{"id":110253,"date":"2024-12-12T11:42:27","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T16:42:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=110253"},"modified":"2024-12-12T13:00:02","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T18:00:02","slug":"the-scoop-toronto-music-history-gordon-lightfoots-piano-finds-a-new-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/12\/12\/the-scoop-toronto-music-history-gordon-lightfoots-piano-finds-a-new-home\/","title":{"rendered":"THE SCOOP | Toronto Music History: Gordon Lightfoot\u2019s Piano Finds A New Home"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"L&R:
L&R: The Steinway grand piano in its temporary home at the Avenue Road Music and Performance Academy; Middle: Gordon Lightfoot at the Apex Records luncheon (Photo: Alexandra Studio ca. 1965\u00a0\/City of Toronto archives<\/a>\/ cropped\/CC BY 2.0<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The late Gordon Lightfoot\u2019s piano, one that he used to compose his music, has found a new home. The sale of the Steinway once owned by the iconic singer-songwriter was announced by the Avenue Road Music and Performance Academy.<\/p>\n

The historic instrument has found a new home with the Russell family, known for their support of music and the arts.<\/p>\n

Dr. John Holland, the Academy\u2019s Director of Fundraising and Community Programs comments, \u201cWhen we think of the musical storytelling that was Lightfoot\u2019s hallmark, we realize that it had its origins in this instrument, especially with East of Midnight, one of Lightfoot\u2019s most personal and favourite albums. This piano represents not just the artistry of Gordon Lightfoot, but is a cornerstone of Canadian music history.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gordon Lightfoot<\/h2>\n

Gordon Lightfoot\u2019s musical career began with singing, and he became known as a boy soprano until about the age of 13.<\/p>\n

Lightfoot was self taught as a pianist. He learned the instrument as a teenager, along with percussion, and was already playing in bands and bars throughout Orillia when he taught himself the folk guitar. He\u2019d go on to study \u00a0jazz composition and orchestration for two years at Westlake College of Music in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

While the acoustic guitar, and his distinctive vocals, defined his sound as he rose to fame, he would often write his songs initially on the piano. While his own recordings were well received, it\u2019s probably as a songwriter that he achieved much of his international fame. Many of his songs were covered by a wide range of artists.<\/p>\n

The Piano<\/h3>\n

Gordon bought the Steinway Grand Model A11 in 1974 from Paul Hahn & Co. The shop itself is a part of Toronto history, located on Yonge Street since 1913. The piano was manufactured in 1910 at Steinway\u2019s Long Island factory, and it wouldn\u2019t be the last time that Lightfoot would visit the venerable shop.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a piece of Toronto \u2014 and Canadian music \u2014 history.<\/p>\n

Lightfoot donated the piano to the Avenue Road Music and Performance Academy, and signed it. The instrument was moved directly from Lightfoot\u2019s Toronto home. The Academy facilitated the recent sale with a view to finding it an appropriate home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are honoured to have played a role in preserving this instrument,\u201d said Dr. Ruth Corbin, Chair of the Board for the Academy. \u201cGordon Lightfoot\u2019s piano has been treasured by students and performers at the Avenue Road Music and Performance Academy, and we are gratified to see it moving to the home of a special family in his childhood neighbourhood close by. Gordon Lightfoot\u2019s confidence in the future of the Avenue Road Music and Performance Academy continues to lift the spirits of everyone who visits the Academy\u2019s Gordon Lightfoot Concert Hall.\u201d<\/p>\n

New owners Daniel J. Russell and Tanya DeAngelis plan on keeping the keys busy. \u201cOur family feels both honoured and privileged to be the caretakers of an iconic instrument once owned and cherished by Gordon Lightfoot. Gordon is a true icon of his era, a modern Beethoven or Miles Davis, and the joy he brought to his audience will continue to resonate through our daughters, Danya and Charlotte, as they embark on their own musical journey with his beloved Steinway grand piano.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The late Gordon Lightfoot\u2019s vintage Steinway grand piano, one that he used to compose his music, has found a new home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":110256,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[40967,27,39,47,63],"tags":[41632,40619,41019,6468],"yst_prominent_words":[16039,12239,6616,14291],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-NEWS-2024-12-12T113945.505.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-sGh","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110253"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110253"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110260,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110253\/revisions\/110260"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110253"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=110253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}