MARQUETTE -- Lifelong Marquette native, Robert Buchkoe, has established himself over the years as the city's piano man. He's been playing the instrument since he was six years old.
What started out as a pastime has become his life's work 50 years later.
"I just happened to think of it and thought, wow, that's quite the milestone there," said Buchkoe.
To commemorate this milestone, he will perform this Friday at the Presque Isle band shell as part of the city's summer concert series.
Buchkoe has had his piano since his high school graduation, but this Friday he'll take his keyboard, which has all the same functions as a piano plus a few additional sounds. But Buchkoe's legacy extends much further than a modern-aged keyboard.
Nestled in the middle of the "Queen City," Buchkoe's home has, for decades, been the heart of his life's passion. For 40 years, the Northern graduate has perfected his craft and taught over 1,000 pupils from his basement studio.
"It's equally as gratifying to see your own students succeeding as it is to go out and perform yourself, and I always enjoy it. It means the legacy is passed on and the music is kept alive," Buchkoe noted.
Inspirational figures, old mentors, and even portraits of his students paint the perimeter of his workspace and illustrate the pride and dedication he brings to music.
"Music is a very important part of everyone's life. It's there, and if we didn't have it, people would really notice there's no music," Buchkoe said. "I still feel like there's a lot of music left in me."
Buchkoe shows no signs of letting up and says his commemorative performance Friday opens a new chapter in his legacy, already half a century in the making.
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