Fred Redekop installing new hammers on my grand. It is not surprising that piano students are complaining a lot about their pianos’ sounds. Instruments go out of tune easily in our dry, cold winters on the prairies and this year has been more than usually harsh. It is also to be expected that students will shy away from a piano that sounds “bad” to them. For non-musicians, it would be like trying to drive a broken car blind-folded. Wouldn’t you rather stay home or take a taxi? Musicians rely on their perception of sound to tell them whether they played the right notes and whether the sound they made sounded beautiful. When that is impossible, the students wisely refuse to play. They will innately and wisely protect their ears.
Ironically, many parents feel they will only invest in a piano in good repair and continue to maintain it if their children prove to them that they are genuinely interested. If the children are complaining about your piano, they care! If they can hear the difference between the piano teacher’s piano and their own, the problem is severe. If they then look bewildered as they play their piano teacher’s piano because they have desperately tried to play on a “wonky” piano and now everything sounds off, that is a sign of harmful dedication. Music is about sound; it is about hearing in a world that is increasingly thinking in terms of seeing. I wonder whether parents would expect their children to skate on broken skates or ride a broken bicycle or drive a car without brakes. Can you imagine a hockey parent using the following logic when speaking to a disheartened child trying to play with a broken hockey stick? “If you score more goals, then I’ll buy you a stick. But you have to score a lot.”
Now you may be thinking that a simple call to the piano technician will solve this problem. That depends on how long the piano has been left in disrepair. If you haven’t maintained your car for years, don’t expect the mechanic to work easy miracles. Sometimes even cars are not worth repairing, and require you to admit that it’s time for a new one. Perhaps you just bought the car only a year ago. Face it. It was a clunker when you bought it.
However, if you invest in a new acoustic piano, be prepared for long warranty periods and with regular yearly or bi-yearly maintenance (You would give your vehicles an oil change at least twice a year I expect.), you can anticipate a life-time of enjoyment for your family. By investing in a stellar instrument you will have demonstrated confidence in your children’s musical training and you will likely be surprised by their accomplishments. As an investor, if you need to sell your new, well maintained piano, it will likely maintain its value, like any good piece of art. Can you say the same for your car or your computer?
© Copyright 2014 by Heidi Peters. All rights reserved. Winnipeg, Canada.
Ironically, many parents feel they will only invest in a piano in good repair and continue to maintain it if their children prove to them that they are genuinely interested. If the children are complaining about your piano, they care! If they can hear the difference between the piano teacher’s piano and their own, the problem is severe. If they then look bewildered as they play their piano teacher’s piano because they have desperately tried to play on a “wonky” piano and now everything sounds off, that is a sign of harmful dedication. Music is about sound; it is about hearing in a world that is increasingly thinking in terms of seeing. I wonder whether parents would expect their children to skate on broken skates or ride a broken bicycle or drive a car without brakes. Can you imagine a hockey parent using the following logic when speaking to a disheartened child trying to play with a broken hockey stick? “If you score more goals, then I’ll buy you a stick. But you have to score a lot.”
Now you may be thinking that a simple call to the piano technician will solve this problem. That depends on how long the piano has been left in disrepair. If you haven’t maintained your car for years, don’t expect the mechanic to work easy miracles. Sometimes even cars are not worth repairing, and require you to admit that it’s time for a new one. Perhaps you just bought the car only a year ago. Face it. It was a clunker when you bought it.
However, if you invest in a new acoustic piano, be prepared for long warranty periods and with regular yearly or bi-yearly maintenance (You would give your vehicles an oil change at least twice a year I expect.), you can anticipate a life-time of enjoyment for your family. By investing in a stellar instrument you will have demonstrated confidence in your children’s musical training and you will likely be surprised by their accomplishments. As an investor, if you need to sell your new, well maintained piano, it will likely maintain its value, like any good piece of art. Can you say the same for your car or your computer?
© Copyright 2014 by Heidi Peters. All rights reserved. Winnipeg, Canada.
RSS Feed