I haven’t been drawing very much recently, because I have been woodworking! I work with a group that upcycles pianos. We pick up old pianos, disassemble them (carefully!) and make new things from the antique wood. A lot of these pianos are 100-200 years old, and the people who are getting rid of them didn’t want them to go to a landfill.
The materials are amazing! they are often made of fine woods like mahogany and black walnut, birds-eye maple or Brazilian rosewood. The veneer and finish on the wood is great too, beautiful and textured with age.
The craftsmanship is notable as well, as we take them apart layer by layer you can see the skill and care that went into every piece. There are often handwritten notes and dates left by previous tuners and piano repair technicians. We find ticket stubs to school recitals, playbills, music sheets, and other bits that fell between the cracks.
After the piano is taken apart, the real work begins, we build the parts into something new, and give the piano new life.














