Mystery Solved of Piano in Seattle's Woods

The mystery behind an old out-of-tune piano that appeared in early August in Shoreview Park just north of Seattle has been solved, and nobody had to pull any strings. The piano itself, which was not a part of the local "Pianos in the Parks" program, came with a clue: the business card of a piano tuner taped to the bottom. Talking to the tuner, journalists at KBOI2 were able to track down the man who'd owned it when it was tuned in 2012, and who gave it away for free to Gina Matassa, daughter of well-known jazz singer Greta Matassa.

When the two determined that the piano was beyond repair, Gina paid to have someone haul it away, and the son of that man, Kaare Carlsen, was the one who took two friends, the piano, and an all-terrain dolly into the forest. "Well, there's a big problem with pianos going to dumps these days," he told KBOI2. He says he'll take it away soon, before it litters its surroundings in any way. Meanwhile, hikers say they've been pleasantly surprised by the instrument, which is perched between two gigantic Douglas firs above a creek, reports KOMO News. "I just think it's beautiful," one hiker says. "And someone's act of putting it here was a beautiful thing to do." (Check out another unlikely venue for an instrument to be played.)