From Saltspring Island to Bowen Island: The Piano That Wrote My Story—A Gift to Island Pacific School
Shari Ulrich recently generously donated her Aldrich oak classic upright piano to our school and here is the story of that piano
This was the piano that I wrote almost all the songs for my first four albums on. In fact, it’s even pictured on the back of my first album, Long Nights, with the dulcimer I built sitting on top of it. There was something truly special about sitting at that piano, looking out at the harbour, and following the mysterious muse. At the time, I didn’t really know how to play piano very well, but that turned out to be a gift. Without any ingrained habits, everything I played was a “happy accident,” giving the songs an adventurous spirit.
In 1988, I moved to Vancouver and asked some friends on Salt Spring if they would look after the piano for me. They had two small daughters who absolutely loved it—so much that when it came back to me, every key was chipped! I decided to think of it as a sign that the piano had been well-loved, and it still sounded beautiful.
By 1993, I had moved to Bowen Island, but by then I had inherited my grandparents’ Steinway Grand, and I didn’t have room for both. It wasn’t until 1997, when I moved into a new home on Bowen, that the piano finally had a place in my living room, where it stayed for the next 27 years.
I like to think that all the songs I’ve written on that piano still live in the wood, and that anyone who sits down to play it will find the same joy in those “happy accidents” that I did—or maybe even have the skill to make a room come alive! The power of music is incomparable, and it’s brought me more joy than I can describe. That’s why I’m so happy to gift this piano to Island Pacific School. Have at ’er!
Shari Ulrich
I fully believe that none of these experiences and opportunities would have come to pass without my time at IPS. Far beyond simply opening my eyes to a career in aviation, IPS taught me a critical approach to seeking knowledge with the Practical Reasoning courses, and gave me broad perspective on approaching the world through programs like Community Faculty and the many
Steven is a Lecturer of Political Theory in the Department of Political Economy at King’s College London, where he lives with his partner Renee and their two kids Iris and Jacques. He teaches and writes about democracy in the contemporary world. In 2019, he was a Berlin Prize Fellow and Daimler Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin. He recently received an ERC Starting Grant, from the European Research Council, the largest scientific funding body in the world.
Congratulations Danae!!
Recently, he returned to IPS to share his “Once we” exhibit.
As I sat down in January 2020 to write a piece for IPS, expressing my experience at the school, I didn’t know where to begin — the only words that continued to ripple through my head were “let’s go, let’s go, let’s rock and roll!” This was the phrase that echoed through the halls of the school at 8:45 a.m. each morning, gathering students, staff and faculty to the MBC room for Morning Stretch. To me, this phrase is the gong of IPS. Once summoned together, we would sit cross legged, sharing two minutes of silence, followed by attendance and a brief stretch; we would then check-in, sometimes about what was going on for ourselves, sometimes about what was going on in the world around us. This process was something each of us honoured together before embarking on each day.
Now, at 25 years old, I find myself speaking about IPS often. I feel appreciative for all that the school was and continues to be – beyond what I am able to express here on paper. Most of all, however, I find myself consistently reminded (by waking to Indian gongs, reaching Himalayan summits, or attending workshops on Gabriola Island) that I walked into IPS a shy young girl and left feeling like a courageous woman.