I have a roommate! I have a roommate! His name is Guillermo He is an Estey Organ. (More on Estey Organs at a later date!)
My pianist owner brought him home a couple of days ago. She went to a rummage sale and spoke to a few people. A few emails and phone calls later, she brought Guillermo, The Great Estey Organ home for the first time!
Poor little guy has hibernating in an attic here in the Beautiful City of Wyandotte, MI just a few blocks away from us. She woke him up and now he is a part of our Little Piano House family!
He actually is in great condition, very clean and playable. All he wanted was to be played! Boy, is he getting a work-out now! And so is my pianist owner! Those pedals you see in the photos on this little organ are for pumping! Yeah, that's right! Guillermo is an organ you must pump to play!
We believe that at one time he was a convent chapel organ. We are absolutely certain that he was used for religious services, which is awesome because my pianist owner is a church musician and choir director!
We don't know how old he is because we don't see his serial number. We will probably need to remove some screws and look inside to find it, but we think he is over 60 years old.
That's me, Andrea The Piano, with Guillermo The Great Estey Organ in the first and last photo!
Welcome, Guillermo, The Great Estey Organ to The Little Piano House! Music Makers Welcome Here!
People often ask how it is that I am in that first room in The Little Piano House. The doorway is so small and I am so huge! Even the door to The Little Piano House is really pretty small. My pianist owner was seriously considering an old upright player piano before she decided on a square grand piano but then realized that an upright wouldn't fit through the door into the Little House! So, how did I fit in the door?? Square Grand Pianos and even baby grand pianos are disassembled for a move. And then, we are reassembled once we are at our destination. I'll tell you more about the piano movers in a future blog entry. So, even though I am much larger than an upright piano, I fit through the door. I came to my new home in pieces! This video shows how I moved into The Little Piano House in the Beautiful City of Wyandotte, MI. Enjoy!
Where was I before coming to Wyandotte? Many, many years ago, I was born in New York. I was hand crafted by the many fine skilled artisans of Steinway & Sons. Now, dates are not clear, but I have lived in a few places before coming to The Little Piano House in Wyandotte, MI. (the little piano house is actually a little house behind the main house. i believe traditionally they are called "in-laws" quarters. The city of Wyandotte, MI has many such little houses behind the main house.)
Anyhow, from New York I moved to Chicago. Now mind you, travel for Square Grand Pianos was a bit difficult back then. I made my way from New York to Chicago via covered wagon. Yes, that's right! I made the trek from the east via covered wagon. After some time in Chicago I would take another covered wang trip. This second wagon trip took me to a farm in Lapeer, MI. Now, mine is just one of many stories told that sing the praises of Steinway pianos that have made the long trip via covered wagon and arrived at their destination in tune. I am so proud to be a Steinway!!! My next home was in a very beautiful house and in an absolutely love neighborhood in Pleasant Ridge. MI. I was a gift for a very nice lady. A man brought me to give to his wife. I made that trip from Lapeer to Pleasant Ridge in the back of a pick-up truck. I was cushioned by mattresses and blankets for that trip to Pleasant Ridge. And finally, my arrival to Wyandotte! For the first time in my life professional piano movers, people who all they do is move pianos, were the ones to bring me to Wyandotte, MI One of the things these piano movers noticed is that the last time I was moved they put my legs in the wrong places. This is sort of like a pre-schooler who puts their shoes on the wrong feet! But my legs are all in the right places now! I've been in Wyandotte since May 2014. I live in a lovely little house lovingly called "The Little Piano House." I have my own room in that little house. Another room in the house is the music study room. There are several electronic pianos in that room. A few local artists also use the little house as a studio and many fine paintings are created there. Well, that's the story of where I've been. Now I am a resident of Wyandotte, MI! I am Andrea, The Piano.
