Chapel gets 88 new keys for new facility

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Kelly Bales
  • 316th Training Squadron
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Getting 88 keys sounds like a building custodian's nightmare. Not these keys though. These keys are black and white and made of wood; they're piano keys.

Last month the chapel received a Yamaha Disklavier baby grand piano and the capabilities of this new state-of-the-art instrument are phenomenal. The piano can play by itself like the old-fashioned player pianos with its keys and foot pedals moving. It can even be started and stopped from the sound booth with a remote control.

For Staff Sgt. Seth Clark, Chapel Operations noncommissioned officer-in-charge, having the new piano helps him with planning music for upcoming events.

"We can purchase additional CDs, download songs or even connect the piano to the Internet to ensure we have the most appropriate songs or melodies for the right occasion," Sergeant Clark said. "This is especially helpful if we're not able to find anyone to play the piano for a specific religious event."

The chapel's previous piano was a faithful friend that didn't mind the caressing of a traditional hymn or the steadfast pounding of a more contemporary rhythm. Over the years, connections became worn and the pedals were replaced several times. In the end, the pedals had to be suspended by foam and occasionally a small rubber ball. There were even times the pedals didn't work at all; a piano player's nightmare.

Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Kevin Cody, 17th Training Wing, said he's very pleased with the new addition to the sanctuary.

"With the completion of the new beautiful, state-of-the-art chapel, it was only appropriate to add such an elegant, technologically-advanced instrument to the sanctuary," he said. "We're so blessed to have this wonderful instrument and look forward to exploring all of its capabilities."

The next time you go into the chapel, hear the piano playing and see the keys moving, but don't see anyone on the bench, don't be alarmed, it's probably the computer running the piano - or is it?