When a Texas father posted a video of himself somberly playing a piano in his flooded home, another musician became stirred to lend a hand.
Aric Harding and his family live in Friendswood, a small town south of Houston in Texas. The father of seven returned to his flooded home last week in order to retrieve some stuffed animals and toys for his children.
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“I think it’s all finally sinking in a little,” wrote Harding alongside the clip. “What we used to have going as a city is gone. I really think God is going to do something completely new here. I am excited to see the new beauty in the suffering.”
The video of the father sitting at the mini upright piano amidst knee-deep floodwaters was quickly viewed thousands of times, until it was eventually seen by Grammy nominee Vanessa Carlton.
Carlton, who became famous for her catchy piano power ballad “A Thousand Miles”, was so moved by the striking video, that she reached out to Harding on Twitter and expressed her desire to help.
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Because Carlton is a Yamaha-sponsored musician, she asked the music company if they would be willing to replace the piano for the Harding family – and they said yes.
Carlton told CNN: “He represents a lot of people down there who are musicians, and as you know a lot of these people don’t have flood insurance, and when they replace their items, they replace their essentials first. Being a musician, music is like oxygen. It is an essential.”
Harding says that his family has since been able to return to their home and start renovations on the water damage.
“We are ecstatic here at the Harding House!!! Huge thanks to all of you guys!! Now I gotta get the house together so we can house the piano,” Harding wrote on Twitter.
(WATCH the video below)
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