Yamaha and Musician Vanessa Carlton Team Up to Donate Piano to Houston Flood Survivor
Houston, Texas (PRWEB) September 05, 2017 -- Yamaha and musician Vanessa Carlton have teamed up to replace a piano that was damaged by flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey.
In a CNN interview on September 1, the Grammy nominated Yamaha Artist recounted how she had cried when she saw a viral video of Houston evacuee Aric Harding, who had returned to his flooded home to grab favorite stuffed animals and games for his seven children, ages 5 to 13. During the visit, he found his family’s Yamaha piano knee deep in flood water, which was of particular concern to one of his sons, an aspiring piano player. Harding sat down and began to play, documenting the performance in a video he posted on Instagram. “I think it's all finally sinking in a little,” Harding wrote in the Instagram caption. “What we used to have going as a city is gone. I really think God is going to do something completely new here. I am excited to see the new beauty in the suffering.”
The video caught the attention of CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who asked Harding if he thought he would play the piano when he returned to his home. “We were literally going to get some stuff, I’ll just show my son that it’s working. It worked, and I posted a piece of that video…this kind of struck a chord with people all over the place.”
One of those people deeply moved by the video was Carlton, who sent a tweet to CNN: “This story is so important. Is there a way I can get his contact info? I'd like to get him a replacement piano if this one doesn't make it.”
CNN introduced Carlton to Harding, and in a follow-up interview with Cooper, Carlton announced that “Yamaha agreed to replace the piano for him, so that’s amazing.”
“We were all very touched by Aric’s video, and when I spoke with him on the phone, I told him that Yamaha is very happy to replace his piano,” said Tom Sumner, senior vice president, Yamaha Corporation of America.
Elated, Harding tweeted, “We are ecstatic here at the Harding House!!! Huge thanks to all of you guys!! Now I gotta get the house together so we can house the piano.”
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About Yamaha
Yamaha Corporation of America (YCA) is one of the largest subsidiaries of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of award-winning musical instruments, sound reinforcement, commercial installation and home entertainment products to the U.S. market. Products include: Yamaha acoustic, digital and hybrid pianos, portable keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products, synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio equipment, Steinberg recording products and NEXO commercial audio products, as well as AV receivers, amplifiers, MusicCast wireless multiroom audio systems, Blu-ray/CD players, earphones, headphones, home-theater-in-a-box systems, sound bars and its exclusive line of Digital Sound Projectors. YCA markets innovative, finely crafted technology and entertainment products and musical instruments targeted to the hobbyist, education, worship, music, professional audio installation and consumer markets.
Peter Giles, Giles Communications, +1 (914) 798-7120, [email protected]
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