Old piano will bring town sound
Tatiana Sadler can’t wait for the sound of music to reverberate through downtown Hawera.
The 15-year-old is behind a push to have a portable piano located in the south Taranaki town’s central business district.
Tatiana, whose favourite style of music is hip hop, only started piano lessons at Hawera High School in February.
She said she was inspired to pursue the idea after spotting a video online from a town overseas with a public piano that anyone could play.
‘‘I knew I couldn’t just put one there so I thought I’d ask the council,’’ she said.
‘‘It would be nice walking through town and seeing other people sharing their talents.
‘‘Most people, you see them doing their jobs but you don’t know about them - if they have hidden talents.’’
She wrote an email to the South Taranaki District Council, which was passed on to the Hawera Community Board, whose members thought it a great idea.
‘‘Everyone was keen. It’s a pretty cool idea and it fits in with the whole upgrade of Hawera. I think it’s a magnificent initiative. I’ve played town pianos in both Raglan and Richmond,’’ chairperson Celine Filbee said.
A Hawera couple, who didn’t want to be named, had donated an upright piano, which would be stored near the town square and be moved outside during the day, but kept under cover in bad weather.
The instrument needs a trolley to enable it to be moved around, and a local company, Hawera Welding, has agreed to sponsor the labour and steel at cost, with the board paying the balance.
As well as being played by passersby, the piano would be able to be used for concerts.
With the piano and trolley sorted, all that was needed now was a funky paint job for the piano, which would become a mobile work of art as well as music.
This would be done in the next few weeks, Filbee said.