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BS: The piano man.
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Subject: RE: Piano man From: Herga Kitty Date: 29 Aug 05 - 11:58 AM It has become a tradition, over the last 3 years, for me to compose a topical shanty for Jim Mageean's Wednesday shanty session at Whitby folk week, because it's the only way of being sure of singing a shanty that hasn't already been sung. I was keenly scanning the newspaper on Tuesday 23 August for a suitable subject, and I'm very grateful to Piano Man for providing the only story about the sea, a lake, and music.... PIANO MAN STRANDED Kitty Vernon, 24/08/05 1. Do you know the young man found stranded by the ocean Stranded, stranded all in the month of May We'd like to know his name, but we've not the faintest notion He's stranded, dumbfounded, with not a word to say 2. The Kent police have found him, down on the beach at Sheppey Stranded, dumbfounded, with not a word to say They don't know who he is, think he's Norwegian, mebbe He's stranded, dumbfounded, with not a word to say 3. He's living in the hospital, the nurses all adore him He's stranded, dumbfounded, his mind seems far away Till he sits at the piano, and carries all before him Piano Man can play Swan Lake for four hours a day 4. For four months or more his secret was concealed He's stranded, dumbfounded, with not a word to say Until at last in August the truth has been revealed The stranded Piano Man was unmasked yesterday Segue And now the truth is known at last The secret is no more For we can confidently say That the man washed up on shore Had come from quite a different song He was only a decoy Piano Man was all a fraud He is a farmer's boy A Bavarian farmer's boy Tunes: Verses 1-5, Wild Goose shanty, segue Farmer's Boy |
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Subject: RE: Piano man From: Sorcha Date: 25 Aug 05 - 05:32 PM I'm still reserving judgment. |
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Subject: RE: Piano man From: GUEST,Sarah Date: 25 Aug 05 - 07:19 AM I've read he is actually a pianist and accordion player - now right me if I am wrong, but isn't one of the exercises practiced by accordion players repeating a key but changing fingers whilst doing it? If so, then maybe he was practising! Just a thought. Don't think he was faking! Poor bugger was ill. Cheers Sarah |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST,Jon Date: 24 Aug 05 - 03:38 PM open mike, see the link in the first post of this thread. It does now seem as if either the hospital staff or reporters got a bit carried away over his piano playing. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: open mike Date: 24 Aug 05 - 02:13 PM where did the story com from about him playing piano? I remember hearing that he amazed people for hours with incredible playing? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: The Shambles Date: 24 Aug 05 - 01:59 PM Piano man |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: Dave Hanson Date: 24 Aug 05 - 09:19 AM Jon check out Wilfried Schaums latest post on the other thread about this con man. [ above the line ] eric |
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Subject: RE: Piano man From: Wilfried Schaum Date: 24 Aug 05 - 07:13 AM Source: German television; he's from Upper Bavaria. Big chance for his neighbours - a lot of them were interviewed and on the telly. Unaimously they reported that he was highly intelligent, and of the best at school. |
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Subject: RE: Piano man From: Dave Hanson Date: 24 Aug 05 - 04:51 AM He was a con man, he should be sent a bill from the NHS. eric |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST,Jon Date: 24 Aug 05 - 04:21 AM LOL BTC a report here |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST,Jeremy Dixon from Bath Date: 24 Aug 05 - 12:44 AM Good luck (and improved health) to him. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST,Bill the Collie Date: 23 Aug 05 - 10:09 PM I thought he was a mentally-ill 20-year-old from Prosdorf in Germany, called Andreas Grassel. |
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Subject: RE: Piano man From: CarolC Date: 23 Aug 05 - 02:17 PM He was picked up by the police while in the process of trying to commit suicide. I'd say that merits at least some level of sympathy. He was sensationalized by the news media before anyone knew who he was, and he is being sensationalized by the news media now. If we learn to not get sucked into media sensationalism, we won't feel suckered. It was the media who suckered everyone with that "virtuoso pianist" BS. The man himself never said a word. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: freda underhill Date: 23 Aug 05 - 09:56 AM Thanks Wolfgang! this is the significant comment for me (from Jon's link) .. "But this is not a story about one man fooling the health system, as some papers have called it. A silent suicidal man who spends four months in a psychiatric ward suggests some form of mental illness. That can be difficult to define and he could have mimicked being autistic, says clinical psychologist Linda Blair. "I completely forgive the staff but I don't for a moment think he's not distressed and I hope that in Germany he gets any help he needs." " |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST,"M" Date: 23 Aug 05 - 09:49 AM For an alternative assessment, have another look at my post of 19th May 03.25 PM Just a possibility. