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The African American Musician Behind the SHADD Piano

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Keyboardist, music director, and composer Michael Bearden, who has worked with Lady Gaga, Usher, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, and others, said the Shadd piano has helped bring modern-day musicians into the new century.

Published

7 years ago

November 12, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

From churches and especially symphonic tunings, Warren Shadd said he understood that the piano had a disadvantage.

“In terms of the pianists especially being able to hear themselves play, because in church you’re in total competition with the Hammond B-3 organ or the pipe organ, the drums, the bass, the percussion, the choir, and the congregation,” Shadd, a jazz drummer and the world’s first African-American piano manufacturer, said in an earlier interview with NPR.

“They would put microphones in the piano, but they weren’t placed right to give you the most opulent sound of the piano… my first notion was enhancing the volume of the acoustic piano by itself, without any kind of electronics,” Shadd stated, explaining why he decided to manufacture pianos.

He studied, researched, and wrote a dissertation. He also experimented with the soundboard of some of the pianos that he had previously restored.

“One day, I was tuning a piano at this old man, Mr. Tucker’s house,” Shadd stated in the lengthy 2014 NPR interview. “As I’m tuning his old upright piano, he started whimpering. I said, ‘Mr. Tucker, what’s going on?’ He said, ‘It’s all right, Shadd, it’s all right.’ So I go on tuning the piano, then he really starts crying a lot. ‘What’s wrong, Mr. Tucker?’ He said, ‘Shadd, see that piano? See the name on the front of it? That should say, Shadd, because you’re the only one!’ I said, ‘OK, Mr. Tucker, I’ve got these ideas, I’m gonna go back and study.’ He pretty much planted the seed.”

That seed has blossomed.

Earlier this year, the Shadd was named the official piano of the Vatican – yes, the Pope has regular access to a Shadd!

The Shadd also became branding partners with Rolls Royce. The automaker rarely advertises as a brand but is sold mostly on its reputation among the wealthy.

The popular television music competition show, American Idol, uses the Shadd as its stage piano, and it’s the official instrument of the blockbuster television show, “Empire.”

“As a diversified musician and technology enthusiast, I can appreciate the advent of fusing the acoustic piano with electronic keyboards, synthesizers, sequencers, computers, and their accessories as well as incorporation Internet access,” Grammy Winner Herbie Hancock said in a statement.

“The Shadd piano allows me to perform the gamut of genres in their original form, from Maiden Voyage to Rockit and beyond,” Hancock stated.

Keyboardist, music director, and composer Michael Bearden, who has worked with Lady Gaga, Usher, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, and others, said the Shadd piano has helped bring modern-day musicians into the new century.

“I can use the Shadd piano in everything from traditional jazz settings to cutting edge techno,” Bearden noted in a statement.

“As I must adapt to many different playing and compositional styles, I need an instrument that can cover a lot of ground. The Shadd piano affords me the opportunity to play a real acoustic piano as well as utilizing up-to-date computer technology and sounds at my fingertips. Once musicians get to experience the versatility of the Shadd piano, I believe it will become industry standard – whether on tour, in the studio, or at home.”

William Shadd is a second-generation piano technician and third-generation musician.

He has performed and toured worldwide in every aspect of live and recorded music with hundreds of celebrities, according to his official biography.

On drums, at the early age of four, he played his first of many jazz concerts and was proclaimed a child prodigy. From high school through Howard University, Shadd performed with numerous icons like Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Lionel Hampton, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nancy Wilson, his biography states.

As a piano technician, Shadd has tuned, repaired, or rebuilt pianos for countless major performing artists, concert halls, churches, schools, and institutions worldwide. He’s tuned and rebuilt pianos for Tony Bennett, Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, George Duke, and many others.

In 2003, he founded Shadd Pianos USA, a Piano, and Keyboard Manufacturing Company.

“I do know there’s a responsibility with this, to make the best piano – not one of the best – the best piano, period, in the world, and that’s what I believe I’ve done,” Shadd has said.

“I’m a perfectionist, so every nuance that goes into this piano has to be very best.”

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

2 weeks ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.