The toy piano goes well beyond the playroom. Invented in the 19th century, the instrument has appeared in vaudeville, rock and jazz, and — notably for any piano enthusiast — the toy piano’s dulcet lullabies form the basis for Yann Tiersen’s soundtrack for the film “Amélie.”
That soundtrack inspired Atlanta musician Amy O’Dell to buy her first toy piano off of eBay. Now she has two, and she is putting out an album called “Find Your Inner Child.” It features six original toy piano pieces by composers from around the country.
The compositions are experimental and exploratory in nature as a result of the little idiosyncrasies of the instrument. “Everyone once in a while, you’ll hit a key and the hammer doesn’t hit the correct tine,” she said. “It will sometimes hit the tine next to it.”
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