BELMAR — People came by the hundreds on Saturday to Pyanoe Plaza to see the new all-weather piano be officially dedicated to Belmar native and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee David Sancious, who performed at the event, and to his late mother Stelma Sancious.
The Piano 4 Pyanoe Plaza project was organized by the Belmar Arts Center (BAC), along with many other contributors, to honor Belmar native David Sancious, a founding member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, as well as his mother, Stelma, a beloved Belmar resident and educator. The digital piano, which has a concrete frame to protect it from the elements, will be a permanent attraction on the plaza.
Wendy Green, BAC board of trustees chair, thanked Sancious for his contributions to music in Belmar and worldwide.
“We are grateful for the Sancious family, for encouraging David along his journey with music,” Green said. “David, on behalf of the arts community, we thank you for sharing your extraordinary gift with the world and for reminding us of the power of music to move hearts and minds. May you have continued success and safe travels with all of your work.”
Kevin Maypother, a resident credited with having the initial idea of the piano project and pushing the proposal forward in 2022, spoke at the dedication ceremony to introduce Sancious, who thanked Maypother for his efforts in the piano dedication.
“You all are not here to hear me talk,” Maypother joked. “You are really here to meet the Sancious family, and it’s my pleasure to introduce David Sancious and his brother Edward.”
The headliner of the event, David Sancious himself, spoke on the honor it was to be raised by his mother Stelma, who died in 1996. Stelma Sancious is credited with not only teaching David to play piano, but also allowing Springsteen and his bandmates to rehearse in her Belmar home in the early years of the band, leading to the band being named after the Sancious family’s street, E Street, which is located just one block from Pyanoe Plaza.
“Her giving was not limited,” Sancious said. “She was so universal in that sense. She believed in that. The best thing you can do as a human being is to share. To share anything positive, and anything good you have in your heart. That sharing branches out, and it survives for years, for decades, and has influence on more people than you can imagine.”
“There’s not enough words in the dictionary to really express the depth of feeling the love and appreciation I have for how kind she was, how smart she was and how good she was for everyone,” Sancious continued. “I am pleased to be here today, and my goodness, I don’t mean to keep saying it, but all of you being here is amazing.”
Sancious’s older brother Edward thanked the crowd and Belmar as a whole for supporting his family through everything.
“Thanks to everybody who organized this and who are sitting out here,” Edward said. “I am really, really impressed with all of you who have come out, thank you. Because of the success, because of David’s success, because of our mom’s success, we can go home (to Belmar) again and have a joyful, wonderful experience.”
“When we came to Belmar, part of what made it so special was I was 10 years old when we moved here,” Edward said. “The house that we moved into, the people who had previously owned it had left a piano. We had no idea that my mom could play the piano, and she got on it, and that was a gift from the divine.”
Edward shared a story from their early childhood of a moment when David started demonstrating natural musical talent.
“I remember very distinctly, we were sitting on the living room floor, and we were watching TV, black and white of course, and we heard a commercial,” Edward said. “It was the first time any of us had heard it. David, me and our older brother, Jimmy. David got up, went to the piano, played the del monte note for note exactly as he had just heard it, for the first time. Then, not to add insult to injury, but to show the level of genius that was hiding in there, he started improvising. We were like, ‘What the heck?’ This guy has it in him, and it was an amazing gift.”
Members of the borough council were in attendance to celebrate the momentous occasion, as well as reinforce Belmar’s appreciation of the arts in the small town. Mayor Gerald Buccafusco spoke on the borough’s commitment to the arts.
“Today is a celebration that honors not one, but two of Belmar’s own, David Sancious and his mother, Stelma,” the mayor said. “Our piano is only the second one installed in the United States. In addition to honoring David and Stelma, it stands as a symbol of our commitment to the arts, to our history and to our community spirit. I believe exposure to the arts, especially music education, is so important to the development of our children and adolescents.”
The mayor said the piano will be used in holiday events held in the plaza as a centerpiece going forward, and encourages all residents to test out the instrument.
“I hope that all residents of Belmar will play this piano for years to come,” the mayor said. “Thank you, David, for being here today. Thank you to the Sancious family, for sharing your gifts and your story with us.”
Former councilman and longtime arts activist Tom Brennan thanked borough administrator Kevin Kane for his important role in fundraising to get the piano installed in the plaza, and spoke on the town’s evident love for the arts.
“I’ll tell you, Kevin is a man of many talents, but one of the most prominent talents he has is he knows how to make money, and we did, and that’s why this piano is here today,” Brennan said. “As a musical artist and educator, I can attest to our support. It’s not every town that will pay two full-time music teachers in a K to 8 elementary school. Belmar does. Our community honors people like Mrs. Sancious, who contribute their talent and passion to others that fulfill the role of an artist in their community,” Brennan said.
Sancious performed a few songs on the piano to end the dedication ceremony that moved the crowd emotionally, most of whom were longtime fans, with Tommy LaBella on saxophone and Ernest Carter on drums joining Sancious. When rain suddenly started pouring down after Sancious’ first song, it was a prime time for both him and the piano to demonstrate their all-weather, any-condition skills and keep the crowd deeply enthralled.
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