Schools
Want to Help Staples Purchase a New Grand Piano?
The SMPA hopes to honor Alice Lipson's retirement by replacing her grand piano for the Orphenians and community events.
For 35 years, choral director Alice Lipson has been a fixture at Staples High School, inspiring thousands of music students to hone their voices as director of the award-winning Orphenians singing group.
And for many of those years, Lipson taught while playing on "her" Yamaha C3 grand piano.
This June, though, Lipson will be retiring, and to honor her, the Staples Music Parents Association (SMPA) hopes to donate a new grand piano to Staples.
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According to Dave DeVoll, of the SMPA, the current Yamaha C3 grand piano is in severe disrepair, with several large cracks in the soundboard, which is the large plate at the bottom of the grand piano that transmits vibrations of the strings and amplifies the sound.
After assessing the piano, members of the Piano Technicians Guild recommended replacement of the piano, as opposed to rebuilding.
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Saying goodbye to the current grand will not be easy, but the replacement piano is needed in time for the 50-Year Orphenians concert, scheduled for June 6, not to mention other musical events.
"The piano is needed for all school concerts, Staples player musicals, and jazz band concerts," DeVoll said. "An upright piano won't fill an auditorium the size (900 seats) of Staples, or sound very good."
Thus, the SMPA plans to replace the current Yamaha C3 grand piano with a similar or identical model, at a cost of around $30,000. Fundraising efforts will continue until near the end of the school year, as the SMPA believes the new grand piano can benefit the Westport community, not just Staples.
"The school and the community will benefit from it since all concerts, especially Candlelight each December, are open to the public," DeVoll said.
In order to reach their goal, and honor Lipson's career, the SMPA is accepting corporate or personal donations (tax-deductible), 501(c)(3) pending. Checks written to "Staples Music Parents Association" with 'New Piano' on the memo line should be mailed to: Staples MPA, P.O. Box 223, Westport, CT, 06881-0223. According to the SMPA, recognition of donors will be included in future Staples concert and Candlelight programs. For more information, one can visit the SMPA website, at www.StaplesMPA.org, or email SMPA at shsmpa@aol.com.
Cole Manley is a junior at Staples High School and a member of the Inklings student newspaper.
