A Trip to New York

[Robert Goodale]

Greetings all,

Just thought I would share a brief tid-bit on a trip I just completed to
the "Big Apple".

I just finished spending a week at the Steinway factory participating in
one of the technical seminars. I must say, it was a wonderful
experience, and I look forward to going again. Kevin Stock was a
wonderful host (thanks again Kev), and the rest of the Steinway folks
were equally a pleasure. 

I won't go overly into details, but the experience really gave me some
new insight on what the Steinway piano is really about. It helped clear
many of my mis-conceptions, and proved once again what a marvelous
instrument the Steinway really is. The technical portion focused
primarily on regulation and hammer voicing techniques. Lots of little
"this's and thats" to help improve speed, accuracy, and image. The
factory was also a marvelous thing to witness. From rim bending, to
hammer pressing, to action assembly, to stringing, seeing the process in
action is alone worth the trip.

Also included were some VERY nice meals, a brief tour of the city, and a
stop at the Metropoliton Museum of Art where we saw the oldest known
Cristofori Piano. Totaly unexpected, we arrived just in time to meet the
conservator who was doing some cleaning and preparing for a tour with
some other visiting piano technicians. This opportunity allowed us to
actually hear the Cristofori piano! It sounds pretty much like a
harpsichord, but of course, with expression capabilities. Some
additional stops along the way included a visit to Steinway Hall,
including the famous "Steinway Basement".

Two thumbs up! Way Up!

Rob Goodale, RPT