Move to the Music
Moving a piano caused columnist consternation.
Charles Etheridge had a long career, over 20 years, as a writer and editor for The Oklahoman. He wrote news stories, features and occasionally about his own experiences.
Sixty-five years ago on May 15, 1953, he described a predicament he found himself in when trying to move a piano.
I have got the old piano roll blues. It’s really a case of too much piano and not enough room to roll it.
My troubles, like those of so many men, really began with wedlock. Events followed, and at the age of five our firstborn decided to become a concert pianist. Lessons! He needs a piano at home to practice, said the teacher.
I wanted to get a small practice piano. The salesman in the big music store scoffed. “Better buy him a sack of marbles,” he said. So I bought an upright grand.
In the front room of a small house, it was too big. I decided to move it into the boy’s bedroom. Getting Grady the cow out of her silo was child’s play compared to this operation.
A neighbor, my wife and I struggled for three hours. We wrecked the narrow hall, but we got the piano into the bedroom. There it has sat for more than two years. When played, it seems to sound an undertone of smugness.
Now we are moving. I resolved that rather than fight that thing again I would give it to anybody who would take it out.
Whenever you see Italians moving something heavy, you may hear them shouting, “Piano!” That mean’s “take it easy.” But no Italian ever moved my piano.
A customer with a musically inclined child was found. Two brash gentlemen arrived. They had contracted to move the piano for $7.50. No move. No money. They would not listen to the voice of experience. “If you amateurs put it in there, we can take it out,” they announced.
Two hours they sweated and strained. When they left, the piano was still sitting smugly where it was when they arrived.
Parting demand from the bigger fellow was, “You sure you didn’t build the house around that piano!”
Now, three burly specialists in piano movery have been called in. If the operation is successful, I will quit singing the blues.
For all those taking advantage of these sunny, warm days for moving or just spring cleaning, good luck moving those “pianos.”