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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The Piano

This breaks my heart.


It's been sitting out there for months, the poor thing.
In our back lane.
We walk past it every day on the way to school and I almost cry for it.

I have a piano.
I had piano lessons between the ages of 8 and 17.
I love to play.

My piano was given to my Grandma for her 21st birthday.
I remember 'playing' it when we were very small at Grandma's house.
It was moved to our family home when my brother and I began piano lessons.

The piano was a revered piece of furniture.
We were taught to respect the piano.
Nothing was to sit on it other than treasured photos.
We were not to scratch it, bang it or treat it roughly.
The piano was almost sacred.

So to see one sitting out in the weather is sacrilege to me.

I must admit that my poor piano is not treated with quite the same care that it had in my childhood home.
It is used as a dumping ground, as are most flat surfaces in this house.
It does have nasty scratches and hasn't been tuned for years.

But I still love it.
I still love to play.
Unfortunately I suffer from extreme stage fright so I don't play for anyone else, just me (and my family).

This is my piano...


One day I would love to own one of these...


But, you know, that's in my wildest dreams.

Do you have a piano?
Or a treasured piece of furniture?

9 comments:

  1. I've always wanted to learn how to play the Piano & have one of my own but there is no room in our place to have a Piano

    (((( Hugs )))) XXXX Kisses XXXX

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  2. My mother has her grandmother's piano. She learned to play and so did my sisters and I in turn. I don't have a passion for it though. One day mum will need to pass the piano along, and I really hope one of my sisters takes it, as I'd never see it go to waste like that one, but it would be sort of wasted at my house as I wouldn't play it either.

    Ypurs is beautiful, I love that it has a history and you have fond childhood memories with it.

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  3. I used to play the piano too. But not for nearly as long as you did. I hope to get a piano again some day.

    I have, what we call, a telephone stand that Hubby and I bought when we first moved to Sydney. It's not an expensive piece - a kind of faux antique, if you like, but it has huge sentimental value to me. Reminds me of being in our first 'home' together.

    xxx

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  4. I have had some keyboard/piano lessons over the years, but I was never any good because I'm terrible at practicing. Of course, now I regret not working harder to do so.

    My treasured piece of furniture would be my grandparents old television. It's a big cabinet with a black & white tv, from when a tv *was* a piece of furniture, and it's around 40 years old. I remember as a young kid that my brother and I would be shunted to the back room to watch Dr Who on the old telly, while the adults got to watch the new telly in the good room :)

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  5. I have always wanted to play the piano, but doubt if I would have seen it through. I don't really have a talent for music. I do appreciate that pianos need to be cared for, not cast aside like the one in your photo.

    My favourite piece of furniture is my Mom's China cabinet. There is a photo of it here: http://tropicalmum.blogspot.com/2009/11/10-of-my-favourite-things.html

    Thanks for sharing the photo and the history of your favourite piece of furniture. Happy Wednesday!

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  6. I have a piano.
    When i was about 6 my aunt taught me heart and soul while I was staying with her during the school holidays.
    When we got back home, my grandparents neighbours used to let me play theirs (that was taking up room in their garage)
    So, mum asked if we could buy it. Nannys neighbour gave the piano to us for free and even delivered it with a pink bow on top for me.
    And from then on, I did lessons until I was 16.
    When we moved to England I cried for my piano :(
    Mum bought another one from a second hand dealer for my 15th birthday and it's still at her house now, with all the family photos.
    For my 21st birthday my husband bought me the piano we have now.
    I call her Layla (it means music) and every now and then she smells like cigar smoke that reminds me of my pop.
    She's terribly out of tune so I don't play anymore and I'm sure she won't hold a tune if we were to spend the money on getting it done she's so old but I love her all the same.

    Do you know, when I was in highschool my friends were so shocked to find out that I could read music and did ballet? lol not sure what that says about me...
    xo

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  7. oh my goodness.. when I first saw the pic I thought you'd put ours outside!!! yes ours... I will always think of the piano as ours.
    And I also wonder how mum had so much control over us not halming it! maybe because it arrived after we were all toddlers.

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  8. Thea, this brings a tear to my eyes also. When we moved into our new home here just over a year ago, I had to sell my piano :o( There is no way it was fitting in 3.3m wide, 2 bedroom terrace house, so it had to go. The saddest part is that no one wanted it. I was almost going to have to pay someone to take it away, then ended up getting $100 for it. I paid $2000 for it in 2002.
    I also learnt piano from the age of 6, right through until I was 20. I had 2 fantastic teachers in that time, who taught me more than I could ever have wished for. Stupidly, I gave up lessons, when work, going out with friends and meeting my husband took over my time. It will be a regret of mine always. I only need to complete 2 more grades to receive my diploma of music in pianoforte. One day, I hope to achieve this honour AND purchase another piano.
    I feel for you having to see that beautiful instrument sitting out in the elements.
    P.S. I am also performance shy and only play for friends and family!

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  9. I had piano lessons, but can not really play much now.
    Your piano sounds lovely Thea, and shoes it's history, which I like.
    I have a few pieces of favourite furniture. We have an antique marble top wash stand, given to us by Hubby's grandmother, as well as a carved chair that she gave me to feed my babies as it has low arms, just the right height to rest arms on while holding a feeding baby.
    It still has milk stains on it... I can't bring myself to wash them off!

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