Celebrity-autographed grand piano up for auction to benefit music education
GRAMMY.com
From the City of Angels to the Big Apple, one piano has spent the past year traveling the country as part of a mission to increase awareness about the importance of music education.
The piano is part of the Hilton Harmony Tour, a nationwide program created by Hilton Hotels and The Recording Academy to inspire students and raise money to support music education. Legendary musicians, entertainers and new artists have autographed the six-foot Gibson/Baldwin grand piano, with Hilton matching every signature collected with a $1,000 donation to the GRAMMY Foundation's music education programs. So far the tour has generated approximately $110,000 for the Foundation, but it isn't over yet.
On June 16, Julien's Auctions will put the Harmony Piano — complete with priceless signatures as well as its unique history — up for auction in Beverly Hills, Calif., with all proceeds going to the GRAMMY Foundation.
"This piano, donated by our friends at Gibson/Baldwin, has made a remarkable journey and we are grateful to Hilton for creating this program to benefit the GRAMMY Foundation," said GRAMMY Foundation Senior Vice President Kristen Madsen. "These funds that have been raised will support our GRAMMY in the Schools music education programs, which provide young people with unparalleled access to immersive experiences in the music industry."
GRAMMY in the Schools encompasses six distinct music education programs: GRAMMY Career Day, GRAMMY Pro Sessions, GRAMMY SoundChecks, GRAMMY Signature Schools, the Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles and GRAMMY Camp, all of which will benefit from the funds generated by the Hilton Harmony Tour and auction.
The one-of-a-kind tour kicked off in February 2006 during GRAMMY Week at the GRAMMY Salute To Jazz, where jazz greats Barry Harris, Hank Jones, Oscar Peterson and Nancy Wilson were the first to add their autographs. The piano was then placed backstage at the 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards, where it collected more than 75 signatures from participating artists ranging from Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder to Kelly Clarkson and Mary J. Blige. In addition to the signatures that adorn its exterior, the story of the piano's journey is enough to make it a unique piece of music memorabilia and a testament to the importance of music education.
During the nine-city tour, students were treated to private concerts by top-tier musicians: Harry Shearer, Trombone Shorty and Joe Krown were on hand to conduct a concert and lesson for students in New Orleans; legendary bluesman Buddy Guy received the honor of adding the 100th signature to the piano during a stop in Chicago, which also featured a blues lesson for students taught by B.B. King's daughter Shirley; GRAMMY-winning country artist Vince Gill made a special appearance at a school in Las Vegas; and Broadway stars spoke to students in New York.
A stop in Austin, Texas, proved to be a highly-rewarding venture. Last June, GRAMMY-winning singer/pianist Marcia Ball conducted a lesson and mini-concert for children from the Boys & Girls Clubs. The lesson, coupled with a $1,000 donation to the organization, sparked the development of several music programs and allowed them to purchase instruments. This month, the children completed their first-ever public performance before an audience of more than 1,000 at the organization's spring fundraiser — a performance that would not have happened without funds for music development.
The piano also stopped in Memphis, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., before returning to Los Angeles for a special finale event for 500 students, which featured performances by Natalie Cole and Josh Kelley. Cher, Elvis Costello, Ellen DeGeneres, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Terrence Howard, Linkin Park, Barry Manilow and Maroon 5 are among the many artists who have lent their signature to the cause throughout the past year.
The Harmony Piano was invited into millions of living rooms during its national TV debut on the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast this past February. Former GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles member Christian Sands performed live on the piano, accompanied by violinist Anne Lee, as Recording Academy President Neil Portnow delivered a call to action for increased music funding. "Together let us all ensure that music stays just as vital and alive for generations still to come," he stressed during his remarks.
Music education awareness has been an important touchstone for both The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Foundation. Last year, The Academy and other organizations helped spur California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to approve an allocation of more than $500 million for arts and music education, the largest ever state funded expenditure for arts education in U.S. public schools.
The Hilton Harmony Tour is one of many initiatives that continue to ensure music education will be available to all U.S. students. The piano auction not only supports this cause, but it will also provide a cherished piece of music memorabilia for the lucky bidder.
The Harmony Piano, along with other music memorabilia, will be previewed for the public June 12 – 15 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. For more information about the Hilton Harmony Tour or to participate in the auction, please visit www.hiltonharmonytour.com or www.juliensauctions.com.
