Today, March 29 is World Piano Day. So why does that matter for a custom woodworking company? For those who don’t know, our Founder and Lead Carpenter Matthew Whiteis is fond of pianos. That’s because, you see, he doesn’t solely identify as a tradesman — he is also a musician.
Music is at the heart of what he does — and we mean everything. You may see projects that wow and builds that transform a space, but what you don’t see is how music motivates, inspires and is his true passion.
And the piano isn’t just some hobby.
But restoring the baby grand in his home — that was a hobby.
We rescued this beauty—a 1908 Bradbury—from a friend whose late father had a wood shop in Denver, Colorado. It was his goal to restore her, and we felt compelled to finish the project, as it tied his two passions together.
Before
After
As a woodworker, Matthew knew he couldn’t hide the beauty he found upon removing old stain, moldings and veneer. He collaborated with his soon-to-be bride (okay that’s me), on a design that would show the creativity in them both. Wanting a one-of-a-kind result, we decided to burn the sides with a hand torch to expose the eye-catching contrast of the wood grain. By hand-painting the legs and top black, it was the perfect finish. One that earned her the name Belle.
For Fun + More About the Music
Here are some old progress photos of this passion project and here’s baby Matt. And it’s not shocking that he’s sitting in front of a piano.
Want to know more about Matthew’s love for music? Here are a few fast facts, and we encourage you to visit MatthewTaylorMusic.com and listen on Spotify.
The first record he owned was Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
His piano teachers growing up were well-known authors, Dave and Beverly Lewis.
He is a multi-instrumentalist.
He’s performed from California to Florida and even Japan.
He’s released music as a solo act, session musician and bandmate (Matthew Taylor, Abandonato, The Taylor Project, Justus League and the Robby Wicks Band — to name a few).
He won an American Idol Competition (original series) in Colorado which gave him a golden ticket to further audition in San Francisco.
He released his first solo album “Audio Journal” through JMD Records and Ingrooves, a partner of Universal Music Group.
He’s shared the stage with and performed at private events for several celebrities.
He’s in the process of seeking management to release his next round of new music.
Last, and not least, his son Sebastian is also a talented singer, pianist and guitarist.
As always, thanks for reading! Have an idea for a future post? Contact us!