new piano scratched

[Richard Brekne]

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"Christopher D. Purdy" wrote:

>> It never ceases to amaze me how disrespectful musicians are of
>> pianos. The walls of our recital halls are covered with black marks
>> from the pianos being crammed against them. Scratch marks appear on
>> the lids hours after delivery. These are from the little metal feet
>> on the bottom of instrument cases. The faculty doing lectures in the
>> hall use the pianos for desks and put their briefcases (with the
>> little metal feet) and other things on top of the piano. After a
>> while, the instruments get a patina of abuse and you get out the
>> magic marker and quit worrying about it. I try to get the kids to
>> visualize the piano as a brand new Porsche Carrerra their daddy just
>> bought and think about what would happen if they put their
>> instrument case (with the little metal feet) on top of the
>> paint-job....
>
>>
>
>  I agree,It isn't just the students.  I have had professional
> musicians come in and be so disrespectful of the instruments.  When
> our newest D was brand spanking new, a visiting artist, a pianist,
> strolled right in and slammed his briefcase down right on the lid.  I
> asked him politely to remove it and he thought that was funny!  "Boy,
> don't set anything on the piano when Chris is around".  I wanted to
> scream!  We just paid 65 grand for that piano you moron!  Of course I
> said nothing.  I bet if I put my tool kit on his new car he would have
> something to say about it. chris

Hi Chris... just a note to your post. I dont hesitate to tell them to
remove articles. And I dont care who it is I am talking to either. Been
a long time now since I was intimitated by any pianist,,,, at least in
this regard. One thing I like to tell offending "visiting artists"  is
that in the past several years pianists have successfully waged a
campaign against lousy quality, untuned, unkept instruments for concert
use. They have walked away from so many such instruments, cancelled so
many concerts in the process that arrangers, jazz clubs, concert halls,
schools and the like have been forced to respond by buying in new good
quality instruments... so the least we can expect in return is that
these same musicians treat the insvestment with respect.

I had trouble with some sound folks at a jazz festival some years back
with leaving glasses of beer on the top of the grand. I proceeded to
take two such half full half litres and place them smack in the middle
of the mixing board and started to tune. A few minutes later there was
quite the stir when the sound master found them and wanted to know what
was going on. The next morning at technical meeting we had a shoot out
and too make a long story short... that was the last time any lighting
or sound personale put anything at all on top of one of the 8 grands and
3 pianos we used at the festival.  Course I woulda never got away with
it if it hadnt been for the fact that I had the full support of the
festival board.

Like I said before.. nothing you do yourself will have much effect
unless you can count on being backed up by the administration. Its
really their show, and how their instruments are treated reflects mostly
on their leadership.

--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html


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