June 1, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 13 Phyllis Chen (continued from page 8) “I fell in love with the toy piano when I heard the sound of it,” she explained. “I started to study piano when I was five, but I started toy piano when I was 21.” Chen’s toy piano, a Schoenhut, is about a quarter the size of a standard piano, so small that she sits on a cushion of the floor when she plays because a bench would seat her too high to reach the instrument. The Schoenhut has 37 keys. The instruments are not all the same. Chen said that when she played at a toy piano concert in Tokyo, where the instrument is very popular, the Japanese toy pianos were smaller than the American variant. She played a piece written for her by her friend, the Japanese toy piano composer Takuji Kawai, called “Prayer” which had a distinctly Japanese mood and conjured raindrops dripping from the curved eaves of a Japanese temple. Conversely, the piece called “Mirabella,” by Stephan Montague was a frenetic tarantella, an Italian dance said to mimic the gyrations of someone bitten by a spider. Chen’s highspeed finger technique on the miniature keyboard astounded the audience. John Cage (1912–92) the American composerconductor who put the toy piano on the map for serious music in the 1940s, wrote a concert piece Chen performed with only nine different notes. The Cage piece began with a child-like melody, but became more complex. She also played a number of her own pieces with an unusual instrument – a collection of 10 steel bowls that she plays as gongs, for a music effect something like the gamelan gong orchestras of Indonesia, interspersed with the toy piano for melodic links. The effect was a melodic fantasy. “In case you’re wondering, these are just regular metal bowls for the kitchen,” she explained. “I’ve been collecting bowls from all over the world, going into housewares stores and checking them based on tones.” She also played a handsized German-made music box that replayed paper tape, which she programmed with two of her own delicate, charming compositions, “Carousel” and -- with the paper strip reversed -“Carousel Cobwebs.” Concert-goers who arrived before Chen were bemused by the tiny piano and the steel kitchen and wondered if it was a spoof. Then Chen’s intense musicianship and deft keyboard technique won them over and some asked her if CDs were available. The toy piano had clearly made its way from the 20th century nursery to the 21st century concert hall. Kindness continues Four years ago, there were two very lucky dogs who were rescued by two guidance counselors at Ridgewood High School. Ms. Alice Tepfenhardt rescued Biscuit from a shelter in Tennessee and flew her to New Jersey. Ms. Laura Moore rescued Ginger from a foster home in New Jersey. Ginger was a Hurricane Katrina dog and was initially rescued by Almost Home Dog Rescue. She and her sister were both abandoned in Mississippi. Both dogs completed Basic Dog Training with Vince Rambala. They continued on with Confidence and Agility Training with Vince. This past spring, they completed a 7-week course with Vince Rambala in Therapy Dog Training and received certifications as Canine Good Citizens and Therapy Dogs through Therapy Dogs International. They are currently visiting residents in Nursing Homes and giving back the kindness they received from Alice and Laura. They have brought smiles to many faces as they pay forward the kindness they received. Pictured are Laura Moore with Ginger and Alice Tepfenhardt with Biscuit.