PIANO-IN-TOW
Narboni reaches across Nebraska with Piano-in-Tow by Asha Anchan
N
icole Narboni still laughs as she remembers the performance at which a young boy eagerly responded to her inquiry about the difference between a banjo and guitar. He matter-offactly stated that hillbillies played banjos, and rock stars played guitars. Needless to say, the audience found the innocent comment quite humorous. “It was a wonderful moment, but it didn’t come from me. It was just that kind of interaction that helps to glue the idea of classical music to being a good thing,” Narboni said. “It was a positive experience for everyone, and I’ll treasure that memory for the rest of my life.” Moments like these are what Narboni hoped for when she initiated “Piano-inTow,” a classical music tour across the Nebraska heartland. The senior lecturer at UNL’s School of Music has combined her love of classical music and a desire to see it reach the corners of Nebraska in an effort to educate and inspire. “I’m trying to kindle an interest because I know it’s [classical music] dying,” Narboni said. “My goal is to open the world of classical music by letting them [Nebraskans] know it’s not stuffy even though it was written 200 years ago.” Thanks to a $10,000 Layman Fund grant, Narboni finished her third tour in March, and an October tour is well in the works. A typical “Piano-in-Tow” tour lasts just under a week and involves afternoon performances geared toward students and evening performances for adults. Bruce Hird, principal of Garden County High School in Oshkosh, Neb., noted Narboni’s unique ability to engage students with musical compositions such as the Mario Brothers theme song played in a classical arrangement. “She’s an amazing musician, but she also has a strong desire to teach,” Hird said. “I was really intrigued to watch our elementary students respond to her.” Oshkosh, a western Nebraska com-
Nicole Narboni
munity with a population between 600 and 700, doesn’t have a chance to hear many classical musicians in person. “The fact that Nicole is able to do this is a great asset to the state and the communities,” Hird said. “And the fact that she brought it all the way out to the panhandle is great.” Taking her musical talent and performing abilities to the corners of Nebraska is relatively simple, but transporting her 1000-pound, Yamaha C-7 grand piano requires an extra set of hands. Heath Cole works at Dietz Music and also acts as Narboni’s official piano mover for her tours. In addition to moving the piano, Cole also drives the van and trailer and has minimized his piano set-up time to approximately 15 minutes—if he gets adequate help from the locals. “It’s nice to get out and see places I’ve never seen before and watch the reaction of the kids,” Cole said. “To watch them be awestruck by the big piano and how it comes and goes relative quickly; it’s kind of like a magic trick, but after you’ve done it for 1314 years, it’s just a natural thing.” Pulling in to a small town with a piano in the adjoining trailer usually draws some
Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts
attention, which is exactly what Narboni hoped. By bringing an instrument that is usually not considered transportable, she hopes to catch the eye of the locals and educate them about the joys of classical music, a joy that was nurtured in her own heart at an early age. As a child, Narboni was encouraged to play the piano by her father, who simply wanted to stir a desire for music within his 5-year-old daughter. “He wanted me to take piano lessons because he wanted me to appreciate music, and he didn’t want me to go through life without at least having an understanding of music,” Narboni said. Decades later, passing on an appreciation for classical music has come full circle. As Narboni travels on her last, scheduled “Piano-in-Tow” tour this October she has high hopes of attracting additional funding so she can continue to haul her grand piano across Nebraska and maybe even the rest of the country. “I would love to take “PiT”[Piano-inTow] on the road across the country. It’s all a matter of funding,” Narboni said. “My plan has been to start out small and expand when possible.”
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