May 17, 2005

Wierd. Just wierd. This is perhaps the oddest news story I've ever read: A man found wandering the streets in Kent in a soaking wet suit has not said a word for over a month. But he turns out to be a virtuoso classical pianist. A telephone helpline to try and identify him has received hundreds of calls. (via Boing Boing)
posted by dickdotcom 19 years ago
  • Go, Silent Piano Dude!!! I wonder if they've tried getting other classical musicians in to play or sing for him? It's possible that the communication of playing with other musicians might establish the bonds with them that he's been unable to form through speech with his carers. I have no training in psychology, so this is just a theory.
  • I wondered about that - have they tried leaving some Schubert lieder on his piano? Or some Billy Joel?
  • Billy Joel?? Are you trying to kill him??
  • I mean, it's bad enough calling him "Piano Man" ... that should be grounds for malpractice.
  • Indeed
  • this is fodder for an opera. a grand, silent opera. paging bees! bees, to this thread please. the mysterious piano genius deserves a poem of his own.
  • You want bees to write the libretto for a silent opera? Dude, that's a worse insult than giving this guy the sheet music for Allentown.
  • Very weird indeed.
  • And it's hard to keep a good man down But I won't be getting up todayayayayayayayyyy .... ayyyayyyayyyy
  • Oooh Koko ... we are united in our knowledge of very, very bad muzak.
  • It's a curse ... I can recall the entire lyrics of Def Leppard's "Rock of Ages", and sometimes I get "Don't Pay the Ferryman" in my head, for no reason at all. But do you think I can retain important facts?
  • Bizarre -- all the labels from his clothes were removed. Maybe that's not as sinister as it seems, but I really want to know what happened to him.
  • I love this guy! He's the anti-Cameron Diaz!
  • Five words: "Incredibly. Complex. Viral. Marketing. Campaign."
  • New stories coming out are indicating that he's not exactly a virtuoso... it seems that he plays well, but some people think that querying orchestras for missing players might not be helpful. Strange story nonetheless... apparently even all of the labels in his clothes have been cut out.
  • You think I asked for a twelve-inch soaking wet pianist? But seriously, I blame the Rach 3.
  • Little Durian wins.
  • The clothing labels, drawings, and piano playing are all consistent with autism. Autistic people often are hypersensitive to itchy stuff. If you've ever cut out a tag in your clothing because it itched, imagine the itchy feeling about 1000 times over. The drawing/piano playing are consistent with savants, at least from what I can see. His drawing is mechanically perfect but not emotionally engaging. I haven't heard his piano playing but I would guess it is similar.
  • Rain Man, not Piano Man! Stupid doctors.
  • Wired. Just wired.
  • It was on the TV news last night, and the reporter spent the whole time comparing him to Geoffrey Rush's character in Shine. It's a fascinating story, and I hope the guy gets back to his family/carers soon.
  • Maybe he just needs some time out to chill and play piano.
  • Yeah, I thought autism, too. But if he writes music, that might not fit. HOwever, that's what I thought immediately. Ask him what the lyrics to 'blinded by the light' mean.
  • It's about Mormon douches.
  • Five words: "Incredibly. Complex. Viral. Marketing. Campaign." Just what I tought at first. In a month, he 'recuperates', tells his touching story on morning TV, casually mentions that CD he produced with his last savings before the 'breakdown' can still be found in some stores... Or maybe he's been used as living logo-model for some labeless, well, clothing label? Ha, i'm a cynical bastard.
  • From the description of his current caretakers, he seems more traumatized than autistic, although I confess I don't know a great deal about autism. Furthermore, if he were profoundly autistic and under a relative's or nursing home's care, wouldn't they be frantically searching for him? Subsequent accounts have described him as a "talented amateur" on the piano.
  • Well, if you don't know much about autism, you probably shouldn't be assuming anything based on his behaviour. Autistic people display a hugely varied range of symptoms. How does one actually determine if someone is 'traumatised' if they do not communicate? They shiver and shake, look scared, run away from you, don't make eye contact? Those are all symptoms of various kinds of autism, too. As for relatives or nursing homes looking for a missing patient, I think there have been many cases of missing and/or badly cared for patients in the past. It's possible, for instance, that his caregiver has died or given up on him. That said, it's rather too sketchy a report to go making pat diagnoses.
  • But seriously, I blame the Rach 3 Toey wins.
  • I agree that "pat diagnoses" are uncalled for here. He was described as "distressed and depressed" and that led me to think something awful might have happened to him. Maybe the fact that he was dripping wet when found added to that impression. Just musing, that's all.
  • He's in safe hands now; that's all that really matters at this point.
  • My pat diagnosis is that he's an alien who just landed on earth and didn't meet his alien contacts who were to have briefed him on earth languages and customs. He is of course gifted musically, as are all of his species, like David Bowie and Glenn Gould.
  • Jeez guys...this is obviously Dave Chappelle being super extra crafty re-entering Earth orbit. Show that bitch a polaroid of Wayne Brady and see what happens.
  • BTW, we already had one of these mystery dudes in Canada. He turned out to be a gay porn actor who consequently eloped with his pro bono Canadian lawyer's daughter.
  • pff. happens all the time.
  • Rocket, keep the Bowie thing quiet. It's bad enough he almost blew his own cover with the whole Ziggy Stardust thing. As for this guy, we've sent a couple of people to...remedy the situation.
  • irwed, really irwed
  • OK, OK. It's my ex-husband, trying once again to get out of child support.
  • he's French Monkeyfilter: It's important to spell weird correctly
  • Monkeyfilter: It's important to use preview first to check your tags work
  • moneyjane, what the hell? that has to be the most bizarre timeline i've ever read: October 25, 2001 Staufen changes his name to "Keith Ryan". Early 2002 Changes name again to "Sywald Skeid". ha!
  • well, which makes a better porn name?
  • Now British authorities are trying to determine if Mr. Nobody is the Piano Man! Turns out our dude has been missing in action for awhile; and that the wife he acquired is a a serious pianist. Looking at their photos side-by-side, it's only the nose that's really different, and it turns out our guy has cosmetic surgery on his nose in Toronto. Not convinced yet - the face seems longer in Piano Man, but losing weight and making your hair stand straight up could do it. For a guy who doesn't want to be known, he sure seems to generate a whole lotta hoopla.
  • Authorities attempted to reach Davey, who may be able to confirm the Piano Man's identity. Unfortunately, Davey was unvailable for the forseeable future, as he's still in the navy, and probably will be for life.
  • Social workers said a tip from a Polish mime living in Italy, who said the man is a French street musician, proved false. A case so compelling, mimes speak. Or maybe he acted it out. I see lots of pretend piano playing.
  • BTW, Mr. Nobody was also found with the labels cut out of his clothes, and his hair bleached. They are also about the same age. I expect he'll next turn up as a surprise defense witness in the Michael Jackson case, looking remarkably like a soggy Keane painting - smiling tremulously only in the healing presence of The King of Pop.
  • He's been released and is heading home to Germany. And is rumoured to be a one-note wonder.
  • Crap, can you believe the press? First he can play, then he only hits one note--can't they find out what's going on without blahblahblah speculation? Some investigative reporting there.
  • Crap, can you believe the press? First he can play, then he only hits one note--can't they find out what's going on without blahblahblah speculation? Some investigative reporting there.
  • Crap, can you believe my posting? First, I can't spell, then I can only seem to hit the post key twice. All that, just to post my blahblahblah meditations.
  • Obviously approaching senility. Now send me money.
  • Are you hoping she'll send it twice?