Each week I receive fascinating feedback from readers, and this one I’m sharing with you today shows at least a few fine folks are turning the corner when it comes to keeping that dear old family piano.
Presenting, from family heirloom appreciator extraordinaire, potential piano preserver Susan P, a self-described “long winded e-mail” regarding her current quest to save her mom’s old piano.
“Hello Laurie, I read your column regularly, and share your thrill of the hunt.
My question concerns a very old upright piano. As you know, there is not really a market for these. My family has pursued the donation route (schools, service groups, community centres) with no success. This piano was given to my mother when she was 11 years old. She lived in Rockyford, a small town in Alberta. The nuns offered to give her free piano lessons if she played at services on Sundays. My grandparents were able to scrape up the funds to buy a piano.
My mother passed away this April at 100 years and two days. Piano playing was central to her life, having done volunteer concerts at Winnipeg hospitals, personal care homes and community groups for over 60 years. She even did a concert at Seven Oaks Hospital while recuperating from hip replacement surgery at age 86! She did many impromptu concerts/singalongs while a resident of a nursing home for the past six years.
So as you can see, this piano (totally out of tune, keys missing) has much sentimental meaning for my family. This is where my question to you arises.
Are you aware of any retired (or not) craftsman who could assist us in repurposing this piano? One thought we have is to convert it into a TV stand for our family cottage, which has been a favourite getaway through the years, enjoyed by four generations of our family.
My sister and I inherited the cottage the cottage upon my mom’s passing. We thought that converting the piano into a piece of furniture would be a fitting tribute. If that is not possible we would like it dismantled so each family member could have a piece.
Any suggestions or names to pass along? Thanks, Susan P.”
Hi Susan, unfortunately no one comes to mind to re-purpose your prized piano, but your love of family history and heart warming story have inspired me to think about how we might create a go-to piano/old furniture in general Band of Rescuers to either repurpose, dismantle for the owners use, their own or other’s projects, hopefully achieved by the following suggestion.
I mean, what a great, fun, part-time or full-time job this could be.
But the price has to be right, because no one wants to spend a fortune repurposing or simply preserving in some way an old piano or piece of furniture being held onto for sentimental reasons.
That’s when the dump might just become an unavoidable option again. We can’t have that.
The suggestion: Woodworking folk with the level of expertise Susan is looking for send me your name to the e-mail address below and I’ll pass them along to Susan for vetting and project discussion.
We must do a before and after on this column. Gotta see how this turns out.
And hopefully, we’ll not only find some local carpentry/craft type people interested, but then create a central registry where others can access the kind of old wood help they’re looking for. Can’t wait to see how Susan’s adventure turns out. Ok, seriously this time, have a great weekend folks, keep those “cards’n letters” coming.
Comments and column ideas welcome!
lmustard1948@gmail.com
