On Wednesday evening, Kyril Kasimoff got a text from pianist Alan Steinberger wondering if he could have a piano brought over to the Paramount Gates on Friday morning for a strike concert being organized by the musicians union AFM Local 47.
“‘Sure, I said, and I brought the piano over this morning in that blue Volkswagen bus,” Kasimoff told the Buzz, pointing to the van parked across the street.
Steinberger said he and his fellow musicians were brainstorming about all the logistics of performing on the street when he thought of Kasimoff.
“They have several upright pianos, and I wondered what it could cost to bring one here,” Steinberger told the Buzz. “I never dreamed he would bring it by himself in a Volkswagen van!”
Having a real piano meant Steinberger could set the tone and the other musicians could hear it and play off his lead. The piano broadens the tapestry of sound, explained Kasimoff, who brought a 45-inch upright Knight piano (from 1976) at a very generous discount to the union. According to Kasimoff, the piano was formerly owned by Bette Midler and likely Barry Manilow and other friends of hers played and or sang with it.
Having a real piano delighted Steinberger and the other musicians.
“What we can do with electronic instruments is mind-blowing, but somehow even a 46″ upright piano has more gravitas than the best sample of a 9 1/2 foot concert grand,” said Steinberger.
After the concert, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator of SAG-AFTRA, thanked the striking actors for their solidarity and commitment on day 113 of the strike.
“We are fighting for something that really matters,” said Crabtree-Ireland. “This is a negotiation for everyone. We have to get fair compensation, and we have to have a respectful contract.”
“There is no reason this strike has to continue because a deal can be made today,” said Crabtree-Ireland. “All they have to do is say yes to these very reasonable proposals that we have on the table. I hope that is what I hear from them later this afternoon, but no matter what I hear from them this afternoon, this strike ends with a fair and respectful contract for our members.”
With the strike day over, Kasimoff brought around his blue VW bus and, with the help of several teamster members and opera singer Miki Yamashita, loaded it back into the van for the return trip to his showroom on Larchmont Blvd.
