Who Is The Mysterious Piano Man?

Forgiven Mr Unforgiven

LOL

Originally posted by Relentless


I was waiting with baited breath for that one, and now all I get is an EDIT - oops?

Relentless, it is bated breath.

Merriam-Webster

By Amuk
I was sure I heard it on the news that it was a hoax, but I cant find ANYTHING to back me up. I was listening to MSNBC while doing something else. I even went to their web-site and found nothing so I guess it was my mistake.

I heard on the news this morning that it was a fake, and that he could not really play the piano, so I did some digging.

www9.sbs.com.au...®ion=3

The British newspaper alleges the man was a fake, a German who has no trouble speaking but can hardly play the piano at all.

Health executives are considering suing the man, who flew home to Germany on Saturday, for the money spent on his treatment.

The newspaper said the man, far from being a skilled pianist, could only tap one note for hours at a time. A hospital staff member told the Mirror: "He had us all fooled though, including two very senior doctors."

The man used to work with mentally ill patients and may have copied some of their characteristics to fool psychiatric doctors.

A hospital insider added: "He claims he was found by police as he was trying to commit suicide.

"He was obviously in a distressed state and didn't talk to police. Then it just went on from there.”

"He told us all about his family in Germany. His dad owns a farm and he has two sisters. He said he drew a picture of a piano because that was the first thing that came into his head.

"When he played the piano in the hospital he didn't play it that well, contrary to all the reports, but just kept tapping one key continuously.

"He admitted that he couldn't play the piano that well at all."

more here

Well, where did the story of his virtuosic piano performances come from? He spoke not a word. The story was told time and again in news reports. Why did the hospital staff allow the story to go uncorrected until now? There are still some unanswered questions here.

[edit on 2005/8/23 by GradyPhilpott]

This was a total media screw up top to bottom.

Perhaps the media was misinformed, novel concept eh.

Seriously though, yeah this was a media screw up from hell.
And blame the hospital too for letting this blunder ride as long
as it did.

Maybe this explains why his family didn´t come forward? They knew how bad he was at playing piano so they thought this couldn´t possibly have been him...

Bate And Tackle

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
Relentless, it is bated breath.

Would this be considered “bating” under the new rules?

Just kidding! That crowd of moderators over there is looking at me funny...

Okay, Fine! Don't Play Me A Song, Mr. Piano Man

So the guy can't play piano. Considering that was the main thing about the story, that's a pretty significant error.

I mean geez, he's the freakin' Piano Man and he can't even play the piano?

They should sign this guy up for Mystery Men II and position him between the Blue Raja (who doesn't wear blue) and the Invisible Boy (who can only turn invisible when no one is watching).

“I am... Piano Man! But, um... I can't exactly play the piano...”

Pretty spectacular worldwide pants-soiling on the part of the press, I dare say.

Just more evidence that in an era where news organizations spend most of their time quoting other news organizations, the world media is little more than a children's game of “telephone”.

Thank God I get my news on the Internet, where everything is always true, because it's on the Internet.

Art Imitates Life

Man, I so totally see major Saturday Night Live skit potential in this story.

Totally.

This is all very strange. It appears to be the people who looked after him who provided all the quotes that the media used about him being a fantastic piano player:

Karen Dorey-Rees, adult mental health manager for the West Kent NHS and Social Care Trust, said the mystery man was very vulnerable.

"He is not talking at all, he is very frightened," she said.

"We are aware that he is a very vulnerable man and we would be putting him in a dangerous situation if we let him go."

She said that the labels had been removed from every item of clothing the man was wearing when he was found on The Broadway in Minster, Sheerness.

The case has drawn comparisons with the 1996 film Shine which depicts the story of acclaimed pianist David Helfgott who suffered a nervous breakdown.

Ms Dorey-Rees was unable to say what music he had played.

"Nobody was skilled enough to recognise the music, they just knew it was classical music and he played very well."

news.bbc.co.uk...

Why were the people looking after him saying that he could play so well if he couldn't? There were also quotes from nurses and Drs at the time saying he was a fantastic player (though people who were into classical music said he was no genius).

Why did the photos of him show him clutching sheet music? Why would they give him this if he couldn't play?

Is the media now making it up about him not being able to play? Rather than the other way round....

Originally posted by Majic
Would this be considered “bating” under the new rules?

No wait - wouldn't that be "baiting"?

Seems to me the problem lies in the hands of the "caretakers" who let this story get out of control reporting misinformation and probably preventing the family and friends from recognizing him.

I particularly like this part:

"Nobody was skilled enough to recognise the music, they just knew it was classical music and he played very well."

Yes, this is downright hysterical! If a great fraud was performed you can't put all the blame on the mystery man at this point.

Piano Man's home village is named

The Piano Man mystery has been tracked to the village of Waldmuenchen in south-east Germany.
That is the hometown the 20-year-old is said to have returned to after leaving the care of a hospital in England and flying back to Germany on Saturday.

Link To Full Story!


Mic

It was at the Medway Maritime Hospital that he drew a picture of a grand piano and then apparently "stunned" health and social workers by giving a virtuoso performance.

However, newspaper reports now suggest he was only able to play one note continuously.

BBC

Personally, I think that anyone who confuses one note played repeatedly with a virtuoso performance needs more help than the "Piano Man."


[edit on 2005/8/23 by GradyPhilpott]

newspaper reports now suggest he was only able to play one note continuously.

BBC

My cat plays better piano then "The Piano Man"!

In actual fact the piano man was a very talented pianist, but you see!

He was from the distant future!!! And his jump through time caused huge bouts of ... yes I dare to say it... Temporal Psychosis!

The goverment has secretly covered it all up saying he couldn't play just to hide the real truth behind the piano man that he is from 300yrs in the future and holds a masters in gravitational propulsion.


but seriously, very weird.

Vorta