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Local theater pioneer's piano plays on in east Madison

Katjusa Cisar  —  8/21/2008 4:49 pm

The kids at the East Madison Community Center probably already are lining up to play "Chopsticks" and "Heart and Soul." This morning, the charitable arm of the Madison Area Music Awards donated a Cabinet Grand upright piano to the center and is also working to develop a music education program for children there.

This isn't any old piano. It belonged to the late Joel Gersmann, who founded and led Broom Street Theater for more than 30 years and wrote a popular cumulative book review for Isthmus every year. He also played piano and collected an extensive collection of classical sheet music. His widow, Gerri Ager, donated the piano to the MAMAs, and Ward Brodt Music donated its moving service to get the piano from Ager's house to the East Madison Community Center.

The community center expanded its facility in May and now has room for a wide range of activities, from wedding receptions to community theater to team handball games. The piano is in the new multipurpose room, next to the stage.

"The kids are going to be thrilled," said assistant director Regina Lloren, playing a few notes on the piano. "I can do the knuckle thing," she added, laughing.

Jeff Najdowski, the head mover at Ward Brodt, said the piano dates to about 1910. Pianos back then were "overbuilt" with too many materials, and this one weighs about 600 to 700 pounds. It required some heavy-duty lifting to get it down the seven porch steps from Ager's house and into the moving truck.

But for an upright, it's pretty special. The keys are weighted like the keys on a grand piano, so it's a lot more touch sensitive than a normal upright, said Rick Tvedt, founder of the MAMAs. Donating the piano to the community center is just the beginning of the MAMAs' citywide effort to help kick-start music education for kids.

The MAMAs board of directors recently hired a grant writer and are "really focusing on getting some programs in place," Tvedt said, adding its forthcoming program at the center offers one way to combat the budget cuts that schools face in music education. Schools are under increasing pressure to make music programs extracurricular. As money for music dwindles in the public school system, music teachers "end up going out and spending their own money." One music teacher he knows gets $100 per semester from her school to fund supplies for 480 students.

In October, the organization will also start registration for its annual local music awards ceremony. After receiving complaints last year about the online voting system from musicians and fans, Tvedt said the group completely revamped the process.

Katjusa Cisar  —  8/21/2008 4:49 pm