(continued from page 15)

“No other instrument has reached into people’s lives in as many ways as the piano,” says Paul Johnson, director of Smithsonian Productions. “The Smithsonian decided to celebrate this special birthday in a big way.”

The documentary followed Piano 300: Three Centuries of People and Pianos, a popular Smithsonian exhibition that attracted more than 333,000 visitors in 2000 and 2001 and was held over twice before closing this past October. Among the many pianos on display, the exhibition showcased one of only three existing pianos made by Cristofori and featured Yamaha contributions like a DX7 electronic keyboard and a 1988 upright Disklavier with a clear panel that showed off its intricate inner workings.

In addition, the June, 2000 PBS special Piano Grand! A Smithsonian Celebration, produced by the Smithsonian and Maryland Public Television, is now available on home video in VHS and DVD formats. It features host Billy Joel and artists Jerry Lee Lewis, Diana Krall, Dave Brubeck, and many others in a musical tribute to the piano’s 300th anniversary.

Piano Marathon Raises Money for School Music

hirty-nine hours is a long time to do much of anything without stopping, but that’s how far Portland, OR pianist Van Walraven took his musical stamina in September with a piano marathon to raise money for local public school music programs.

He didn’t relent until he had played 976 songs. He performed “The Piano Man” twice, to open and close the event, and when he was done, he was the new Guinness World Record holder, besting the two year old record by 15 hours. The event took place at Boogie Woogie’s, the Portland nightspot where Walraven and his wife Cristina are part owners.

“I lost my fingerprints - well, not permanently,” Walraven says. “But I rubbed them off on the keyboard. My right leg cramped up at about 18 hours. I had to prop it up and use the other leg.”

Pianist Van Walraven sets the new Guinness World Record

On the other hand, he raised thousands of dollars for his cause, and a rotating panel of Guinness officials took down his playlist and certified his achievement. Walraven will be featured in the 2002 edition of the renowned record book.

At the heart of the enterprise was a Yamaha C7 conservatory grand piano provided by Paul Francom at nearby Cascade Piano Company. Yamaha Piano Division District Manager Bob Shriver helped set up the loan, and was on hand for the event.

“It was absolutely the best piano I’ve ever played,” Walraven says. “I previewed several pianos, and I really found this particular instrument to be so playable. I thought if there’s any instrument I could play for hours on end, it was this one. The action was so responsive.”

“I tend to be a very dynamic player,” he notes. “And, I like to explore the full dynamic range of the instrument.”

Under the world record rules, Walraven was permitted a 15 minute comfort break once every eight hours. He took requests at times from the hardy audience members who stayed for the whole performance. “Having people there was inspiring,” he says. “Never once in the course of 39 hours was I bored.”

“I had to promise my wife that this was a once in a lifetime deal,” Walraven laughs. “She and my mother were both very concerned about my health. I feel I did reach a certain physical barrier; I was becoming delirious and starting to hallucinate. I decided in my 39th hour that that would be my last hour. I could barely play ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ at the end.”