TULSA, Okla. — "I did my first fair out here in 1970," Tom Scott said.
53 years later, between the Ferris wheel and deep fryers, Scott is selling pianos to families. He’s loaded up pianos and sold them at fairs and conventions from Canada to Texas and countless places in between.
"What makes me happy about it is I give joy to a family or to an individual. I’m giving them something that they can really have a value with," Scott said.
Scott told us his sister is trained in opera and piano. During his teenage years, he decided to follow in her musical footsteps. Soon after signing up for piano lessons, he ran into a problem.
"The piano teacher, after two weeks, said she wouldn’t try to teach me because I could listen to music and then play it. So I play by ear," Scott said.
About 10 years ago, Jason Cochran picked up a book and taught himself how to play piano.
"I just love the sound of ‘em. I don’t know what it is about a piano, but you can just change a whole song with a piano," Cochran said.
Cochran checked out all the pianos at Scott’s stand, playing a few notes and talking shop with Scott.
"More people need to learn how to play the piano," Scott said, "We need more musical artists in the world."
Maybe the next piano player will be inspired when the Tulsa State Fair opens its gates again next September.
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