I come from a very musical family. My Grandad was a Baptist minister, my aunt Theresa was the music director for the church my entire life (she played piano, and sang absolutely beautifully), My aunt Faye and Jeanie sang solos and trios often (although their rendition of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" was my all time favorite, let me tell you: it was heavenly), and my Dad and Uncle Jerry lead music during church services regularly. There was music everywhere all the time. I have 7 brothers, and 2 sisters, and we all sing. We all sang in church choir, and there were many times we sang as quartets and quintets for church. Most of us were also in school choir, I was in Marching band, Concert Band, Concert Choir, Contest Choir, Show Choir, and Chamber Choir.... But I'm getting ahead of myself...
I started Playing piano at 9 years old. I didn't practice enough, but got to be a halfway decent player by the time I was 13 or so. Unfortunately, the part that I never learned was reading music, and it showed. My older brother started playing at about that time, and was immediately better than me. Being 13 or 14 and having little patience for anything, I quit.
In 7th I decided I wanted to play Saxophone, and my mother said "we have a piano and a drum" (Another older Brother had played percussion in band for the year prior, and also quite) "take your pick..." I chose the drums. I played through high school and our drumline won many competitions. I bought my first drum set my junior year for 3 times what I paid for my first car. I loved making music, and decided to major in music in college.
Just before I graduated, though, my dad convinced me that having a steady income would allow me to be a musician while not starving. I went to Tech school instead. I sold my drumset a few years later, and didn't play music at all for 6 years. A Highschool friend called me one day asking me to play drums in his band. I borrowed a kit from my then brother in law (who was a freshman in the drum line when I was a senior) and started playing again. (As A side note, both of my younger ex brother in laws were drummers in the drumline). I played in many bands through out the next 10 years, Got divorced and gave the Old Slingerlands I had been playing back to my Ex Brother in law, got a new drum kit, and was loving my life as a musician.
I met my wife in 2008 we had a son and my bands took a back seat. I did not, however, sell my drumset. Instead, I sat my 2 year old behind it and taught him to play. We sang, listened to music continually, and found new musical interests (I had always disliked Bluegrass and country, but was finding respect and eventually a love for them). We had 2 more kids, Quentin and Remy, moved into a 135 year old Victorian house in the town where my wife grew up, and kept the music going.
I picked up ukulele and guitar, and collected instruments whenever I could. One day a friend called up and told me about a square her sister's friend was giving away. It was just a few hours away, But needed to be picked up before the first of the year. it was a few days before Christmas so I basically had a week to get it. I borrowed my Father in law's (Brand New) F150, grabbed a few of my most gullible friends, and drove to Michigan to pick it up (I'm sure I don't have to tell you how heavy this thing is, but I had no idea at the time!). We got the piano home and put it in the living room. Keep in mind, my house is 135 years old, so I ran to the hardware store and got some reinforcing lumber, a floor jack, and installed them to make sure the added weight wouldn't damage it. I then called a recommended piano tuner. That failed (of course), so I started researching exactly how to get this beautiful piano playing again. Again, you can probably guess how that went.
Quentin, my middle son, started playing trumpet in the school band and was quickly very good. He loved it, and wanted more, he loved this old piano in the newly labeled "music room", so when he asked for piano lessons we found the best instructor we could, and drove to Cincinnati to pick up my Grandmother's piano, that had been waiting for me at my parents house for a couple of years... yes, I now have a second piano that resides in the dining room.... and yes, my wife is a saint.
Q picked up the piano quickly and has become an excellent player in the last 2 years. He put the trumpet aside, and now marches bass drum in the drumline with Miles (on tenors), while I instruct and recruit. Quentin aslo suggested that our next instrument acquisition be a Marimba to combine his percussive interests ;). Remy, my 10 year old daughter, has shown some interest in piano, but this year has chosen to play Trombone in her first year of school band. Music flows through everything we do (all 3 kids are also in Competition dance, and spend at least 5 hours a week in dance classes each).
I have a farmer friend who, for a long time, produced the best short horn beef cattle I have ever encountered. His herds have supplied my family's beef (and beef for many or our towns restaurants) for years. I met a girlfriend of his at a local beer tasting, and got to talking about music (which is pretty much a given with me). We met a few more times over the course of several months, and became Facebook friends. She reached out to me shortly before Christmas several years ago to see if I was interested in a Square Grand piano. She said it belonged to friends of her sisters (I think) who lived in Toledo. these friends of her sisters were somehow connected to Nikki Sixx the bassist for Motley Crue (can't remember if they were managers, promoters, Lawyers for promotors?... anyway, some such relationship) and that this was once his piano. As a matter of fact, he had supposedly owned it during the writing of "Home Sweet Home" and may well have written it on this very piano!!! I find that Highly unlikely, considering it's need for a full restoration, not too many years later, but it does add interest to the story, no? Anyway, they said that they had reached out to him and verified that he didn't want it, so... it was free to a good home!
Thinking that it fit the age and style of the house (not to mention it was a beautiful instrument) I said "OF COURSE, I'd love to have it!" she said they needed to get rid of it by the first of the year, so I called my youngest brother Gregor (a wonderful vocalist who sings non stop), My Best Friend Bill (A metal head from way back), and my wife's uncle Mike (who plays the radio like a champ), and headed out on December 30th (My Birthday) to pick up the most ridiculous birthday present ever.
As you are well aware I'm sure, it needed some love, and I figured I could get it tuned and do what little repair it needed for less than a new piano would cost... I was wrong. While I have done quite a bit of instrument repair over the years, I decided that I didn't have the time or anywhere near the expertise for the full restoration this baby needed (although I am still regularly tempted to do it, My wife reminds me of all of the projects I must complete if I want to avoid instant death upon starting a new one...). I started looking around for a piano repair shop and found a few that would do the work. even at reasonable prices for the amount and difficulty of the work, I would be unable to repair it without sacrificing all of my kids Dance classes, or emptying their college funds.... let's be honest, it would have taken both things to get it done. So, it has sat in my music room, played ocasionally by my kids just to pretend what it might sound like.
I have reached out several times hoping to find a home for my piano. My only hope has been that it will make music again one day whether it's as a fully functioning piano, or as parts to help another antique sing again. I'd hate for it's musical journey to be over under my watch after all this time. Although, never having been handed down through our family's generations, this piano is not yet My family's heirloom, but the love for music and the beauty of the instruments creating it is. I would love to continue our tradition of handing down the love of music by passing down a truly magnificent heirloom in this piano for generations to come.Â
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YEAR 1800-1900
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MAKE Hazelton Brothers New York
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SERIAL NUMBER 4653
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FINISH Wood Finish
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CATEGORY CONTESTANT
