By Mary James

Special to the Salisbury Post

Have you noticed something missing from downtown Salisbury? Maybe music emanating from those decorated pianos that stood in front of shops along Main Street for the past five months? I hope so! That would mean you enjoyed either playing them yourself or hearing others do it. And now come the kudos and hearty thanks to so many who helped make this third and final year of the symphony-sponsored “Come Tickle Our Ivories!” project possible.

For starters, we wouldn’t have a project without pianos! So thank you, Mary Corriher, Jewel Torrence, Sheri Rodenhuis, Vivian Birchall, Larry Graves, Wendy Roueche, Paul Laity, John Stafford, and Jill Burch for your generous donation. You might have been happy to unload your instrument, but we couldn’t have been more thrilled to receive it!

Christopher Zink at Catawba College, Dr. DaVaughn Miller at Livingstone, Linwood Buford at Hood Theological Seminary, Jenn Selby at RCCC, Mindy Daniel and Kristen Sabia at North Hills Christian School, David Case and Amy Preslar at Rockwell Christian School, and Cindy Rogers and Sandra Wagoner with the Home School Association: you were more than patient with all my nagging over deadlines for decorating your piano, and providing your theme and student artist names for the advertising posters.

Walter Jackson of Jackson Piano Co.: thank you for traveling from Kernersville to provide indispensable piano moving services when Salisbury isn’t really your “territory,” even doing it at a reduced rate. So too did Roy West come from out of Rowan County to tune the pianos over two days at a special rate.

Thanks to our shop owners who agreed to host a piano, several for a second or third time: Textile Products, Sweet Meadow Café, Winsome Hanger, The Candy Shoppe, Meroney Theater, Creative Teaching Aids, and The Pedal Factory.

Donnie Moose at Miller-Davis: how can I count the ways I love thee for all your designing and re-designing of those beautiful piano posters? “Oops, one more tweak,” I’d say. “No problem,” said you.

Unlike prior years, I chose to raise only enough money to cover costs, and for that I have to thank Walmart, Salisbury Square Antiques, William Dudley, and Bill and Paula Trexler.

Most schools took their piano back for students to continue admiring their work of art and playing it as well. A couple of them found new homes: at Nazareth Children’s Home, and a private residence. But for anyone still longing to tickle those ivories? Creative Teaching Aids on South Main Street just rolled its Home School Assoc. piano right inside the door!

So it’s been a great three-year run for a project that I hope has provided a fun and creative outlet for our students, an enjoyable musical opportunity for the public, and a shot of vitality to our downtown!

Mary James lives in Salisbury and was the key organizer behind the “Come Tickle Our Ivories” project.