Music from a Keyless Piano?

The title may seem curious without some background. We bought this old farmhouse -an empty building except for a red piano. When the kids were young, we made them take lessons for a while but neither of them developed much interest. Time went by, a couple of decades actually, and my husband Rick decided he would smash the piano or at least disassemble it and free up some space.

As he worked, the piano changed shape and suddenly I saw it as a desk. I told him it was a desk and he gave me this, are you crazy look but I pointed out the shape and we started playing with the strings and he agreed it was not only a desk but a great desk. The perfect desk for me.

The work surface had three recessed areas but I made tiles for those spaces and he got a piece of plate glass to give it the smooth surface a desk needs. We painted it brown, a sort of mocha that suits the room and we added an old oak chair.

I can play the strings with my hands or feet plucking a note at a time or strumming with a sweep across the whole face and when I staple or if I sneeze the whole thing reverberates in the most wonderful way. The piano creates visual and auditory music and represents our family in its creativity and one-of-a-kind presence.

If I ever write my biography, Music from a Keyless Piano will be the title.