The Piano

Some of my first memories include sitting down at my antique white grand piano with my Grandmother, whose hair matched the color of the keys.  She would hopelessly try to get me to sight read while I insisted on playing by ear.  My grandfather would sit at the accompanying drums trying to follow the musical whims of a 7 year old who liked to bang on the keys to make the low notes as loud as possible.

That piano had traveled with my family from Florida all the way to Hawaii as a gift for me.  I enjoyed it and played it through high school.  My mother made the decision to drag it all the way back to Florida up to the 4th floor of her Delray apartment.  It then journeyed to two different Hobe Sound houses and then back to the 4th floor of the Delray apartment where I am sure it will stay because moving it again might actually kill my mom.

I hadn't considered buying another piano until my second year of law school when Justin and I moved into "the ponce."  We casually looked at a church yard sale for used furniture (this was before bed bugs... no soft surfaces!) when there it was standing right next to the book shelves - MY piano.  The price tag was only $150, a small price to pay for...WAH.  Justin hit a key and it sounded horrible.  We looked at each other.  We hit a few more keys and some sounded better than others.  I didn't care, I knew this piano was going to be mine and it seemed completely logical.  I paid an extra $75 to have 8 high school boys carry it across the street for me.

The piano in its most recent home

I liked it because it was OLD - I thought it had a lot of character and history.  The original price of the piano was embossed on its side - $500!

Someone even marked some dates in pencil! 4-30-32 and 5-4-32

It tuned up perfectly and Justin and I both got to learn and play many songs through law school.  We gave each other concerts where he would play my favorite, the girl with the flaxen hair, and I would play the Super Mario Brothers theme song and, of course, In the Mood.

After 4 great years, I had to leave Atlanta behind, but I wasn't about to leave my piano.  I may have left it with Justin, but anticipating the separation, he had purchased a super fancy digital piano and didn't need mine anymore.

There were lots of things I didn't anticipate about moving this piano to New York.  In law school, I could play the piano anytime because I was home during the day and we didn't have close enough neighbors to bother.  In New York, the piano is right up against a neighbor's wall and I'm only home at times highly disturbing to play loud music.  The wood also did not love the temperature changes.  If it was tuned in warm weather, it immediately went out of tune as it got cold.  I began playing less and less.

Finally, Mike bought me a (super sweet) digital piano (with earphones for playing anytime).  

I knew that was the beginning of saying goodbye to my piano.

Finally, I decided to just do it and put the piano up on a piano adoption website.  I got about 20 people looking for a piano donation!  After accidentally promising it to two people (yikes!) I gave it to the guy who actually came to the apartment to look at it.  (Then shed a few tears for the other girl).

The guy didn't come to pick it up - he sent two very large Russian men to remove the piano from my apartment.  At 9am after a late night out, I sleepily answered the door and let the men in.  "Shaina, Sit," they kept telling me as I cleared space to move the piano.  "The other guy is paying you," I kept insisting while being forced to sit on my own couch.  I finally called the other guy on speaker phone and everything was sorted out.  

The piano left quickly - I didn't have time to cry and say goodbye like I normally do with inanimate objects.  I just smiled and know that it's going to a good home.  So long, Piano.  Thanks for carrying a tune.  :)