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The Sounds of Healing
From a very early age, Sylvia Palmer knew she wanted to teach piano. She especially loved working with children
and watching their self-esteem flourish as their musical skills grew. And while she was content giving lessons on
the old spinet piano her father had given her when she was 12, Sylvia dreamed of one day owning a baby grand.
“All my life I wanted a baby grand piano and I finally got it Christmas of 2004,” says Sylvia. “It was the biggest thing I ever purchased for my home.” Then eight months later—after Sylvia had made her final payment on the piano—Hurricane Katrina struck.
“When I came home everything was turned upside down,” she recalls. “And there were my two pianos in the middle of my studio, laying on top of one another like people would if they were clinging together for life. They could have flown anywhere in the house but there they were—the old and the new—lying together. It was heartbreaking.”
As many people did after the storm, Sylvia temporarily relocated, taking up residence in Hattiesburg, Miss. A local retailer there heard about her plight and offered her teaching space in their studio. And while she was given a relief fund grant by the GRAMMY Foundation to purchase a weighted keyboard, Sylvia desperately missed her baby grand piano.Then she heard about the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund, which helps displaced musicians find shelter, clothing, food and anything else they need to get back on their feet. When her contact, Cynthia Chin, heard about Sylvia’s piano, she contacted Pearl River to see if they might replace it. Touched by Sylvia’s story, the company gave her a brand new baby grand piano—the same model as the original—so she could give music lessons in her home once more. “It was a miracle,” says Sylvia, “and it reassured me that I was meant to come back home and teach again.”
Unfortunately, only four of the 30 children Sylvia taught before Katrina resumed their lessons. However, as she rebuilds her student base, Sylvia is gratified to see how much music assists in healing the hearts of kids affected by the storm. “I do a lot of music therapy to help these kids tap into their emotions, prescribing songs like a doctor prescribes medicine. It’s a slow process, but it’s worth it to see them smile again.”
NAMM Member Connection
Pearl River Music •Proud Member of NAMM Since 1994
Upon hearing Sylvia’s story and seeing pictures of her devastated baby grand piano, the folks at Pearl River were moved to help. “When Cynthia Chin of the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund contacted us with Sylvia’s story, we knew we had to replace her grand piano,” says Pearl River U.S. President Jennette Xu. “It was our pleasure to help Sylvia return to teaching and bringing the love of music to her students.”