Original Lorie Line composition to benefit “Cranes for Eliana” fundraiser!
Minnesota pianist Lorie Line has sold over 6 million albums and is one of the most published composer/arrangers in our lifetime. She has now donated her time and talent to create an original piano work titled “Cranes for Eliana” in honor of a young pianist from Avon, MN, who suffered a brain hemorrhage on Thanksgiving 2017.
Sponsored by Schmitt Music for International Sheet Music Day 2019, all proceeds from sheet music sales will go to Eliana’s family through the Cranes for Eliana foundation.
Lorie Line will premiere the piece during an exclusive Schmitt Music EXPO concert at 5:30 on Tuesday, August 13th at Schmitt Music Edina!
At the age of 10, accomplished young pianist Eliana Szabo suffered a brain hemorrhage when an arteriovenous malformation ruptured. After life-saving surgery and many days of physical and occupational therapy, Eliana (pictured in 2017, prior to her injury) relearned how to walk and talk. Her dream is to regain her motor functions so she can get back to playing the piano at the level she did before her hemorrhage.
Eliana’s friend and fellow piano student, Cecilia Maus-Conn, was inspired by a Japanese legend that says any person who folds 1,000 paper cranes is granted a wish. So, Cecilia set out to raise $10,000 for the Szabo family by selling handmade paper cranes for $10 a piece.
Helping Eliana and her family with a quick and healthy recovery was the goal. After paper crane sales and a 2018 concert event at Wirth Center for the Performing Arts in St. Cloud, Cecilia and all of Eliana’s supporters had raised well over the $10,000 goal.
The effort to help the Szabo family continues with Lorie Line’s “Cranes for Eliana” piece!
When Schmitt Music’s Elliott Wessel, print music product manager, heard about “Cranes for Eliana,” he asked Lorie to consider creating a song to raise money for the project. “Honestly I asked Lorie for just a simple thing that students could play — and that’s what she gave us but it’s a masterpiece,” Wessel said. “It’s beautiful. It blew everybody away.”
Lorie wrote the piece in Eliana’s honor about the trials and tribulations and things we have to endure to get to the other side. Please CLICK HERE TO BUY THE SHEET MUSIC or listen to the song below:
Cranes for Eliana
Eliana started taking piano lessons at Wirth Center for the Performing Arts when she was 5 years old. She’s a gifted pianist with incredible musicality and technique. Now 12, Eliana is taking weekly piano lessons at the Wirth Center, as well as ballet class and ukulele lessons with her dad.
As the St. Cloud Times covered in 2018, Paul Wirth, artistic director at Wirth Center, explained her progress:
“To another pianist, who is maybe way advanced, they would hear her play and think she is very musical but she’s not terribly advanced… Well, to a doctor or a (physical therapist), she’s a rock star. To come this far, to be able to do that … in just a year is miraculous.”
In an interview with the St. Cloud Times, Lorie Line explained that she was inspired by Eliana’s determination and connection to music. “I’m anxious for [Eliana] to hear it and I’m anxious for her to be able to play it. That’s my goal – that someday Eliana can someday play this for herself.”
ADDITIONAL DONATIONS
In addition to purchasing the Lorie Line sheet music and song, please consider making additional donations to “Cranes for Eliana” via PAYPAL, or send your donations to the Wirth Center for the Performing Arts c/o “Cranes for Eliana” fundraiser: 823 1st St. PO Box 162, St. Cloud, MN 56301
