Toronto

Busker pushes piano 4 km through city streets — every day

Who would push a 360-kilogram piano through the streets of downtown Toronto every day, and why? Sebastian Brown does it for the love of music, to the delight of passersby at Bay and Front streets.

Sebastian Brown says 4 km trip with 360 kg upright is worth the effort

Piano pusher

9 years ago
Duration 1:07
Busker Sebastian Brown hauls a piano through downtown Toronto every day, to the delight of passersby.

Who would push a 360-kilogram piano through the streets of downtown Toronto every day, and why? Sebastian Brown does it for the love of music and, with help from his friends, hauls an upright piano some four kilometres to the corner of Bay and Front streets, where he plays honky-tonk for passersby. 

Brown says the daily trips are "a little bit tricky" but worth the effort, in part because the piano gets people's attention. 

"A lot more people mention the piano than they do the music," Brown said. "I've seen people playing electric pianos that don't get much more attention than any other street performer." 

Brown's admirers seem to agree. 

"It's pretty incredible he can lug it across town," said pedestrian Jason Libenson  "I think it's phenomenal and shows he has a lot of passion." 

Busker Sebastian Brown, right, and a friend push an upright piano through downtown Toronto to Bay and Front streets, where he plays honky-tonk for passersby. (CBC/Martin Trainor)

From a report by Martin Trainor