A Grand Birthday Surprise | AAA Piano
- Steve Stokes

- Apr 26, 2017
- 2 min read

We recently received a call from a gentleman by the name of Rod from Sacramento. Rod was looking for a piano for his wife for a special day. But, this wasn’t just any special day, this was her birthday! Sondra and Rod have been together for over 16 years, and I guess you could say that they had celebrated just a couple of birthdays together in that time. But, this year, Rod wanted to not only come up with a gift that was special, but also a gift that he knew Sondra would use for years to come. Sondra had been taking piano lessons and practicing piano on a small keyboard, purchased from a local electronics shop. From her experience playing on a real piano as a child, Sondra knew that the touch and feel of the piano, versus a keyboard, was simply different and believed it hindered her ability to progress at the rate she expected. Rod, being the attentive and caring husband that he is, decided to do something about it. Rod found AAA Piano on the internet, and through a series of phone calls and emails with advice from AAA Piano owner, Steve Stokes, Rod found a piano in Roseville. We did an piano assessment in the seller's home, before Rod purchased the piano, and we agreed it would be, the perfect grand surprise for Sondra. A grand piano! And, that was the best part. Rod decided to make all this piano purchasing business a surprise and kept it a secret until we walked up to their front door at their home in Sacramento, with a baby grand piano, and...made a wonderfully grand entrance. Happy Birthday!
We helped rearrange some furniture and moved the grand piano into the perfect place in their home, and once we completed the piano tuning, we celebrated with Rod & Sondra’s family and ate some amazing cheesecake.
In the piano business, it’s surprises like these that make the day grand!



What a beautiful and heartfelt story—Rod’s surprise for Sondra truly shows how music can bring joy and create lasting memories. It's inspiring to see such thoughtful gestures supported by experts like AAA Piano. Stories like this remind us how important the right tools and support are for learning—whether it’s a piano or even academic goals. Just like Sondra needed the right piano to progress, students sometimes need the right assignment help to reach their potential too. 🎹✨