Hey, everyone!
I began playing when I was 4 years old, on a small electric organ. I taught myself how to read music. A few years later we located a teacher in our rather rural area, and some time after we found a relatively cheap piano for me to play. In high school, I changed to a more advanced teacher, and my piano lessons were over an hour away at a mountainside log cabin.
My senior year of college, my parents assisted me in buying a digital piano in a discounted sale through my school. Through many moves, from several cities in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Arizona and now Oregon, the keyboard has sustained damage, and I took it in for repairs, only to find out that the cost of them would be more than the value of the keyboard itself.
I have made a living as a collaborative pianist for over a decade, playing primarily with college-level music students for their lessons, recitals, and end-of-term progress performances. I have been a musical director and performer for operas and musicals, and I also work as a vocal and chamber-music coach.
This is the first time in 15 years that I have not had access to a piano. That access is essential to my livelihood, and without it I have no consistent options for practice and rehearsal. Given the expenses that I have incurred from recently moving to Portland, my savings are insufficient to afford replacing my keyboard, despite it being necessary for me to do so post haste.
I am hoping to raise some money to buy a used piano from someone in the community as well as some funds to cover transportation and delivery, any initial repairs, and a good tuning. Anything you can contribute will help!