Story #3 ~ The Pianoman (Maria Pia & Tonino)
03 May, 2025
“Sentimental music has this great way of taking you back somewhere at the same time that it takes you forward, so you feel nostalgic and hopeful all at the same time.” (Nick Hornby)
*
‘’Music has always been a part of me. From the time I was a child….and still to this day.
When I was 15 years old, my dad encouraged my love for music by signing me up to piano lessons.
My siblings and I lived in Chieti and being 9 in the household, having a piano at home was simply not a possibility.
I couldn’t practice the instrument that made my heart sing.
I started working as a waiter and travelled by bicycle to the ‘’Circolo Degli Amici di Chieti’. There was this beautiful piano there.
After business hours, I would secretly play.
I then started playing the organ at the church in Chieti and in the surrounding villages.
I was playing Gounod’s Ave Maria when I first saw Maria Pia at church.
When I came to Montreal, I continued learning and practicing with the Notre-Dame-de-la-Consolata choir.
Even though I didn’t make a career out of this, I’ve always played for the love of the piano, for the love of music...’’
- Tonino
*
‘’Music has always been a part of me. From the time I was a child….and still to this day.
When I was 15 years old, my dad encouraged my love for music by signing me up to piano lessons.
My siblings and I lived in Chieti and being 9 in the household, having a piano at home was simply not a possibility.
I couldn’t practice the instrument that made my heart sing.
I started working as a waiter and travelled by bicycle to the ‘’Circolo Degli Amici di Chieti’. There was this beautiful piano there.
After business hours, I would secretly play.
I then started playing the organ at the church in Chieti and in the surrounding villages.
I was playing Gounod’s Ave Maria when I first saw Maria Pia at church.
When I came to Montreal, I continued learning and practicing with the Notre-Dame-de-la-Consolata choir.
Even though I didn’t make a career out of this, I’ve always played for the love of the piano, for the love of music...’’
- Tonino
