---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment So far, we haven't had a prepared piano piece. But in case we do, I have a policy all in place, which the professors are supposed to have. Below is what I came up with, which is based on what someone else had come up with. (I don't remember who) Wim Composing music for the prepared piano can be very rewarding. However, care must be taken that the instructions to the performer do not harm the performer, and the piano. Therefore, please read the following with care prior to doing anything to the piano, other than opening it up, and playing it. Policy Regarding Prepared Piano Use 1. All structural changes to any piano must be approved by and in most cases performed by the piano technician. This includes removing the lid or other case parts and attaching anything to strings or soundboard to modify the sound. 2. Marking strings. Small stickers may be used on dampers or agraffs to mark notes. Please purchase stickers that are easy to remove such as the small colored dots. Care must always be used when touching dampers as they are easily bent. Never use masking tape or any other adhesive that may leave a residue. The performer is responsible for removing any stickers immediately after any performance. There should be nothing applied directly to the strings. This includes white-out, tape, stickers, nail polish, etc. In some cases chalk may be used to mark steel strings but never the copper wound bass strings. 3. Striking and plucking strings. Strings may be struck or plucked with fingers or guitar pick. Other devices must always be a material that will not mar or scratch strings. On steel strings only materials that are softer than the steel string may be used, such as brass or aluminum. Copper wound bass strings must also be struck or plucked with a material softer than the copper. Acceptable materials include wood, plastic, rubber, etc. Never use a steel chisel on piano strings. As the piano technician, I will be happy to help any performer select materials that will not damage the piano. In some cases, literature calls for the insertion of screws or mutes between piano strings. Again, a material softer than the string must be used, such as brass or aluminum. 4. Extreme volume. There is a fine line to be drawn between passionate musical expression and outright banging on a piano. Please use good judgment when playing above a forte. Harsh playing is damaging and will not be tolerated. 5. Common sense. Most damage to our pianos can easily be avoided by using good judgment. Please consult with the piano technician or piano faculty before using unconventional techniques. Usually an alternative can be found to satisfy both the performer and this policy. Willem Blees RPT Piano Tuner/Technician School of Music University of Alabama -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jeff Tanner Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 12:29 PM To: College Technicians Subject: [CAUT] Performance facility inventory - a 2nd twist Hi All, I'd like to add a new twist to this survey. After years of what I thought was an understood policy of not allowing our primary recital piano to be "prepared", we had a bit of a snag here this semester because, apparently, there is very little saxophone repertoire which does not involve some form of piano preparation. We have a 2nd piano available for prepared piano. It's a very fine piano, so I'd rather bring a junker in, but the understood policy had been to use the 2nd piano for the few prepared pieces. Somehow a nasty rumor got out last summer that the sostenuto was not in regulation on the 2nd piano (nobody ever told me about this until after all this blew up, but when I went in to check it, everything worked just as it is designed), and so the argument was that the 2nd piano, while in pristine, like new condition, was somehow an "inferior" instrument -- a big shovel full of hog manure. Israel's statement, "We do not allow our primary performance instruments to be "prepared"", gave me an idea to be able to present to our administration. I will be happy to compile the results of this survey, and publish it for those of you who are interested. I know we've discussed this at length in the past, but we haven't done any kind of formal survey on the subject. My intention is not to rehash the opinions but to learn if there is or is not any kind of official policy at other institutions around the country. How many of you have a policy that prohibits any form of preparation on your primary recital piano (including just using tuner's mutes in the strings)? Both yeas and nays would present an interesting study. Name of Institution: Do or do not allow preparation of primary recital instrument: (if you allow some but not all, explanation is appreciated) Reason why: Is your policy understood or in writing? What do your instrument use for "prepared piano" performances? Thanks a million, Jeff Jeff Tanner, RPT School Of Music University of South Carolina _______________________________________________ caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives _______________________________________________ caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/66/d8/a7/82/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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