The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts is in a bind and needs your help.

A partnership with Fred Forshey of Forshey Piano Company has ended; the company is removing its loaned pianos from the school over the holiday break, leaving only three pianos instead of the usual 18.

The piano department will suffer most obviously from the lack of instruments, but HSPVA's pianos are also used throughout the school — for rehearsal by the dance department, accompaniment in the vocal department and for drama department musicals.

Piano Department director Rodolfo Morales says the school is lucky to have a student body talented enough to need real acoustic instruments. "They are the life blood of what we do here at HSPVA; to have a school without pianos is inconceivable."

The school is appealing for funds to replace as many instruments as possible by the time the students return from winter break on Jan. 5. They hope to purchase 12 pianos — 10 uprights and two grand pianos — the minimum the school needs, Morales says. Ideally, they will add six or seven more.

"Once we get over this very important first hump we are going to institute a piano fund where money will go annually, so at the end of every school year we're able to replace at least one piano. That way we are not having a constantly and uniformly aging population of pianos," Morales says.

He is also quick to note that HSPVA remains on good terms with Forshey's and that the pianos must be returned due to financial circumstances beyond the company's control.

Donations are tax-deductible. If you'd like to help, checks can be made out to: HSPVA Friends (Piano Project) and sent to HSPVA Friends, 4119 Montrose Blvd., Ste. 210, Houston 77006.