steinway basement

steinway basement, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

It's kind of blurry and hard to see because it was so dark when i took the picture, but this is the basement of the Steinway showroom on 57th st. Row after row of pianos, all different sizes and key weights and colors. Hundreds of different people have played on these pianos, some of them are signed on the inside.

My father talks about wandering through this basement, picking the piano he wanted to play for his recital at Carnegie Hall. He wound up using the piano they already had, as the pianos there were out of his price range at the time.
I have rarely seen my father as happy as I saw him the night I took this picture. There was a party for an old recording studio he worked at quite frequently during the 60s and 70s. He was surrounded by old dear friends, some he hadn't seen since his wedding, laughing and drinking and having a wonderful time, reliving old stories and creating new ones. He played a little bit that night, and dazzled everyone (of course).
Few people who meet him ever forget my father. He has a profound effect on his family and friends, and though sometimes he's not sure why, I understand. One day I'll find some decent words and explain it.

taken on 57th st.