CROSSVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A 100-year-old Tennessee Tech University alumni donated a Steinway piano worth about $60,000 to the university’s music school after reading an article about its goal to become an all-Steinway school.
Billie Spicer celebrated her 100th birthday on July 20 and decided it was time to show her appreciation for her mother by gifting her a beloved Steinway grand piano.
“It’s definitely the best Steinway piano ever made,” Spicer said. “And since I had one, I thought, ‘Well, I can just give it to Tech.’
Spicer said she started learning to play the piano when she was just four years old. “I had a good teacher,” she said. But the only problem I had was that I could play by ear, and my teacher didn’t appreciate that.
Spicer said her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother could also play by ear. “I come from a lot of pianists,” she said.
The newly donated piano marks Tech’s 10th Steinway grand piano, in addition to the many Boston upright pianos owned by Steinway & Sons. “We’re part of the Steinway School Initiative program, so all of our pianos are either Steinway or Boston,” says Colleen Hill, director of Tech’s School of Music.
To be included on the piano manufacturer’s official list of all-Steinway schools, a school must have at least 90% of their pianos be Steinways and are working to make it 100%. In addition, only selected music institutions are part of the list, not only from the United States, but also from England, Korea, Austria and Scotland.
“The School of Music is extremely grateful for Mrs. Spicer’s donation,” Hill said. “This instrument, a Steinway Model B grand piano, is a world-class instrument, and has been well maintained. It has been used for student, faculty and guest artist lectures over the years. We were thrilled to learn that Mrs. Speaker wanted to donate her piano to Tech, and we are glad that this instrument will stay in the Tennessee Tech family.
The Spicer Piano now resides in the School of Music Auditorium on the second floor of the Bryan Fine Arts Building. It is used for academic classes, exercises and lectures by students, faculty and guests.
“The School of Music is extremely grateful for Mrs. Spicer’s donation,” Hill said. “This instrument, a Steinway Model B grand piano, is a world-class instrument, and has been well maintained. It has been used for student, faculty and guest artist lectures over the years. We were thrilled to learn that Mrs. Speaker wanted to donate her piano to Tech, and we are glad that this instrument will stay in the Tennessee Tech family.
The piano is Tech’s 10th Steinway grand piano, among dozens of Boston upright pianos owned by Steinway & Sons. To be included on the piano manufacturer’s official list of all-Steinway schools, a school must have at least 90 percent of their pianos be Steinways and are working to make it 100 percent. The list of All-Steinway schools includes selected music institutions not only from the United States, but also from England, Korea, Austria, Scotland, and more.
“We’re part of the Steinway School Initiative program, so all of our pianos are either Steinway or Boston,” says Colleen Hill, director of Tech’s School of Music.
Spicer’s donated piano finds its new home in the School of Music auditorium on the second floor of the Bryan Fine Arts Building. It is used for academic classes, exercises and lectures by students, faculty and guests.
“I can’t think of a better place to learn piano than the school I attended when I graduated high school,” Spiker said.
Copyright 2022 WSMV. all rights reserved.
