By Kim Siebert MacPhail
Last winter, when a call came into the middle school office asking to speak to the music teacher, Amy Budka—who is that teacher—had no idea what was in store.
On the other end of the line was Stephen Ferri, one of five sons of Mary Rose Ferri, former substitute teacher and resident of Winchester Drive. Ferri and his brothers had just lost their mother and were in the difficult process of deciding what should be done with her home and possessions, most notably a Kranich & Bach baby grand piano.
Budka was surprised but honored that the family wanted their mother’s cherished piano to benefit the children of Bedford. Ferri hoped that the piano would be used, specifically, at the middle school, in close proximity to his childhood home, but that wasn’t to be.
“We just don’t have a place for it here,” Budka said. “I checked with Nicole [O’Toole, head of the Music department] and she said she’d love to have another acoustic piano at the high school.”
So, Budka gratefully accepted Ferri’s generous offer on behalf of the Music department and waited to hear what would happen next. However, nothing else was said for almost a year and Budka became resigned that the family had decided to make other arrangements. This Christmas Eve, however, she received another communication from the family. The Ferris had sold their mother’s home and the transfer of ownership would be on New Year’s Day, just a few days away. The piano would go to the high school after all.
Budka had to scramble to find a moving company that would work on New Year’ Eve. Additionally, since it was school vacation, the high school was locked up tight and a custodian had to be located who would be available on the day of the move.
“We got lucky,” Budka said of all the pieces coming together. “The movers hadn’t planned to work that day but when I explained the situation, they agreed to do the job. It had snowed the night before and as [the movers arrived at the Ferri house], the snow plow was just finishing the driveway. I found the keys where I was told they would be and walked in. The piano was the only thing left in the house. The movers unscrewed the legs, wrapped the piano up in protective cloth, and moved it easily. Now, it’s in Phil Maffa’s room at the high school— he’s happy to have it for orchestra classes.”
The Ferri baby grand is the second in the high school. The first is used in the auditorium.
“We are so grateful for this gift,” said Music Program Administrator O’Toole. “The piano has already had its first tuning and it’s a lovely, well cared for instrument.”
In an email to Budka before the piano arrived at Bedford High, Stephen Ferri wrote:
“I am so happy that the discussion you and I started so many months ago has come up with this result. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am (and I speak for my brothers too) to be donating my mother’s piano to the Bedford High School.
“Mary Rose was a very special lady and an amazing person in many ways. For over 50 years she was a prominent fixture in Town. Not only are my four younger brothers and I all products of the Bedford schools, my Mother was also a teacher by education and she taught at both the Junior High (now called the Middle School) and High School for many years. Her love and commitment to teaching was also something she passed on to several of her grandchildren who have followed in their grandmother’s footsteps with careers in education.
“This piano was an Anniversary gift to my mother from my father 45 years ago (and he passed away shortly after). This piano was truly a treasure to her and she loved playing it! I can still vividly hear her playing Beethoven’s Für Elise in my head. It is fitting that the last remaining physical presence of my mother in Bedford be her piano at the Bedford High School. I hope it brings many years of joy to the teachers and students who use it.”
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