[CAUT] Unauthorized "prepared pianos"

[Kent Swafford]

Here at UMKC, just down the road from you, 3 of the 4 piano  
performance professors actively perform and teach prepared piano  
pieces, so it would be pointless for the piano tech to oppose such  
performances. Actually, I performed such pieces when I was a student,  
so I guess I'm part of the opposition. The best you may be able to do  
is regulate non-traditional piano use; you will not be able to stop it.

Run, do not walk, to purchase a copy of "Non-traditional Piano Use",  
the video from Alan Eder at ReggaePass at aol.com. It describes  
responsible inside-the-piano techniques, and you should try to get as  
many pianists as possible to watch this video.

A problem I have had this school year is pianist's believing that they  
should be able to leave preparations in between the time of their  
rehearsals and recitals. This is forbidden, of course, but it has  
still created resentment when I have had to explain the obvious, that  
in busy halls with multiple pianists using the pianos each day, no  
preparations of any kind are allowed to remain in a piano after a  
given rehearsal or performance are over. I remove all marks and  
preparations on sight, of course. Pianists should leave pianos with  
absolutely no evidence of any kind that inside-the-piano techniques  
were used.

We _are_ making special arrangements to dedicate a piano for a few  
days to an upcoming series of dance performances for which a prepared  
piano will provide the accompaniment, but that's the only exception of  
which I'm aware.

All the best,

Kent Swafford



On Apr 12, 2008, at 10:26 AM, Paul T Williams wrote:
>
> 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