Miss-Delectable
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School for deaf, blind trying to save piano
A local school for the deaf and blind has scheduled a benefit concert in an effort to keep its piano.
Music has resonated from the Berger Performing Arts Center in Tucson for nearly two decades. It opened on the campus of the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind in 1992.
"It is one of the best venues in the city," pianist Kim Hayashi said. "The acoustics and intimate seating are a big attraction for a performer. It just didn't have an instrument."
Hayashi was instrumental in getting a new 9' grand piano loaned indefinitely from Hachenberg and Sons Piano 13 years ago.
"It really makes a difference to have a quality piano," Brandon Howell said.
The Berger Center manager said Yamaha traded it out for a smaller, 7'6" grand piano about five years ago.
"I believe they found a buyer for the piano after someone heard it being played here."
Now, Yamaha wants this piano too.
"I was really surprised. Hachenberg said they wanted it back because of the bad economy," Howell said.
Yamaha offered to sell the piano back to the school at a $30,000 price tag. They also said they'd be willing to wait until the school has made arrangements for a replacement or raised the money before it would take the piano. For that reason, the school is putting on a benefit concert, "Ivory & Green," hoping to raise money.
"We'd like to raise even more and get a better piano like we had before," Howell said.
The concert starts at 8 p.m., Saturday, at the school at 1200 W. Speedway Blvd, and suggested donations of $25 will be accepted at the door. Advance tickets can also be bought at Bookmans and Antigone Books or by going to In Concert! Music Association.
If you can't make the concert and would like to make a donation, contact Brandon Howler at 520-770-3762 or @brandon Howell.
More than a dozen performers will take the stage including Hayashi and Jaron Dalton. Dalton, who graduated from ASDB last year, learned how to play on the Yamaha Grand piano five years ago.
"It really makes a difference and probably helped me stick to playing because it sounded so good."
The likely running order of the performance:
Time To Dance
Thy Word
Rejoice
Kim Hayashi
Prelude in B-Minor, Opus 32, No. 10, Sergei Rachmaninoff
Prelude in B-Major, Opus 32, No. 11, Sergei Rachmaninoff
Prelude in G-Sharp Minor, Opus 32, No. 12, Sergei Rachmaninoff
Juan Aguirre
Besame Mucho, Consuelo Velázquez
Ol Man River, music by Jerome Kern & lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Chamber Music Plus
Playera, Pablo Sarasate
Requiebros, Gaspar Cassado
Rex Woods
Intermezzo in e minor, Opus 119 No. 2, Johannes Brahms
Rhapsody in E-Flat Major, Opus 119 No. 4, Johannes Brahms
INTERMISSION
Image of Me
Alegro
JD's Boogie
Only Hope
Mary Bouley, Don Gest & Dave Firestine of Trim the Velvet
The Rolling Wave, Sliabh Russell and Tar Road to Sligo
Ebeneezer and Florence, Dunmore Lasses & John Stenson's reel #2
Genevieve Gaus, Richard Katz and Friend
Jazz/Latin Standards
Illusionist Michael Howell
Lisa Otey
Jazz/TBA
Arizona Rose Theatre Company
People Helping People, music & lyrics by Terry Howell
A local school for the deaf and blind has scheduled a benefit concert in an effort to keep its piano.
Music has resonated from the Berger Performing Arts Center in Tucson for nearly two decades. It opened on the campus of the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind in 1992.
"It is one of the best venues in the city," pianist Kim Hayashi said. "The acoustics and intimate seating are a big attraction for a performer. It just didn't have an instrument."
Hayashi was instrumental in getting a new 9' grand piano loaned indefinitely from Hachenberg and Sons Piano 13 years ago.
"It really makes a difference to have a quality piano," Brandon Howell said.
The Berger Center manager said Yamaha traded it out for a smaller, 7'6" grand piano about five years ago.
"I believe they found a buyer for the piano after someone heard it being played here."
Now, Yamaha wants this piano too.
"I was really surprised. Hachenberg said they wanted it back because of the bad economy," Howell said.
Yamaha offered to sell the piano back to the school at a $30,000 price tag. They also said they'd be willing to wait until the school has made arrangements for a replacement or raised the money before it would take the piano. For that reason, the school is putting on a benefit concert, "Ivory & Green," hoping to raise money.
"We'd like to raise even more and get a better piano like we had before," Howell said.
The concert starts at 8 p.m., Saturday, at the school at 1200 W. Speedway Blvd, and suggested donations of $25 will be accepted at the door. Advance tickets can also be bought at Bookmans and Antigone Books or by going to In Concert! Music Association.
If you can't make the concert and would like to make a donation, contact Brandon Howler at 520-770-3762 or @brandon Howell.
More than a dozen performers will take the stage including Hayashi and Jaron Dalton. Dalton, who graduated from ASDB last year, learned how to play on the Yamaha Grand piano five years ago.
"It really makes a difference and probably helped me stick to playing because it sounded so good."
The likely running order of the performance:
Time To Dance
Thy Word
Rejoice
Kim Hayashi
Prelude in B-Minor, Opus 32, No. 10, Sergei Rachmaninoff
Prelude in B-Major, Opus 32, No. 11, Sergei Rachmaninoff
Prelude in G-Sharp Minor, Opus 32, No. 12, Sergei Rachmaninoff
Juan Aguirre
Besame Mucho, Consuelo Velázquez
Ol Man River, music by Jerome Kern & lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Chamber Music Plus
Playera, Pablo Sarasate
Requiebros, Gaspar Cassado
Rex Woods
Intermezzo in e minor, Opus 119 No. 2, Johannes Brahms
Rhapsody in E-Flat Major, Opus 119 No. 4, Johannes Brahms
INTERMISSION
Image of Me
Alegro
JD's Boogie
Only Hope
Mary Bouley, Don Gest & Dave Firestine of Trim the Velvet
The Rolling Wave, Sliabh Russell and Tar Road to Sligo
Ebeneezer and Florence, Dunmore Lasses & John Stenson's reel #2
Genevieve Gaus, Richard Katz and Friend
Jazz/Latin Standards
Illusionist Michael Howell
Lisa Otey
Jazz/TBA
Arizona Rose Theatre Company
People Helping People, music & lyrics by Terry Howell