Pop-Up Pianos Stolen, Vandalized

Esther Zuckerman

The Astor Place piano being installed.

These are days the music died in the Bronx. Tragedies have struck two of of Sing for Hope's Pop-Up Pianos, whose installation we chronicled two weeks ago. This morning the Daily News reported that the piano at the Williamsbridge Oval was stolen, and then we learned that the keys at Fordham Plaza had been vandalized, all in two days time. The former vanished June 26, and the latter was desecrated on the 24th.

We received a statement from the organization on these events:

Sing for Hope is heartbroken by both the disappearance of the Williamsbridge Oval Piano and the vandalism of the Fordham Plaza Piano over the past few days. We are deeply moved by the joy and uplift that they have provided to these two communities and are grateful to the volunteer community organizations that cared for them throughout their residency.

Sing for Hope will not be replacing these two pianos before the project ends July 2, but repaired and replaced versions will be donated to the respective community organization and school to which they were promised.

That said, musicians who have a desire to bang out "Heart and Soul" at the Williamsbridge Oval, still will be able to do so. Lis von Uhl, a member of Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval, told us that after word got out today that their piano was stolen someone reached out to Sing for Hope to donate a new one for the park. Sing for Hope then forwarded that message along to von Uhl's group. She said that this piano will hopefully be installed this evening and that local children will paint it.

"We wanted to do it as soon as possible to show the person who stole it that we are not going to take this," von Uhl said.

She added that the piano will be stationed in the park beyond the end date of the program.

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