Ten years ago, when I (Gala Yaroshevsky) first opened the doors of our music studio, I had more dreams than funding. My father gave me a generous gift of $5,000 — and I made a bold decision. I could’ve spent it on chairs or marketing, but instead, I chose to buy a grand piano. The piano that became the soul of Orange Music Studio.

We found a gently used, off-brand grand that had once belonged to Dr. Michael Guzman, the former band director at Cupertino High School. When we went to see the piano, Dr. Guzman was in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease. He and his wife were preparing for a difficult transition — he was moving into a care facility, and she was relocating to stay nearby.

When I told him we were there to buy the piano, he laughed and said, “It’s not for sale!” His wife quietly motioned behind his back, signaling us to understand. Then something extraordinary happened...

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