Pianola in the Wild

This isn’t the actual piano I worked on today, but this 5 1/2 octave Pianola with an old school player system seemed more worthy of its own post. #piano #playerpiano #pianola #musicalinstrument #oldschool

I didn’t catch the serial number of this piano, so I’m not sure when it was built, but I’m guessing the early 1960s. Built by the Aeolian company, Pianola is one of those brand names that became synonymous with player piano to the point that people just use Pianola to mean player even if the system is a different brand, like Kleenex and tissues or Rollerblades and in-line skates. It was owned by a former player piano technician who has since passed it on to his granddaughter. The player system still functions, so it’s a great source of fun AND music education for a toddler.

I love to see older pianos that still have some musical life in them get used, and I love it even more when they help introduce kids to the awesomeness of music. Thank you, little Pianola!