Marple Newtown High School's Quest for a Steinway Piano

The One Kid, On Key Marple Newtown Music Parents Association initiative has kicked off for Marple Newtown High School's quest to have a Steinway piano at the new Performing Arts Center.

A Steinway piano, which is finest quality piano in the world, costs $90,000 and the One Kid, One Key initiative has been created to raise 100 percent of the funds through donations. 

About $17,000 is currently pledged toward the project. 

Karen Rice, a district parent who is running the campaign with parents and students, gave a presentation to the Marple Newtown Board of School Directors at the Sept. 24 meeting along with the One Kid, One Key students. 

Rice said a Steinway piano will last more than 50 years and increases in value through the years when maintained properly. It also takes a full year to build a Steinway piano, by hand.

"Steinway is hands down the finest piano, in the world," she said. "It's the finishing touch for the Performing Arts Center."

The district would not bare any financial burden with the purchase of the piano, Rice said. 

Fundraisers, including the Gala Concert, will be held to raise the funds along with other community events and community outreach.

The group is bringing the school's music program out to the community by giving concerts to senior citizen groups and creating other events. 

Rice said the goal is to have the community participate in the project and purchase parts of the piano, whether it be a key, a string or a peg of the piano. 

"Every family can be engaged here," Rice said. "It's about bringing the community together."

The piano would be kept in a secure, locked facility at the high school when it wasn't being used, Rice said. 

Click here to purchase a "key" and donate to the initiative.