Her work can be found on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.