A Seattle resident is on a heartfelt mission to rescue unwanted pianos and give them a second chance at life.
Seattle Piano Recycling, founded by Chad Newell, started unexpectedly while he was assisting Dean Petrich, a renowned piano shop owner on Whidbey Island, with piano transportation.
“I was intrigued by the piano industry,” Newell shared. “Before the pandemic, I started moving pianos with Dean and eventually took over all his moving jobs in 2020.” What began as a simple web page gradually gained traction and grew into a thriving endeavor.
Newell attributes the rise of his initiative to the declining popularity of acoustic pianos, driven by the boom of digital keyboards.
“The 1970s and 80s saw the peak of acoustic piano sales in the U.S.,” he explained. “But starting in the 1990s, with the advent of the Internet and digital keyboards from brands like Yamaha and Casio, demand plummeted—from 300,000 pianos a year to just 30,000.”
In earlier decades, pianos were a central fixture in many homes, especially before the prevalence of television.
“People used to play the piano or listen to the radio for entertainment,” Newell noted. “But now, families inherit pianos from grandparents or relatives, passing them around until no one can keep them anymore.”
Unfortunately, many pianos end up being discarded, often through junk removal services.
“That’s where our idea originated,” Newell said. “We take in pianos, store them, perform basic cleaning and minor repairs, and then rehome them to people in the area. The only cost to recipients is the delivery fee.”
While the delivery charge—several hundred dollars—might seem like a hurdle, Newell emphasizes the significant savings.
“A quality piano in a store can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $50,000,” he pointed out. “For many families, spending thousands on a piano their child might lose interest in isn’t practical. But they’re willing to try it for a few hundred bucks.”
Newell firmly believes digital keyboards don’t compare to traditional pianos.
“They lack craftsmanship and authenticity,” he said. “The pianos we rehome were made in artisanal factories, often by hand, with intricate carvings and meticulous tuning. Each one is a piece of history.”
These pianos come from a bygone era when craftsmanship was at its peak.
“Each piano was carefully assembled and tuned by hand,” Newell described. “Everything from the woodwork to the hammers was done with precision.”
For Newell, preserving these pianos also supports the broader piano industry.
“If a piano gets thrown away, that’s one less instrument for a tuner to maintain or a teacher to use for lessons,” he explained. “By saving these pianos, we’re keeping an industry alive that’s gradually disappearing.”
The community’s response to his work has been overwhelmingly positive.
“People are grateful to know their piano will have a new home,” Newell said. “And when it finally reaches its new owner, the joy it brings is incredible. It’s a testament to the unique character of the Pacific Northwest—something about this community just makes it work.”
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