Dear Steinway Society,

I want to thank you for playing for us.
I loved the songs you all played.
I hope to play like all of you some day!

Sincerely,

Sarah Carlisle
The Carlisle Academy

The note above is from Sarah Carlisle, an attendee of Steinway Society’s recent program titled, “Piano Music in American History”, performed on February 8, 2005 at Le Petit Trianon Theatre. A total of 589 middle school students from throughout Santa Clara County attended two presentations at 1000am and 1100am of the program sponsored by the City of San Jose Arts Express program. This is the second year that Steinway has offered this program. It is a project of the Music Education and Scholarship Committee. The program included narration, with accompanying slide-projected visuals, and live piano performances of all styles – classical, ragtime and jazz by pianists ChiaChi Chen and Patric Nikolas. —Norval Nelson