The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #73812   Message #1283353
Posted By: Mary in Kentucky
28-Sep-04 - 02:34 PM
Thread Name: New (Old) Piano
Subject: RE: New (Old) Piano
I've had two unusual ones in my lifetime, four and a loaner in total.

1. The first was the old upright that was my gg-grandmother's. It went from Arkansas to Texas to Kentucky with my parents. (While in Texas my father refinished it and put high gloss marine varnish on it...really quite beautiful.) Then it went to Memphis. Then Hubby brought it back to Kentucky for his "bride." (I bought the sheet music to "The Sting" for it's inauguration.) Then it went with us to Alabama. (Hint: when you move one, never tell the helpers you have a piano until after they're committed, preferably with no way to leave.) Then it came back to my three different houses in Kentucky. When my daughter wanted it for her house, Hubby said it would never come back here. After a few years she didn't need furniture to fill up her house, and wanted to get rid of it. In the meantime I had a grand (bought at a yard sale) and didn't need two pianos. On a whim, I called my cousin in Mississippi who has a farm/petting zoo/restaurant/recreation farm. She had just the place for it in her restaurant. AND...her brother owns a moving company and had it out the door in 15 minutes! I have pictures of it with my mother, aunt & uncle standing in front of it. It has a wonderful home now.

2. Another unique piano I owned as a child was a "studio" (between a baby and a grand in size) grand piano which was made in Vienna. A soldier's wife from Czechoslavakia brought it over with her. When the piano tuner looked at the innards, he sat on the floor laughing. All the action was totally different from anything he had seen before. I never really liked playing that piano because the spacing on the keys was just a little too large for my hands. When I was a senior in HS, we traded it in for a nice spinet (I forget the brand) which had a tall back but not as tall as an upright.

Now I have my grand in the living room and my mother-in-law's spinet which we are storing until my sister-in-law picks it up. I wish my granddaughter would play duets, but she doesn't seem interested. She's four now. Her mother wrote her own song when she was five.