Newburyport Piano Man Brings Enjoyment And Awareness To Beach Boardwalk

(Drew Moholland/WBZ)

NEWBURYPORT, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) – A new attraction has come to a local boardwalk in Newburyport – one with many keys.

Plum Island resident Matteo McDermott is a student at Virginia Tech studying to become a Bioengineer.

He brought out a piano this month after driving up to Maine. McDermott is now using his musical talents for a good cause.

“People really enjoyed the music,” he said. “They’ve enjoyed that they can have their kids have fun with it.”

McDermott is helping to raise money for the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health. People visiting the boardwalk are encouraged to donate.

There is also a strong connection between music and mental health. Researchers have said music therapy can help maintain mental health by helping people deal with trauma and depression.

The challenge in McDermott’s playing comes with the weather, especially in the rain and the extreme heat New England is experiencing this week.

“Weather is really annoying,” McDermott said. “I don’t like dealing with that.”

The player adds that he does not like when kids bang on the piano keys.

WBZ’s Drew Moholland (@DrewWBZ) has the story:

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