The cost of rectifying damage inflicted on Richmond’s community street piano may run into thousands of dollars, but the woman who gave it to the community says you cannot put a monetary value on something that lightens hearts and spirits.
For nearly 10 years, the Beale piano has had beginners to concert pianists play it and Stephanie Buck wants to see that continue.
Last week a local piano tuner discovered broken strings and hammers which he said could only have happened by the keys being hit violently. The piano tuner will tune the piano again in the new year after the new strings have stretched and Stephanie says the strings may need adjusting two or three times, so the final cost is still unknown.
She says the donation box has always helped pay for tuning and repairs including $3,500 spent on restringing it in 2021, but the damage this time nearly spelt the end of its days on the street.
“I was so angry, I thought I’m not spending any more money and it can die a natural death. But I don’t want that to happen. Music on the street is wonderful. You watch the countenance of people as they walk past. They walk lighter and smile.”
Stephanie had long wanted a street piano and when she found the Beale it became a reality, with help from the community and an arts group which painted it with images of the Tasman region.
For most of its time on the street, it has been wheeled outside by Kmart staff every morning and then back inside again at night and she is immensely grateful to them for looking after it.
Doug Hill played its very first tune on the street back in March 2014 which was Memories and Stephanie says it has been played by a wide variety of people ever since.
“We had a classical pianist play it with no music and it was gobsmackingly great. He just sat down and played. College students sit down and play and many of the international students practice on it because their homestay places don’t have a piano.
“We’ve had a couple of lunchtime jazz sessions on it and if you had an untuned piano, musicians could not play along with the group.”
Until now, the only serious vandalism was on the donation box and the young offender was apprehended.
The piano now displays a sign about security cameras operating above it and she hopes that will keep it safe in the future.
