My old upright grand piano was one I got from my church when I first got married in 1972. They couldn't believe I didn't own my own when I got married, so they gave it to me! It is very old, completed and the sounding board is hand painted with a 1876 date, and the builder's signature painted on it. I had my ex-FIL strip all the old black lacquer off it, and it is now back to the original woods, with a signed sounding board. It even had the old candle holders attached on either side of the music holder. My FIL was an IBMer who retired, went to Steinway school and learned to be a piano restorer. So it's beautiful and the guts are all new, so sounds fabulous. My oldest son has that one.
I gave Jon my mother's old spinet which she got for her 16th birthday in 1946 during the war. Since steel was at a premium, they made the sounding board out of aluminum. Well, it's held up and my tuner brought it up to the proper register and it held! So, they have a unique piano, too.
Yes, Little Tommy is my music kid for sure!! He's plays trombone (first chair at the high school) and I give him piano lessons. His brother Jack plays tuba and is teaching himself piano (since the books are at his house for his brother. Katy's kids are also musical. Joshua also plays trombone and has just started bassoon, and Rachel is learning saxophone. So music is much appreciated in our households!
