Point Loma teens create inspirational piano at Liberty Station

Two 14-year-old Point Loma youth are seeking a permanent home for an “inspirational” piano they created named “Here Comes the Sun,” which is now on exhibit at Liberty Station Public Market.

Musician-performer Makena Stumpo, and his artist friend, Liam Koett, teamed to create and donate the piano through Sing for Hope Pianos. Sing is a global arts initiative that produces artist-designed pianos; places them in public spaces for anyone and everyone to enjoy; then transports and activates them year-round in permanent homes in schools, hospitals, transit hubs, refugee camps, and community-based organizations. Sing for Hope has provided more pianos for under-resourced public schools than any other world organization.

The pianos are free and open for jam sessions, student performances, musically accompanied yoga sessions, dance-offs, workshops/classes, music videos, live streams, etc.

“Our honest hope for this project is to spark happiness in people’s lives who are moved by the arts,” said Stumpo. “Just seeing this piano puts a smile on your face. Everyone needs a little extra happiness in their lives and this piano does exactly that. When it is moved to its forever home, our intention is that the piano is used as much as possible. We hope that it helps people in whichever facility it goes to and that they are helped through rough times.”

Stumpo spoke of how their piano project got started. “This started as a school project, but honestly it started way before that,” he said, adding he first became acquainted with Sing For Hope Pianos by attending a John Williams concert in Los Angeles in 2021.

“There were 16 pianos and I ended up going around and playing 14 of them,” Stumpo noted. “This was an awesome experience and it’s also where my love for Sing For Hope started. I played one more Sing For Hope piano at UTC mall in 2022 and again was mesmerized by the dedication and effort put into the piano by the artist. When eighth grade rolled around, we had to do a community-service project: Sing For Hope was my immediate thought.”

“Here Comes the Sun” painted by Koett depicts local images of his growing up in San Diego. “The work appears in my style of choice: doodling,” he said. “In my design, I layered hundreds of different images for each ray of the sun. Each ray, in turn, reflects parts of San Diego and the activities and moments that have made me who I am today. Below the sun, in the depths of the ocean, there are currents of doodles that reflect the nature of the ocean and a foundation of growing up in San Diego.”

Of his participation with the piano, Koett said: “I had never done a project even remotely close to this big. But I knew it was a very cool opportunity and I was excited to do it. The project grew into something we truly valued and both of us have put a lot of time and energy into it and are eager to find a forever home that values the piano and gives it a new life.”

Added Koett: “I want to bring music and all of the beauty music brings to life, to people who wouldn’t otherwise have access to it. Makena initially introduced me to Sing for Hope, whose origins began after 9/11 in New York City when the art and music community was looking for a way to bring some color and beauty to the first responders.”

Of their piano’s future, Koett noted: “We will be donating the piano and are still looking for a forever home. Ideally, we would like for it to go to children who don’t have access to music currently, possibly a hospital – or a children’s center.”

The Stumpo-Koett piano was unveiled on July 29 in Liberty Station Public Market and will be available to anyone who chooses to come and play it for three weeks prior to its moving to its forever home, which is currently uncertain. For more information, visit https://singforhope.org/pianos/.