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST,Jon Date: 23 Aug 05 - 07:28 AM I'm still not entirely convinced he was a fraud. His behaviour was pretty odd for a "normal" person and I don't see what he was hoping to gain. As for some of the reports in papers that make it sound like he was conning them over his piano playing ability, that can in no way have been a con job from him. It's hard to credit that the staff could not tell the difference between one finger playing and a virtuoso pefromance which have been the extremes we have seen reported. A better view (IMO) is at here |
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Subject: RE: Piano man From: Kaleea Date: 23 Aug 05 - 03:00 AM I heard it on the news, he drew a piano, then he went to a piano & poked at the same key, over & over, & over, ad nauseum. Now, on the original thread, who was it that predicted the feller was fakin' it whilst the rest of us were suckered into feeling sorry for him? |
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Subject: RE: Piano man From: Liz the Squeak Date: 23 Aug 05 - 02:26 AM I'm curious... if he couldn't play the piano, how come he got called 'Piano Man'? Aparently he used to work in an institution and copied the symptoms he'd seen in his patients. LTS |
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Subject: RE: Piano man From: open mike Date: 23 Aug 05 - 01:42 AM http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,16354130-38200,00.html http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1826552005 http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1687284,00.html |
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Subject: RE: Piano man From: open mike Date: 23 Aug 05 - 01:11 AM link/proof/source??? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: Wolfgang Date: 22 Aug 05 - 10:06 AM The piano man breaks his silence (Guardian) Wolfgang (adding here what he should have added in the above post) |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: freda underhill Date: 22 Aug 05 - 09:27 AM okay, okay, BBC online.... Monday, 22 August 2005, 12:05 GMT 13:05 UK; 'Piano Man' discharged from care The so-called Piano Man found wandering in April has been released from hospital after his condition improved. A national newspaper reported on Monday the man finally broke his silence, stated he was German, and flew home. West Kent NHS and Social Care Trust would not comment because of patient confidentiality but the German government confirmed he was Bavarian. The man, who was said to be an excellent pianist, was found on Sheppey in April and taken into care. On Monday, the German foreign ministry said the 20-year-old man flew home on Saturday. He has not been named by officials. The health trust said the patient had been discharged following a marked improvement in his condition but the rules regarding patient confidentiality meant there would be no further statement. The trust also declined to comment on the circumstances in which the patient left its care. The man was first taken to Medway Maritime Hospital where he drew a picture of a grand piano and was then taken to the hospital chapel. It was reported that health and social workers said they were "stunned" when he proceeded to give them a virtuoso performance. However, newspaper reports now suggest he was only able to play one note continuously. Theories put forward and later discounted included that the man was a French street musician and a Czech concert pianist. The mystery man produced a pencil drawing of a piano. A Norwegian speaker was brought in to try to communicate with the man, in his 20s or early 30s, after he pointed to Oslo on a map. A ship from Norway was thought to have been in the area when he was found and there were suggestions that his suit was soaked because he had been in the sea. His social worker Michael Camp claimed that his client "came to life" at the piano. All the labels had been removed from his clothes when he was found on The Broadway in Minster, Sheerness. Appeals led to a worldwide response which at its height generated more than 800 leads. |
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Subject: RE: Piano man From: Dave Hanson Date: 22 Aug 05 - 09:11 AM Apparently he couldn't even play the piano either. eric |
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Subject: Piano man From: Dave Hanson Date: 22 Aug 05 - 09:10 AM The so called ' Piano Man ' has now been revealed as a fraud, because of patient confidentiality the hospital where he was treated won't reveal his name, he was in fact a German national who pretended to be mentaly ill to fool the doctors. He has now been sent back to Germany. eric
-Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: freda underhill Date: 22 Aug 05 - 08:38 AM Wolfgang - what's the story - you cant leave us all with just that! juicy bits, please.. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: Wolfgang Date: 22 Aug 05 - 08:35 AM He is German (Bavarian), now back home, has only simulated the amnesia, and has never played the piano very well. Wolfgang |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 27 Jul 05 - 03:55 PM PIANO MAN VOICE TEST (July 25 Daily Record) "DOCTORS caring for the 'Piano Man' want to test for a physical cause of his inability to speak, rather than a psychological reason"... You'd rather have thought that would be pretty well the first thing they'd have thought of all those months ago. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST,Dave'swife Date: 26 Jul 05 - 10:40 PM boy, it's around the world in 80 days with this guy, huh? Maybe Norway will pan out! Thanks for the update. it fell off the news cycle in the US shortly before my last post. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: freda underhill Date: 26 Jul 05 - 08:31 PM Mute 'Piano Man' May Be From Norway; By Ben Mattison; 05 Jul 2005 The silent man found wandering in Kent, England, earlier this year may be from Norway, the BBC reports. The man recently pointed to Oslo on a map, leading investigators to bring in a Norwegian speaker to attempt to communicate with him. He has still not spoken, but observers said that he appeared to be more responsive when spoken to in Norwegian. The man was found in April, wandering soaking wet and dressed in a suit in the town of Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey. He is currently being held in a mental hospital. Shortly after being found, he drew a picture of a piano and played music from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, prompting speculation that he was a professional musician. More than 200 people have come forward to propose possible identifies for the man, but none of the leads have held up to this point. -------- |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST,Dave'sWife Date: 26 Jul 05 - 08:36 AM So - what's the verdict - or do people have bigger problems now than a mute piano player? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: Kaleea Date: 31 May 05 - 11:22 PM Will somebody please figure this out, or else I may have to go a couple of miles away to visit Madamme Lollapalooza--Sees all, Blabs all! She'll consult her crystal ball for us, however, we might have to pass the collection plate. A large collection collection plate. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST, heric Date: 31 May 05 - 07:06 PM I didn't get to see those photos, but one of Strnad's best friends was absolutely certain based on photos, too. Some say the worst form of evidence is eyewitness testimony. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST Date: 31 May 05 - 07:00 PM heric I stand corrected, just checked the link below. I'd be a liability on a jury. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: open mike Date: 31 May 05 - 06:45 PM darn missed being post 100 by a minute.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/4598055.stm |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: heric Date: 31 May 05 - 06:43 PM Nope. Strnad says that's not him, per the BBC. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST Date: 31 May 05 - 06:37 PM Nothing new since the story freda mentioned, but by the photos in the paper on Sunday he is definitely him. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: open mike Date: 31 May 05 - 06:34 PM ok so what's the latest? is this guy for sure that Thomas dude? czech it out... |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: freda underhill Date: 29 May 05 - 10:31 AM Sunday, May 29, 2005. 12:36pm (AEST) The mysterious piano man may have been identified. This photo, released by Medway Maritime Hospital in England, shows a man who has not uttered a word since being found on a beach over a month ago but who has turned out to be a piano virtuoso. The mysteriously mute piano virtuoso found wandering on an English beach last month was a Czech classical musician who once played in a rock band, the band's drummer was quoted as saying. Klaudius Kryspin said he immediately recognised the man as Thomas Strnad, even though it has been many years since they played together in a tribute band called Ropotamo. "When I saw the picture in the newspapers, I knew it was Thomas," Kryspin told the Mail on Sunday newspaper in Prague. Officials caring for the so-called "piano man" at Little Brook Hospital at Dartford in south-eastern England said they had informed the police missing persons bureau about the claim. The tall blonde man, thought to be in his 20s or early 30s, was found on April 7 on the beach at Minster, on the south coast of England, soaking wet but fully dressed in a black suit, with no clue as to his origin. He has not spoken since and has not responded to written appeals while being kept under observation. However, he has fascinated social workers, the British media