Suncoast GI doctor donates $6,000 grand piano to Southeast High School
MANATEE -- Waiting in the wings of the Southeast High School auditorium is a $6,000 white Kawai grand piano.
Soon, it'll be brought out onto the main stage, a welcome new addition for the school band and chorale programs.
Dr. Mark Dawson recently donated the piano to the Southeast program, which serves more than 300 students in chorus, keyboard and band.
"This is an amazing donation," said Michelle Norman-Webb, head of the chorus and keyboard program at Southeast. "This will be for everyone to use."
Because of the assessed value of the 26-year-old piano, the donation had to go before the Manatee County School Board for final approval. Dawson is also covering the cost of transporting the piano.
Dawson, a gastroenterologist at Suncoast GI Associates, did not return a request for comment on the donation.
The vote passed unanimously. The grand piano will most likely make its debut at the school during the Dec. 11 winter concert.
Norman-Webb began at Southeast High School four years ago with about 80 students. She said she's pleased with how much the program has grown and expects the grand piano donation will help. This year, she's working with 150 students in chorus and keyboard.
"It will not go to waste," she said.
The grand piano is replacing a smaller, older grand piano the school has been using.
Typically, arts and music programs are the first to go when school districts tighten belts to balance budgets. Relying on gifts from strangers is nothing new for teachers in the arts. Once students are in the program, the benefits are limitless, Norman-Webb said.
"I have so much talent. A lot of the kids don't realize what talent they have," she said.
Music is a common denominator, Norman-Webb said, and can help level the playing field. Students learn how to read music, express themselves creatively and speak what Norman-Webb called "an international language."
The new piano will also provide new challenges for the students. They'll have to "learn" the piano, Norman-Webb said, something traveling professionals do all the time. Each piano is different and students will be able to learn and practice the little differences prior to performances. Care, maintenance and upkeep for the piano will come out of funds allocated to Norman-Webb by the Manatee County School District and the school itself. If the piano is taken care of, it could be a part of the program for quite a while, she said.
"This could last for the next 20 years, maybe" she said.
Meghin Delaney, education reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7081. Follow her on Twitter@MeghinDelaney.
This story was originally published October 16, 2015 at 4:24 PM with the headline "Suncoast GI doctor donates $6,000 grand piano to Southeast High School ."