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Original poster

Appeal over mystery 'piano man'!

101 replies

Gwenick · 16/05/2005 11:24

here

How strange - and ever sadder is apparently the secure mental health unit he's now held in doesn't have a piano - yet it seems to be his only 'way' to of communicating!

OP posts:
strugstu · 16/05/2005 11:31

how puzzling, sad, distressing. what on earth could of happened to him.

donnie · 16/05/2005 11:39

I heard this story on the radio this morning - how fascinating and also sad. I really hope someone is able to help identify this lost soul.

mizmiz · 16/05/2005 11:42

They need to get a music therapist in to him. Wonderful folk....

SaintGeorge · 16/05/2005 11:46

Very strange and sad, hope they identify him soon.

There is a better picture of him here.

SPARKLER1 · 16/05/2005 11:50

Aw what a sad story. I wondered what has happened to him. Fingers crossed that someone will recognise him very soon.

Marina · 16/05/2005 11:53

mizmiz, they certainly do
I work in a music college and have been looking as carefully as I can at this photo on the off-chance the poor fellow was once one of ours.
But given how hugely distressed he looks in the press photo I am not sure I'd recognise him anyway

Original poster
Gwenick · 16/05/2005 11:56

music therapists certainly are wonderful - lets just hope our mental health system isn't so underfunded and outdated that they can't work out a way to 'treat' him.

OP posts:
jampots · 16/05/2005 12:10

maybe they should photograph him playing at the piano? in his "relaxed" state. Agree what a terrible tragedy. I hope he gets the help he needs

katierocket · 16/05/2005 18:32

this has me fascinated and saddened in equal amounts.

Jimjams · 16/05/2005 22:59

I know the special talent stuff is a cliche and rare, but I wondered from the reports whether he's autistic. The losing himself for hours in music, being able to draw intracate pictures of the inner workings of a piano, the anxiety and of course lack of speech, and removing labels from clothes as well I guess (itchy scratchy if you're hypersensitive).

Original poster
Gwenick · 16/05/2005 23:01

that's a good thought Jimjams. Have to confess I just did a google on an old school friend - as he was an 'odd' characted at the best of times, and looking at the photo of him in the suit (much clearer than the first picture they released) realised that's who he reminded me of!

Thankfully it would appear that my old school friend is doing really well - and therefore it's not him.

I do hope they find out who he is.

OP posts:
jampots · 16/05/2005 23:02

I wondered that too Jimjams - has anyone heard anymore about this poor man?

Jimjams · 16/05/2005 23:03

just read this on american news site which makes him sound even more auti. Poor bloke he sounds as if he's terrified I hope he is traced soon.

"Hospital chaplain the Rev. Steve Spencer said the man "is not the virtuoso that he has been portrayed in the press. He knows a small number of tunes and plays them over and over I recognized some John Lennon and a snippet from Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake.'"

"When he plays, he is totally focused he cuts out everything else and it makes him calmer."

Cadbury · 17/05/2005 12:23

Jimjams, where was that quoted from? I know the chaplain you quoted.

almostanangel · 17/05/2005 12:26

oh thank you for putting that on i heard this on the radio and thought he was in a Wet Suit as in scuba,,and was ondering how any one haddnt noticed that a scuba diving piano player was missing,

Jimjams · 17/05/2005 14:28

cadbury- it was on a link to nbc news or somethng american from the bbc website- but its not there now- the link that is.

reading the independent and how he carries one piece of manuscript with him everywhere etc etc- I'm sorry but i think he sounds more and more autistic. If it turns out that he's spent 6 weeks in mental health facilities and is autistic without anyone realising I'll be very worried but not surprised.

Jimjams · 17/05/2005 14:34

Just heard that the NAS are now involved in assessing him. Can he really have spent 6 weeks in a mental health insitute (presumably crawlng with psychologists) without anyone considering he may be autistic. What on earth do they teach these people?

katierocket · 17/05/2005 14:41

Of course jimjams that would explain so much. poor bloke, how awful for him, I really hope they get him to a happier more settled place soon.

Enid · 17/05/2005 16:17

angel - lol

Original poster
Gwenick · 17/05/2005 16:20

I can't believe that they've (if the reports are correct) moved him to a more secure mental place - that doesn't have access to a piano!! Surely if the man finds comfort in his piano playing they should have made some sort of effort to ensure that there was one available to him!

OP posts:
soapbox · 17/05/2005 16:34

Gwen - its sick isn't it!

I'd have thought that at the very least Elton John who does a great deal of charitable deeds could have lent them one!

spacedonkey · 17/05/2005 16:34

i thought they had given him a keyboard in his cell but he hasn't touched it?

Original poster
Gwenick · 17/05/2005 16:36

well if that's true space donkey I don't blame him!!!

As an organist with no mental health problems at all if someone was to offer me a Technice electric organ with only half a pedal board, instead of at least a decent electric organ I'd probably tell them were to go.

A keyboard is NO subsitution for a piano!!!

OP posts:
spacedonkey · 17/05/2005 16:37

keep your hair on, i didn't say it was!

it might've been a digital piano which are, imo, a decent substitute

soapbox · 17/05/2005 16:37

SD - it is likely that he doesn't 'see' the keyboard as being a piano, IYSWIM.

You can imagine it being a little yamaha portable job which doesn't look anything like the grand piano in his mind!

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