Celebrating World Piano Day
CBS2’s John Elliott introduces us to a family with a very special relationship to this amazing instrument.
Video Transcript
- The 88th day of the year, and that is an important number if you love the piano.
DICK BRENNAN: Indeed, it is. To celebrate those 88 keys, today is World Piano Day. CBS 2's John Elliott introduces us to a family with a very special relationship to this amazing instrument.
JOHN ELLIOTT: There is nothing like a Steinway piano. But more than just a beautiful musical instrument, these are amazingly complicated machines. The Lindeblad family has been restoring these amazingly complicated machines for over 100 years.
So your business is a combination of restoring family pianos, or restoring orphaned pianos and bringing them back to life. Right?
TODD LINDEBLAD: Exactly.
JOHN ELLIOTT: And people can pick out the piano they want?
TODD LINDEBLAD: Yeah, they could pick the size, the style, the color, and we're custom do it to their preferences.
JOHN ELLIOTT: How many parts are in the piano?
TODD LINDEBLAD: 12,116.
JOHN ELLIOTT: First up is the belly department, because everything has to come out of the belly of the piano, right Sean?
SEAN LINDEBLAD: That's right.
JOHN ELLIOTT: First thing that comes out is the harp?
SEAN LINDEBLAD: The harp.
JOHN ELLIOTT: And how many pianos do you have at any given time, usually?
SEAN LINDEBLAD: Well, usually anywhere between 30 and 40.
JOHN ELLIOTT: How long does it take you to hang 88 hammers?
JAMES FERNANDEZ: About 12 to 15 hours, depending on what's going on in the day, and sometimes they can fight you a little bit. They can be finicky.
JOHN ELLIOTT: What are you trying to do here?
PETE RIBAUDO: I'm trying to regulate each of these keys to their full potential. So the artist, when he starts playing, he's-- he feels like he's closer to the string. You really have to have hands-on experience, and you really need to apprentice with somebody to show you what to do.
PAUL LINDEBLAD: It's a very tedious type of work-- 88 of everything, 12,000 parts total, right? So you have to be patient.
JOHN ELLIOTT: What do you love about working on pianos?
GABBY JAPAZ: I love the detail that goes into all of it, and how every little thing I do is so important.
JOHN ELLIOTT: How many more years of life are you giving them?
PAUL LINDEBLAD: Well, I would say at least another 80 to 100 years.
There's no other instrument like the piano, you know? It can sound like thunder, it can sound like a trickling stream.
JOHN ELLIOTT: Making music and memories in Dover, New Jersey, John Elliott, CBS 2.
DICK BRENNAN: He can do it all, John.
- Yes, he can.
DICK BRENNAN: Who knew?
- So talented.
DICK BRENNAN: To help celebrate World Piano Day, the Lindeblad family is giving away an upright Steinway this Wednesday. Wow. For more information, go to cbsnewyork.com.
- Happy Piano Day to everybody.
DICK BRENNAN: Absolutely.
