Musical instrument invented by local resident now featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

FLORIDA — Anyone who has ever attended any one of numerous events and celebrations in this area will have had the opportunity to enjoy the unique sounds of Florida, N.Y., residents Bob Grawi, on his musical invention, the Gravikord, with his wife, Pip Klein, on flute and percussion.
In 2016 Grawi officially transferred ownership of a Gravikord, one of his original handmade instruments, to the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.
And the American harp, as it's sometimes described, was scheduled to be featured in the museum's new musical instrument gallery when it reopened.
On Thursday, March 22, Grawi, along with his son Ben and wife, Pip, attended the re-opening of the Andre Mertens Galleries for Musical Instruments, where the Gravikord is now part of this permanent exhibit.
According to Ken Moore, curator emeritus of the Musical Instruments Department at the Met, music is central to nearly all aspects of human endeavor and culture. And so the musical instruments galleries have been transformed to explore the art of music in a unique new display of more than 600 instruments across 4,000 years of history and around the globe in the context of the Met's encyclopedic collections.
The Gravikord appears in Gallery 684, "The Art of Music through Time," in the 1900 - present display, which showcases modern amplified instruments.
Grawi and his Gravikord may have become known to most New Yorkers, when he performed in the MUNY (Music Under New York) program in the late 80s and early 90s.
Grawi played for many years with his wife playing the flute in the main hall of Grand Central Terminal. They also performed at festivals and venues worldwide, including the Venice Carnevale and for Virgin Atlantic Airlines as well as numerous private events.
He has handcrafted and sold more than 150 Gravikords over the years. And now thanks to the Internet, there are Gravikord players throughout the world including England, France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany and Canada and throughout the United States.
Grawi is not only a musician and inventor. He also recently published two books: "Portal," a book of poetry, and "Lao Tzu's Shoe," an exploration with his son of spiritual philosophy and how it all evolved during his own lifetime.
"We are all thrilled to see that Bob's magical Gravikord has earned permanent recognition at a world renowned institution like the Metropolitan Museum of Art," said Pip Klein, his wife of 30 years. "This exciting tribute to his creativity firmly places his instrument as a true American musical innovation."
- Roger Gavan