{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-c03aa079.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-517835be.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='An American piano tuner restores instruments in Communist Cuba' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c2b3d8eafeecae15baa5' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c2b3d8eafeecae15baa5' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nAn American piano tuner restores instruments in Communist Cuba\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eFILE: August 11, 20001. Various of Cuban musician Ruben Gonzalez, pianist with the Buena Vista Social Club band, playing pianoMay 18, 20062. Various exteriors of ENA (Escuela Nacional Musica), Havana's Superior Art Institute3. Piano...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eFILE: August 11, 2000\u003cbr/\u003e1. Various of Cuban musician Ruben Gonzalez, pianist with the Buena Vista Social Club band, playing piano\u003cbr/\u003eMay 18, 2006\u003cbr/\u003e2. Various exteriors of ENA (Escuela Nacional Musica), Havana's Superior Art Institute\u003cbr/\u003e3. Piano tuner Benjamin Treuhaft walking into piano tuning room \u003cbr/\u003e4. Various of piano tuner Treuhaft tuning an American Armstrong Piano with assistant Yoeldis Lubin \u003cbr/\u003e5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Benjamin Treuhaft, piano tuner: \u003cbr/\u003e\"Originally the idea was to bring them illegally, because I didn't know I could bring pianos to Cuba legally. But as soon as I asked the permission of the commerce department they started researching whether it could be done legally. It took them a few weeks but they came up with the answer.\" \u003cbr/\u003e6. Cutaway of Treuhaft tuning piano \u003cbr/\u003e7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Benjamin Treuhaft, piano tuner: \u003cbr/\u003e\"We got our permission and it said in small print at the bottom 'these are not supposed to be used for the purpose of torture or human rights abuse'. That's the only thing we had to agree.\" \u003cbr/\u003e8. Wide of Treuhaft tuning piano \u003cbr/\u003e9.  SOUNDBITE: (English) Benjamin Treuhaft, piano tuner: \u003cbr/\u003e\"They (the Cubans) asked me if I could bring some pianos from the (United) States and I said: 'Of course, no problem. People do not use their pianos in the (United) States after a while, they throw them away or they leave them in the basement and nobody touches them. And I'm sure they'd give it to you, because you need them clearly.' And so I said it would be no problem.\" \u003cbr/\u003e10. Treuhaft tuning piano \u003cbr/\u003e11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Benjamin Treuhaft, piano tuner: \u003cbr/\u003e\"Really the situation is that there are 11 million Cubans and like most of them seem to play the piano. Even before the revolution, education was big, I think, in Cuba. But now it is big for everybody of course because it is all egalitarian. There are millions of Cubans pounding on these horrible Russian pianos, so the situation is very serious.\" \u003cbr/\u003eFILE: May 18, 2001\u003cbr/\u003e12. Cuban jazz pianist Chucho Valdez walking on stage and greeting Brazilian musician Ivan Lins \u003cbr/\u003e13. Wide of Valdez and Lins performing together on grand pianos\u003cbr/\u003eMay 18, 2006     \u003cbr/\u003e14. Wide of Treuhaft tuning piano \u003cbr/\u003e15. Close-up of banner reading (English) \"Send a Piana to Havana\"\u003cbr/\u003e16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Benjamin Treuhaft, piano tuner: \u003cbr/\u003e\"You can get political being in Cuba because the Cuban-American national foundation forces it on you, but I mean, I am just a piano tuner that fell in love with Cuba in the early 90's, and I guess I got pretty political after that.\"\u003cbr/\u003e17. Treuhaft showing how he plays piano \u003cbr/\u003e18. Various of Treuhaft playing the only song he can play, Beethoven's Patetica\u003cbr/\u003eFILE: March 11, 2001\u003cbr/\u003e19. Valdez greets American jazz pianist Herbie Hancock on stage \u003cbr/\u003e20. Pan from Hancock across two grand pianos to Valdez\u003cbr/\u003e21. Zoom in on handshake\u003cbr/\u003e22. Audience applauding\u003cbr/\u003eCuba is famous for its music. \u003cbr/\u003eCuban pianists such as Buena Vista's Ruben Gonzalez and Irakere's Chucho Valdez have gained worldwide critical acclaim for their playing.\u003cbr/\u003eHowever when piano tuner, Benjamin Treuhaft, first visited Cuba in 1993, he found that aging American cars weren't the only antiques on the island. \u003cbr/\u003eYears of neglect, humidity and termites were ravaging the country's pianos. \u003cbr/\u003eRuben Gonzalez dazzles his audience with his musical skill. \u003cbr/\u003eGonzalez, like many Cubans, loves to play the piano. \u003cbr/\u003eAmerican piano tuner Benjamin Treuhaft says that everyone in Cuba seems to play the instrument. \u003cbr/\u003eFor the past thirteen years Treuhaft has helped send 237 old pianos donated by Americans to the communist-run island, filling a void in a musical country.\u003cbr/\u003eTreuhaft keeps returning to survey donated instruments, and tune and restore others. \u003cbr/\u003eAfter nearly 20 trips to the island, some without US approval, the piano tuner is now a personality in some Cuban music circles.\u003cbr/\u003eTreuhaft's concern was the millions of other Cubans playing badly worn instruments all over the island.\u003cbr/\u003eHe said most of the old pianos in Cuba were not of good quality to start with, and when faced with Cuban termites and strong Cuban pianists, the instruments quickly deteriorated.\u003cbr/\u003eAfter waiting a number of weeks for the US Commerce Department to research his piano proposal, Treuhaft says he now has formal approval to legally visit Cuba to check on the donated pianos. \u003cbr/\u003eHowever the small print required them to agree not to use the instruments for purposes \"of torture or human rights abuse\".\u003cbr/\u003eTreuhaft calls his project \"Send a Piana to Havana\", its name written in American vernacular to make it rhyme.\u003cbr/\u003eFor his latest trip to Cuba, he said he decided to leave his license at home as an act of \"civil disobedience\" against American rules which he says violate his constitutional right to travel.\u003cbr/\u003eTreuhaft learned his trade as an 18-year-old college dropout after wandering into a San Francisco music shop  owned by Victor Charles, a Canadian Marxist and piano tuner.\u003cbr/\u003eWhen Charles died in the early 1990s, he left Treuhaft 28-thousand US dollars, which helped pay for an early shipment of donated pianos. \u003cbr/\u003eWith increased sanctions against Cuba in recent years, Treuhaft said he has temporarily put more shipments on hold.