City replaces community piano destroyed less than a week after installation
FT. THOMAS, Ky. (WKRC) - Police are looking for whoever destroyed a community piano that was set up less than a week ago.
It was on the main drag in Ft. Thomas. The woman behind the project wanted to bring the arts to the community. She says, in the first days, it was getting a lot of attention and bringing a lot of smiles.
Caileen Tallant-Adams has loved music her whole life. She is the one who donated the piano for the street project. She picked up the piano from a man who restored them.
"It was a Baldwin, and Baldwins were made in Cincinnati, so I thought that was really cool, and it even said Cincinnati on it," Tallant-Adams said.
After years of joy and lessons taught in her studio, Tallant Music Studio, the piano was nearing the end of its useful life. That’s when she came up with the idea to get the last little bit out of the piano.
"I approached the city and I said, 'Hey, what do you think about doing a street piano program? I have a piano I'd love to donate,'" Tallant-Adams said.
Ft. Thomas city leaders were on board and the piano was placed under the clock tower along the main drag. She says it was an immediate hit.
"The first day that it went out, the kids got out of school and there must have been like 50 kids around it. They were like, 'What is this?' and just playing it and having fun," Tallant-Adams said.
But then less than a week after being installed, the piano must have struck a chord with someone because they destroyed it.
"It was sad to see the hammers snapped off, and, I mean, to just see the level of destruction and, of course, I'm emotionally attached to that piano," Tallant-Adams said.
That would not be the day the music died, though. The city liked the idea of the community piano so much it went out and got another gently used one Friday.
"The piano sounds great. I was just playing it, and ... already people were like, 'Oh, there's another piano,'” Tallant-Adams said.
She hopes whoever destroyed the first piano thinks twice before vandalizing this new one.
“It may seem like a frivolous act, or it may seem funny, but you don't know how much someone worked for that. It doesn't matter if it's a piano or whatever it is. For me, I worked really hard to purchase that piano for myself. So, it helped me give lessons, all these things, so for me, it was a big emotional loss.”
Ft. Thomas Police say they're trying to get some surveillance footage from the area, and they have some people they would like to talk with but aren't willing to say anything about suspects yet. They hope to have the case wrapped up by next week.
There's a cultural arts district kickoff party Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. It's at the Ft. Thomas Towne Centre. The new piano will be front and center.
