Music holds key to ‘Piano Man’ identity

Matt Adams

The mystery man has not uttered a word since police picked him up walking aimlessly on the streets of Sheerness in Kent, England.

All efforts to communicate with the shy and agitated man, aged in his 20s or early 30s, failed, leaving experts baffled as to his identity and where he is from.

Staff at the Medway Maritime Hospital gave him a pen and paper in the hope he might write his name or even draw his country’s flag.

Instead, in an extraordinary development, the patient, dubbed the Piano Man, chose only to draw highly detailed pictures of a grand piano, showing not only the keys but also the intricate inner workings of the instrument.

His social worker, Michael Camp, decided to show him the hospital piano housed in the chapel and to his amazement the man delivered a stunning, two-hour performance of classical playing.

Since then, the man has even written music, which an independent music teacher has verified as genuine manuscript, yet he remains mute.

The case has drawn comparisons with the Oscar-winning 1996 movie Shine, which tells the moving story of acclaimed pianist David Helfgott, who suffered a nervous breakdown while playing.

“When we took him to the chapel piano it really was amazing,” said Mr Camp.

“He has not spoken since the day we picked him up. He does not make any sounds but I think I can communicate with him through tiny nods.

“I cannot get within a yard of him without him becoming very anxious. Yet at the piano he comes alive. I can stand close to him and he is oblivious. It is extraordinary.

“I am not knowledgeable about classical music but I could tell he was pretty good.”

The man is being held in a secure mental health unit in north Kent, which has no piano, until a full assessment has been carried out.

A helpline set up in Britain to identify the mystery man was inundated with calls yesterday.

“We have had one definite lead, but I haven’t had time to follow it up yet,” said Mr Camp.