Perhaps my chief instrument so far is the piano harp. The piano harp was built using the steel frame and strings from a derelict pianola that lived in the garage of Grandpa Peter’s house. The piano harp is played both acoustically and using electronics. Its acoustic tones reverberate vigorously, and produce a continuous hum of all sympathetic strings. The piano harp is played by finger picking, using a plectrum, using rubber mallets, a friction mallet and a Heet Sound Products Ebow (electronic bow for guitar).

The piano harp was created by disassembling an old Linconola pianola, leaving only its bare bones, the strings, steel frame and wooden sounding board. This pianola was estimated to be from the 1920’s and had sat in Grandpa Peter’s garage for at least ten years, gathering thick amounts of dust and dirt. Being a piano player, I was drawn to it, but quickly became aware of how damaged the mechanics within the machine were. It was quoted to need about $4000 worth of work to be a working pianola again. I have always loved prepared piano as well as harps – I therefore became very enthusiastic about giving this old pianola a new life as a one-of-a-kind piano harp.