and the general public with his one means of communication: playing classical piano music. When given pencil and paper by hospital staff, the mystery man drew a grand piano. Then, when shown a piano at the hospital chapel, he impressed his carers with a remarkable virtuoso performance. Kryspin, who has not seen Strnad in nine years, said his old band mate had trained as a classical musician, and that his "first love was always Chopin, Mozart and Liszt". He added that Strnad did not appear to get along with his family and that three years ago he was going around asking for money to buy bread. Kryspin said he immediately recognised Strnad from a photo he saw on the Internet and that "he still looks like the same guy I knew back then". "The only things that are different are his hair colour and his sad face. He looks like a broken man," he said. -AFP |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: Metchosin Date: 27 May 05 - 02:39 PM Another thing about labels, sure they can cause skin irritation, but how often does one wear a sports jacket or suit next to bare skin. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 May 05 - 01:46 PM Dave is right (and I am sure he and I aren't the only ones who have had the question). So why has he not been evaluated by someone with a solid musical background? It seems a convenient oversight to have not done so by now. Who benefits from the publicity, while still keeping the subject of this inquiry at arm's length from anyone who can make a sound analysis? SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: Dave Bryant Date: 27 May 05 - 10:36 AM The only people who seem to have judged his playing so far all profess an ignorance of classical music and piano playing skill. How good is he ? Has he been accessed by any knowledgable musician yet. As has already been said anyone who has reached grade 8 would probably sound great to most uneducated ears. Also provided that the piano is in tune, and the pianist hits the right keys, there is no chance of inacurate intonation as there could be on instrument like a violin. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST,Wesley S Date: 26 May 05 - 08:52 PM As far as the labels go - It's not uncommon for people with autism to become very agitated by little things that you and I wouldn't even notice. Clothing labels are one of them. Certain fabrics can have that effect too. I would image that by now the piano man has been tested for autistic traits. Lets hope so. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: Metchosin Date: 26 May 05 - 11:15 AM Agreed Guest 26 May 05 04:50 AM. Mr. Staufen did look like someone else and as I mentioned before, the only thing I changed was the nose and the hairline. The eyes mouth and chin remained exactly the same. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST Date: 26 May 05 - 11:07 AM Mudcat Help Forum |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: The Shambles Date: 26 May 05 - 10:40 AM This thread was moved without too much fuss.......... Its not BS
-Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: The Shambles Date: 26 May 05 - 10:37 AM Censorship on Mudcat The following (full) explanation (in editorial brown) can be found on the thread linked to above. People are free to request that the category of a thread be changed. The appropriate place to ask is by personal message to Joe or Jeff, or in the Help Forum. As of this date, I have received no such request - from the thread originator, or from anyone else. Change requests posted in the thread itself are likely to be missed. I looked at the thread when it started and decided it was a human-interest thing that could be considered either music or non-music - so I left it where it was. I just checked the thread now, and there still is very little music information in it. So, no, it won't be moved, even if somebody asks me to move it. -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST Date: 26 May 05 - 04:50 AM It seems to me that if you take a photograph of someone and manipulate it using photoshop it is inevitably going to end up looking like someone else. There is nothing amazing about it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: GUEST Date: 25 May 05 - 08:35 PM This one was moved up?
-Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: The Shambles Date: 25 May 05 - 07:58 PM Normal procedure if the originator of a thread has designated it as BS is to allow it to remain as BS - joeclone If only other things were allowed to remain as the originator wished. This is simply making our forum look even more stupid. This thread is cleary in the wrong place and the originator has accepted that choosing the B/S prefix was a mistake. Many people who would be interested in this subject and may be able to help - will not even see this thread as many do not venture 'below the line'. Can a more sensible approach be taken please? One which respects the originators wishes and follows common sense? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The piano man. From: Metchosin Date: 25 May 05 - 03:40 PM hmmmm....."tenure"...LOL |
