recital piano usage

[David Forman]

Caut,
I started this thread several weeks ago, and I must respone to today's
postings. Greg, you stated the point probably better that I will , but
here goes. To say that students and faculty should have unlimited use of
the concert instruments shows a lack of understanding of how much work
it is to maintain a concert instrument in concert ready condition, and
how much they deteriorate with overuse. That has been the situation at
my school for a number of years, and the concert instruments, as far as
I am concerned, are never up to concert ready condition because of
overuse. We  are a private college, not state-funded. Yes, Westminster
is a college of Rider University; however, Rider certainly will not give
the piano department unlimited funds to maintain our 4 concert
instruments.In an ideal situation I would replace hammers every year,
other action parts every 2-3 years, strings every 5 years. This just
isn't going to happen. I can ask for adequate funding for these pianos,
but I know the money is not there. We need to be fair to those who are
giving recitals on these instruments, and try to keep them in the best
condition possible-all 150 plus recitals a year.
Dave Forman, Westminster Choir College of Rider University