Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Thanks, Grandpa


Home
Originally uploaded by MzOuiser.


After two years, I have finally gotten my inheritance. This is my Grandpa's piano, which I wrote extensively about here. It's a Winter Company instrument, dating back to the 1950's or 1960's. My gut tells me it's about 1958, but I'm really not sure.

The Virgo in me would like to have it appraised. I checked the Blue Book of Pianos, and it was encouraging. The musician in me would like to have it tuned and repaired (there is one broken string). But the granddaughter in me is simply happy to have it here.

Inside the piano bench, I found a lyric sheet. The songs are In a Shanty in Old Shantytown, Smiles, I'll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time, GoodNight Sweetheart, Tip-Toe Through the Tulips With Me, Memories, When Day is Done, and a medley of Bicycle Built for Two, Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet and I'm Just Wild About Mary, which is clearly a feminization of I'm Just Wild About Harry. Considering my Grandmother's name was Mary, I'll bet this got a lot of play.

I don't know most of those songs, but I'm looking for CD's of them today. I so wish I had the time to really write my feelings about all of this. Maybe I'll come back to it.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you have the piano there with you.

FYI - I know of a great piano tuner (he knows his stuff about the entire instrument not just wire tightening) in NYC. His rates are resonable. Ed, my former host in the east village and classical pianist, uses this guy.

If you need the 411 let me know.

Homer said...

That is a great present from your grandfather.

Dr. Zoom said...

Awesome. What a beautiful living memory.

Unknown said...

What a beautiful inheritance. May you enjoy many, many years of music!

Lee said...

Ah! I had wondered about the back story! Glad you got it. I'll put in a vote for getting it repaired/tuned. You'll enjoy playing it, then and the value of it can go up quite a bit.