Walking Piano

File:2004-12-12 - New York (9).jpg, Fifth Avenue, New York City, 2004]]

The Walking Piano, also called the Big Piano by its creator, Remo Saraceni, is an oversized synthesizer. Merging dance, music, and play, it is played by the user's feet tapping the keys to make music. Versions of the piano have been installed in museums, children's hospitals, and other public places around the world.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

History

Remo Saraceni created a musical daisy for the Bicentennial Celebration in Philadelphia (Design for Fun). From there the concept grew. It took shape with an intermediate stop at an interactive futon, and the first "Big Piano" was built in 1982. The piano was on display at the FAO Schwarz toy store in New York City when screenwriter and producer Anne Spielberg saw it and told her brother, director Steven Spielberg, about it.Len Lear,{{cite news|title=Local rocket scientist became 'Piano Man' for Tom Hanks|url=https://www.chestnuthilllocal.com/2018/06/22/local-rocket-scientist-became-piano-man-for-tom-hanks/|access-date=15 November 2011|publisher=chestnuthilllocal.com|date=22 June 2018}}

Versions

An early, one-octave version of the Walking Piano was installed at FAO Schwarz in New York City in 1982. A new three-octave version specifically created for the 1988 movie Big at the request of director Penny Marshall was played by Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia.{{cite web

| url = https://nypost.com/2013/12/07/fao-schwarz-piano-still-a-hit-25-years-after-hanks-movie/

| title = FAO Schwarz piano still a hit 25 years after 'Big'

| work = NY Post

| author = Larry Getlen

| date = 2013-12-07

| access-date = 2016-09-04

}} That piano was housed in the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until about 2013.{{cite web

| url = http://patch.com/pennsylvania/ardmore/please-touch-named-top-childrens-museum

| title = Please Touch Named a Top Children's Museum

| work = patch.com

| author = Alison Smith

| date = 2015-02-25

| access-date = 2015-11-29

}}

Another version of the piano was one made by Elliot Seth Newman, CEO and founder of Kids Station Toys.{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2002/08/05/smallb1.html|title=A toy story|website=Bizjournals.com|access-date=13 December 2021}} This version was sold at select retail stores such as Target, Toys R Us, Walmart, and others. This version was sold as the, "Kids Station Toys: Step-On Piano." The product retailed for about $40 USD. Kids Station Toys made many other piano related toys that succeeded and successfully made millions, the top being the, "Fisher PriceTM Elephant Piano." {{Cite web|url=https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kids-Station-Fisher-Price-KFP1735-Fisher-Price-Step-On-Keyboard/33766179|title=Kids Station-Fisher Price KFP1735 Fisher Price Step-On Keyboard|website=Walmart.com|access-date=13 December 2021}}

Reception

The Walking Piano has continued to enjoy media success, appearing in movies such as The Night Before starring Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It has also featured in TV series such as Dancing With The Stars, Puttin' On the Ritz, The Simpsons and The Voice Season Premier Feat John Legend. It was also named as one of the most iconic movie props ever.{{cite news|title=The Most Iconic Movie Props And The Stories Behind Them

|url=https://www.trend-chaser.com/entertainment/movies/the-most-iconic-movie-props-and-the-stories-behind-them/?view-all&chrome=1&D4c=1&D_4_6cALL=1&D_4_6_10cALL=1&A5c=1

|access-date=15 November 2011|publisher=trend-chaser.com}}

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite news |work=People |title=Featured in Big, Remo Saraceni's Walking Piano Plays Its Sweetest Music at the Cash Register |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20099901,00.html |date=September 12, 1988 |access-date=October 17, 2013}}

{{cite news |first=Elaine |last=Louie |newspaper=The New York Times |title=A Piano You Can Walk On |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEFDA1239F93AA1575AC0A96E948260 |date=September 29, 1988 |access-date=September 15, 2012}}

{{cite news |first=Kevin |last=McFarland |publisher=The A.V. Club |title=Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock recreated the walking piano scene from Big on a British late-night show |url=https://www.avclub.com/tom-hanks-and-sandra-bullock-recreated-the-walking-pian-1798241227 |date=October 14, 2013 |access-date=October 17, 2013}}

}}

External links

[http://www.bigpiano.com/ The Original Big Piano official website]
[http://tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn85884859&docId=ORC20140311004438#docIndex=0&page=1 the Big Piano Trademark Certificate]

Category:Piano

Category:Keyboard instruments

Category:Experimental musical instruments

Category:1976 musical instruments