Bad Student Piano Insight

[Richard Oliver Snelson]

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Hello Terry, I'm sure someone is going to lash you for running down the =
spinet. Too bad. I have seen this several times and believe me I stick =
my nose right in their business and explain what I believe to be the =
facts. Most of the  time something has been done to move the student up =
to a better instrument. Should we speak out in a positive informative =
manner in these cases? Darn Right. Rich
Richard Oliver Snelson

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Terry=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Friday, December 24, 2004 7:45 AM
  Subject: Bad Student Piano Insight


  No doubt many of you have run across this situation before. This is =
about the third or fourth time I have seen such an extreme example of a =
student playing on a bad (major understatement) piano. This is the same =
family that asked me to find a nice used piano for them (see my other =
recent post).

  First time appointment with this family. Below are the grizzly facts.
  - 1950 Gulbranson spinet
  - typical worn 55-year-old cheap piano
  - 90 cents flat and, of course, way, way out of tune
  - reason they called piano tuner: plastic elbow on G5 broke
  - sustain pedal hasn't worked for months (ever since the flood)
  - Grandma gave them her treasured Gulbranson
  - student is 13 years old and has been taking lessons for six years

  Yes, for six years, this little girl has been practicing on this =
out-of-whack junker! And just for the record, there is no doubt these =
folks have disposable income to spare. But I did gain some insight into =
this situation from talking with the dad. He knows absolutely nothing =
about pianos (and stated so). His mother gave him the piano for the =
daughter to play and told him that it was a very high quality ("the =
best" she said) piano in excellent condition (they don't wear out, do =
they?). I am absolutely convinced that the guy really thought he was =
providing his daughter with a top-notch instrument that she could excel =
with. She wasn't playing it because daddy was cheap.

  As soon as I explained to him that in reality it was a medium quality =
piano 50 years ago, but is now worn out, and a spinet is far from =
optimal for a intermediate student, he readily agreed that he should =
ditch the piano and we started talking about how to shop for a =
replacement. He was instantly ready to upgrade. The information I gave =
him about his piano was completely brand-new stuff for him.

  I just thought I'd share that because it was a new experience for me. =
Previously, in these situations, I had assumed the parents were simply =
horrible people. Maybe not always.....

  One question remains though: why hadn't her piano teacher of six years =
said anything to the parents about the piano?

  Terry Farrell
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