Sharon Peterson
My Steinway M, purchased in 1978, is an important part of my life.
Charley’s & my parents donated toward its purchase as our wedding gift – although the wedding wasn’t until 1979. When my parents asked Charley if that’s really what he wanted he replied, “If I’m going to marry Sharon we’ll need a piano!.” So the piano was moved from Marina Towers, in Chicago’s Loop, to Burgh Hall dormitory on North Park College’s campus in Chicago. It resided in Charley’s RA apartment, where I went to practice daily, since I was still a student at NPC. We married in 1979, and I moved in with Charley & the piano.
My mother worked years on making the needle-point bench cover – a project she didn’t enjoy, but she said a grand piano needed one. This piano got me through two years of MM studies at Northwestern University and preparations for several concert trips Charley & I took to Sweden, where I played in Covenant Churches. I practiced on it to prepare for Chicago Symphony Chorus rehearsals, for which I began playing in 1978. My early years as a Collaborative Pianists included playing for auditions, recitals, and lots of rehearsals – all prepared on this piano. We were able to move to a house that had adequate space for not only the piano, but students and audiences. (Chicago bungalows are roomier than you think!)
We rented out the house 2 different years while teaching in Sweden. The renters enjoyed having a stylish piece of furniture. When we sold the house and moved to Norway, our friend/techinician, Francis Hunt, offered to move the piano to his house where he could enjoying playing it as well as maintaining it. This generous offer lasted 4 ½ years , until we moved back to the neighborhood, finding another bungalow. This living room was smaller, but the piano got priority over the TV. (“Never have a TV and piano in the same room anyway”… I was advised years earlier.)
The piano lived there for 20 years until moving to our current, “forever,” house – still in the North Park neighborhood. When our bungalow sold, but the new house wasn’t vacated yet, the sellers, (our close friends,) allowed the piano to be moved in 3 months before we moved in… Now we have plenty of room for music, guests, family, and special parties where the piano is featured.
I left everything on the piano for the photo to show how well-used it is. Some details you might notice – several metronomes, used for recording (sometimes listening to tracks while tempi change within a piece,); children’s music to share with our 2-yr. old Granddaughter, music for the Children’s Choir at The Village Presbyterian Church of Northbrook, where I’m Organist; music for the North Shore Choral Society, where I’ve been Accompanist since 1979; many technique books – my mainstay; and a Bach album. Not shown is music for the North Park University Choir or saxophone repertoire… Someday, hopefully soon, a large choral/orchestral work will be on the music rack again, preparing for another CSC rehearsal.
Until then, this piano reminds me of all the chapters in life I’ve experienced – some anticipated, and some not. Perseverance, faith, hope, love, and joy have gotten me through – plus the piano.