TRACKING A PIANO - A MOVING MEMORY
by Winifred O'Reilly
It was a baby grand, which had seen better days. But it was given to me in all good
faith that it would fill a void in our livingroom and fill a music void for the family. The piano could still be played and
tuned fairly accurately.
It, however, had marks upon it from earlier, jollier days. Party groups often had
gathered 'round' it for a sing-along. They would carelessly set their glasses containing the beverage of the evening on the
piano. This would result in making ugly rings of various sizes on the wood finish. Ash trays also defaced the surface with
bits of hot cigarette ash.
The piano was a little wobbly, too, when given to me. It had arrived to my home in
a pickup truck! The keyboard functioned well, however. We enjoyed its presence - a baby grand in our livingroom!
Then it was time for us to move our piano to my new abode. It necessitated moving
it across the railroad tracks. Four teenage stalwarts removed the legs, rested the piano body on a borrowed dolly and cajoled
and bumped it across the tracks! Miraculously when our piano mets its legs again and was situated in a prominent living-room
corner, it continued to give us music.
It was my youngest daughter Bernadette who, by determined daily practice, "tickled
the ivories" well. And the little grand had its next move to California with her.
There, the newly furbished piano with its tuned keyboard has been a "key" to much
newly created music.
