food & beverages

[John Musselwhite]

>the director. Results:  the water was removed fromt the piano, but allowed
>to stay in the room on the coat rack.  I was accused of intrusion of
>privacy by the student, infringement of rights, etc. The picture was not
>pretty and I was *ticked off*.

For good reason too!   BTW, how many sopranos does it take to change a
lightbulb?  Just one... she just holds it up and the world revolves around
her! Or, what's the difference between a soprano and a pirhana?  Lipstick!

>        Students and faculty do give the nodding agreement that food and
>drink should not be allowed on our expensive pianos.   However, when  the
>cookie crumbles it's my job to clean it up, leaving everyone to cluck about
>what a shame it is to have this happen... blah, blah,blah.  I have only to
>walk down the hall past the classrooms to observe a full professor with his
>'big slurpy' perched prominently on the concert grand.
>         You've all been there.  I'd certainly appreciate your tips on how
>to eliminate this problem from my work life.

Here's one idea... make up a bill for the repairs and make sure students and
faculty see what it costs and how much it adds to their tuition or subtracts
from their wages every time someone spills something in a piano. If a
professor finds out his budget might be cut by several thousand dollars
because of a $1 slurpee he might think twice about it.  If a student
discovers tuition could rise because of it they might be concerned as well
Then again, they might not...

At a local hotel the manager insisted that candelabras be placed on the
Steinway when it was being played. He changed his mind after a $3500 bill to
replace action parts when the hammers were all stuck together with red wax
on a newly rebuilt piano!

John Musselwhite, RPT               Calgary, Alberta Canada
musselj@cadvision.com              sysop@67.cambo.cuug.ab.ca