[CAUT] Unauthorized "prepared pianos"

[Paul T Williams]

Hi List,

In the last two weeks, our best Steinway D has been damaged by 
unauthorized "prepared" piano use twice!  The first occurrance was three 
weeks ago during our "Clarifest Day" where a guest artist, without 
permission started banging on the right cheekblock and side of the rim 
with his fist.  He pounded so hard it knocked loose the cheek screw and 
was causing a clicking in the upper regesters.  I was called from home to 
come down to fix it, and fortunately it was indeed only the loose screw.

The second time was this week; a student composer used a mallet and banged 
on the plate and severely bent up several bass damper heads AND strumming 
the strings with a wire brush.  The stage manager, the professor of 
composition, and I were not told this was going to take place and this 
student beleives he is going to demonstrate it again in the same hall and 
in our smaller recital room that also has a "D".   The assistant stage 
manager (in charge that evening) SHOULD have stopped the pre-performance 
rehersal and swapped out the Steinway for our semi- decent Yamaha C-3. I'm 
not sure how to prevent the abuse of prepared pianos.  The faculty doesn't 
seem to care or think about it, except for the piano faculty, of course. 

Do I have a right to prevent such use/abuse?  Could I actually step in and 
stop a performance?  Should I?  How do you all get faculty and students to 
get this in their fat heads that this behaviour is not OK? He could have 
cracked the plate!!!

Concerned

Paul T. Williams 
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