The Perrud Family Piano!

Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity and possibility to be part of this special project with Brigham Larson Pianos! My name is Thiago Cardoso Perrud, I'm Brazilian, and I'm 20 years old. I'm from Diadema, in the southern region of São Paulo state, Brazil. Since I was young, I've been influenced by my father to listen to music. He was born in Martinópolis, a small town in the interior of São Paulo, where he had his first contact with music through the sertanejo genre, equivalent to country music in the USA. From that moment, he became a singer and amateur guitarist. During my childhood, I had a desire to learn the guitar because of my father, but he didn't have the appropriate technical knowledge and wasn't very patient in teaching, so I ended up giving up on the idea. This desire to learn an instrument remained dormant until I was 15 years old. As I attended church from a young age, I always knew people involved in music ministry, but I never took the initiative to learn from them. However, one day everything changed. I was friends with a guy named Chrystian Barros, and we both participated in the Pathfinder Club, a voluntary project for children and teenagers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Chrystian was taking classical piano lessons, but at the time, his hobby didn't seem very relevant to me. On a rainy Saturday night, while the church's youth team was preparing decorations for the service, my older sister and I arrived early. I sat on the church bench, observing people moving around and chatting. Chrystian greeted me and sat down at the piano, a Fritz Dobbert 1/4 tail model that is still in the church today. When he started playing, I became completely disconnected from reality and could only see and hear the piano. He played the first series of arpeggios from Sonata Op. 27 No. 2, "Moonlight," followed by the second half of the third movement, "Presto Agitato." I was completely absorbed and moved by Beethoven's music at that moment, and it changed my life forever. It was a turning point, making me realize my passion for music and the piano. After that significant moment, I started searching for the "Moonlight Sonata" on YouTube, a journey that took several days until I finally found it. During this search, I discovered other composers like Schubert, Mendelssohn, Bach, Schumann, Mozart, and finally, Beethoven. It was a discovery of a new universe and the awakening of a purpose in my life. Due to my enthusiasm, I asked my father for a 66-key keyboard, exchanging an old video game for this instrument. I started learning on my own, mastering simple pieces and, out of instinct and inexperience, attempting more complex songs. Over time, I developed good skills for someone learning entirely on their own and by instinct. We then decided to look for a private piano teacher, and my lessons began. It was a wonderful experience going through Bach's Inventions, Czerny's studies, Clementi's sonatinas, and reaching Mozart's sonatas. My teacher, a multi-instrumentalist, had a student orchestra, which gave me the opportunity to participate in recitals and performances with the orchestra. My private teacher told me to take the test to enter the Conservatory of Music of the State of São Paulo - EMESP Tom Jobim, and because I liked the idea, I studied theory for a few months and prepared the pieces requested in the edict - and I passed! It was tremendous happiness; I was very moved to know that I had passed both phases of the test, and the board of teachers of a very high level had liked my performance even with little time on the instrument. As I neared the end of high school, my family started pressuring me about my career choice, as college entrance exams were approaching. My heart and mind yearned for music, my true passion, but my family didn't fully support this decision, arguing that making a living from music, especially classical music in Brazil, was financially challenging. So, in 2022, I left the conservatory to enter the corporate world and help financially at home. In 2022, I enrolled in a technology college, which I will finish by the end of 2024, but the dream of music still lives in me. I feel that my calling is in music, and I can use this gift to bring people closer to God through the beauty and truth present in it.
My story with my piano began shortly after completing one year at the conservatory. Due to financial constraints that prevented me from acquiring an acoustic model, the possibility of owning one, even with my teacher's recommendation, seemed highly unlikely. Thanks to my teacher and the other piano teachers at the conservatory, there was an effort to find a piano in good condition and at an affordable price. Through conversations with potential sellers, my Polish-Brazilian teacher Donata Madjeska Lange came across a 1962 Brazilian piano being sold by a woman in her neighborhood. The woman selling the piano was Érica, a healthcare professional working at the Butantan Institute, responsible for developing COVID-19 vaccines here in Brazil. The piano had been unused for years, severely out of tune, and with a stiff mechanism. However, my teacher Donata believed that with a complete overhaul and tuning, the instrument would be in great shape, based on her experience. I spoke with Érica, went with my father to her residence, and there I had my first encounter with the piano. It was a dream come true! Despite its poor condition, I saw hope in becoming a better pianist through it. Upon receiving her permission to view and play the piano, she could see my enthusiasm and the performance of some pieces I played at that moment. After playing, she was moved to finally hear that piano being played again. It had belonged to her son, who passed away ten years ago, and they used to play clarinet and piano duets at home when they had the chance. Because of this touching story and also sharing my own piano journey, Érica was touched. She negotiated the price with my father, and the instrument was sold for a significantly lower price than the market value. A few days later, a shipping company delivered it to my home. I cleaned the piano thoroughly (following my teacher's instructions), and for a few months, I played it without any revisions or tuning, thrilled with this new gift from God. And of course, when the opportunity arose, I managed to tune the instrument and recently perform a minor mechanism revision. However, it doesn't hold the tuning at 440 due to its age. My piano brings me immense joy and is how I express and externalize my internal feelings. Restoring it will allow me to continue improving and extracting the best it has to offer.

• YEAR 1960-1970
• MAKE Dive into Thiago's Remarkable Story of Discovering His Love for Music at a Church Gathering, Nurturing His Talent Against All Odds, and Pursuing His Dreams Amidst Challenges Finding Hope in a 1962 Brazilian Piano, a Beacon of Inspiration.
• SERIAL NUMBER 16817
• FINISH Wood Finish
• RENTAL PRICE $NaN
• FINANCE PRICE $NaN
• CATEGORY CONTESTANT