Hi folks, it’s me again, and I’m excited about some musical happenings that are occurring around here.
Let’s start at the top: 88 keys, 5 1/2 feet long, around 600 pounds, selling for $500, at 2001 E Grand River Ave. It’s a Baldwin baby grand piano, and I pick it up on Friday (or rather, the piano moving company does.) Mom found a classified add in the local paper from a Unitarian church that was downsizing (good thing), and had no more room for the piano. It seems they didn’t (or don’t) know what it is really worth, which could be in the neck of $5000 (if everything is in as good a shape as it looks). I was expecting a rusted old piano that hadn’t been taken care of at all. What I found was an instrument in pretty great shape that has been tuned every six months on schedule and was played primarily by a professional musician (a band instructor at the local public high school).
Baldwin is one of the best pianos made (behind Steinway and Bösendorfer, perhaps), and this particular instrument was built in one of their best periods in the 1950s. Definitely a used model, the piano is a bit beat up on the frame, but that doesn’t affect the sound at all. The fellow from the church thought that they probably bought the piano new in the 50s, so it’s probably had one owner.
To conclude, it’s a definite gift from God. The very fact that the price is so low and the quality so good, and that I was the first to look at it provides for pretty unusual circumstances. And the fact that I have a piano budget right now, which brings me to B):
I’ve got 59 hours to go as of now, and am over half way in my funding. By the end of the day on Saturday, I need to raise about $850 more to complete the project. Checkout the current funding levels right here:
Kickstarter projects that are funded past 40-50% are funded 95% of the time. So I have high hopes, but it’s going to be an uphill battle for the next two days.
Lots of folks have been extremely generous in their contributions, and thanks to everyone who has already contributed.
I am accepting offline donations toward the goal as well, so if you prefer to send a check, let me know as soon as possible what amount you’re able to contribute, so I can put it toward the goal before Saturday.
If you’re not able to pledge toward the project, sharing it through Social Media and other contacts right now is very valuable as well.
And I covet your prayers! That’s all for now!
– Jonathan