\u003cbr/\u003eBut he said he'll still visit Cuba, with or without government approval.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eCurator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan class=\"star-rating\" aria-label=\"3.5 out of 5 stars\" role=\"img\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star-half-stroke text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-regular fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt class=\"educator-rating-title\"\u003eEducator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"educator-rating-details\" data-path=\"/educator_ratings/rrp_data?resourceable_id=894232\u0026amp;resourceable_type=Boclips%3A%3AVideoMetadata\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"not-yet-rated\"\u003eNot yet Rated\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eGrade\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd title=\"Grade\"\u003eHigher Ed\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eSubjects\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?grade_ids%5B%5D=259\u0026amp;search_tab_id=1\u0026amp;subject_ids%5B%5D=1216220\"\u003eAll Subjects\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eMedia Type\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?grade_ids%5B%5D=259\u0026amp;search_tab_id=2\u0026amp;type_ids%5B%5D=4543650\"\u003eNews Clips\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eSource:\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eDate\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e2006\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-solid fa-language'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eAudiences\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?audience_ids%5B%5D=371079\u0026amp;grade_ids%5B%5D=259\u0026amp;search_tab_id=1\"\u003eFor Teacher Use\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\u003cdd class=\"text-muted\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-lock mr5\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e2 more...\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='concepts-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='concepts-heading'\u003eConcepts\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='details-list concepts' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator' data-type='concepts'\u003einsects, arthropods, concerts, cuba, living things, piano, termites, animals, entertainment\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='concepts-toggle-buttons' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' class='more btn-link' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-down ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='true' class='less btn-link' style='display: none;' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow Less\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-up ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='additional-tags-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='additional-tags-heading'\u003eAdditional Tags\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='details-list keyterms' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator' data-type='keyterms'\u003easked, pianos, latin america and caribbean, pretty political, havana, supposed, problem, situation, legally, states, bring, permission, arts and entertainment, herbie hancock, caribbean\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='keyterms-toggle-buttons' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' class='more btn-link' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-down ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='true' class='less btn-link' style='display: none;' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow Less\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-up ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='educator-ratings-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title sr-only' id='educator-ratings-heading'\u003eEducator Ratings\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"educator-ratings-root\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"all-educator-ratings-root\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"educator-rating-form-root\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Show resource details' class='rp-show-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nShow resource details\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Video player' class='player' id='player-wrapper' role='region'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='relative container mx-auto' id='lp-boclips-visitor-thumbnail'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"block\" data-html=\"true\" data-placement=\"bottom\" data-trigger=\"click\" data-content=\"\u003cdiv class=\u0026quot;text-center py-2\u0026quot;\u003e\u003ca class=\u0026quot;bold\u0026quot; href=\u0026quot;/auth/users/sign_in\u0026quot;\u003eSign in\u003c/a\u003e or \u003ca class=\u0026quot;bold text-danger\u0026quot; data-posthog-event=\u0026quot;Signup: LP Signup Activity\u0026quot; data-posthog-location=\u0026quot;body_link_boclips\u0026quot; data-remote=\u0026quot;true\u0026quot; href=\u0026quot;/subscription/new\u0026quot;\u003eJoin Now\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\" data-title=\"Get Full Access\" data-container=\"body\" rel=\"popover\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Play video: An American piano tuner restores instruments in Communist Cuba\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"resource-img img-thumbnail img-responsive z-10 lp-boclips-thumbnail w-full h-full lozad\" alt=\"An American piano tuner restores instruments in Communist Cuba\" title=\"An American piano tuner restores instruments in Communist Cuba\" onError=\"handleImageNotLoadedError(this)\" data-default-image=\"https://static.lp.lexp.cloud/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/missing.png\" data-src=\"https://static.lp.lexp.cloud/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/missing.png\" width=\"315\" height=\"220\" src=\"data:image/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs\" /\u003e\n\u003cspan aria-hidden='true' class='flex justify-center items-center bg-white rounded-full w-16 h-16 absolute top-1/2 left-1/2 -mt-8 -ml-8 cursor-pointer z-0 border-2 border-primary drop-shadow-md lp-boclips-thumbnail-playBtn'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fa-solid fa-play text-primary text-3xl ml-1 drop-shadow-xl'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n"}