Native Instruments Alicia39s Keys. The sound of Alicia Keys’ piano, which is by turns lush and assertive, is all over her hit records. Working closely with renowned keyboard soundware developer Thomas Skarbye (better known as Scarbee), not to mention Alicia Keys herself, Native Instruments has captured the magic of that sound in Alicia’s Keys.

Super Bowl XLVII brings you this exciting Project of the Week: a color change piano wrap specially done for Alicia Keys to sing the National Anthem at the start of the 2013 game!

Alicia Keys at the Super Bowl (Credit: Getty Photo)

Here’s how it came together:

We highlighted a color change baby grand piano wrap in a previous article when there was a need to transform a black piano shell into a white one for a performance at the re-opening of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville.

This latest project was a collaboration of three companies: Yamaha Entertainment Group; Seale Keyworks; and yours truly – 12-Point SignWorks! Yamaha was instrumental (pun intended) in bringing us all together. Seale Keyworks was responsible for preparing the piano, shipping it, and setting it up (tuned, of course) for Alicia to play. Prior to packing the piano for shipment, we were brought in to do a color change vinyl wrap transforming the black finish to a matte metal silver. Final touches included adding the Yamaha logo as a black vinyl applique’. The finished wrap on the piano shell looked as though it were made of aluminum!

The specific color was chosen after considering several choices from three different wrap vinyl manufacturers, and the company videographer was consulted to make sure the color chosen would work well with the lighting and stage arrangement. The metallic matte silver vinyl chosen for the piano wrap is fabricated by Hexis.

Historically, when a performer or event has required a color change or special finish on a piano, Seale Keyworks has painted the piano. But what do you do with a purple piano after it’s particular event is completed? High performance wrap vinyl provides a number of benefits for this unique piano wrap application including the following:

• The vinyl is readily stretchable and conformable to the variety of shapes required in a piano wrap.
• Wrap vinyl has an “air release” feature that makes it easier to apply without trapping unsightly air bubbles.
• Wrap vinyl has a removable adhesive that will be relatively easy to remove from the piano’s original gloss finish without damage to the finish and without leaving residue.
• Wrap vinyl is available in a wide number of colors and textures.

Seale Keyworks dismantled the piano so that we would be able to wrap individual components including the legs, pedal tree, lid, lid prop, fallboard, etc. We completed the piano wrap inside the company’s paint booth in order to minimize costs and the need to move it to our wrap facility. Seams and cut edges were carefully hidden to make the piano wrap look as much like paint as possible, and the positive comments from all who saw it stood as a testimonial of the high quality of the wrap installation.

Seale Keyworks reassembled the entire piano prior to shipment to New Orleans:

Photos above courtesy of Seale Keyworks

After the vinyl had been applied to the various piano components, we applied some protective, low-tack tape to the surfaces that would most likely be in contact with the piano’s shipping case. We also left some extra vinyl with Seal Keyworks so that in the case of any damage to the piano wrap during transit or set-up, they would have some material on hand to do some quick patch work.

Once on-site, Seale Keyworks set up and tuned the piano … no pressure!

Real player app. Photos courtesy of Seale Keyworks

Given the local interest (“who knew that a couple of companies in Franklin TN would be involved with the opening ceremonies of the Super Bowl?!”), one of our local news channels came to interview the wrap installers. NewsChannel 5 featured a time lapse video of the process; however, it’s no longer available in their archives. (Bummer!) Our local newspaper, The Tennessean, also published an online article regarding the collaboration between Seale Keyworks and 12-Point SignWorks, which garnered a lot of attention. We appreciate the interest of the local news media outlets!

Many thanks to Yamaha Entertainment Group and the folks at Seale Keyworks for their collaboration to make this possible!

Do you have a piano or something unique that needs a new look? Contact us at 615-595-6564 or by clicking on the link below for a complimentary consultation and estimate. We serve all of Middle Tennessee, including Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro and beyond!