<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> List,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> When Ron Coners was asked where he learned how to do what he does he said “The artists have taught me what I know about pianos…” or something like that. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> At “<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Snow</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">College</st1:PlaceType>”, a “<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Steinway</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">School</st1:PlaceType>” in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:State>, Mark Silverman (Manhattan School of Music) is here for a week long chamber music seminar. While trying out the grands I prepped for him he made these comments; (I thought you might like to hear what one artist said. I’ve certainly heard other things!)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>  “This piano is a bit brighter than the other one, but DON’T change a thing on either! What bothers me with some technicians is that they try to make every piano sound and feel the same. This is wrong. Each piano has its own personality, strengths and weaknesses. The touch may feel different. I will pick one that I like or ask the technician to fix minor inconsistencies, but I won’t ask the technician to try and totally change it for me. They shouldn’t try to force a piano to meet the whim of every artist and continually go back and forth with the voicing.” He spoke at length about the selection hall at Steinway and how incredibly different some pianos are there. He also said that for another repertoire he might choose the other one I prepped, but for the Brahms the “darker” (my words) piano fit perfectly.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Years ago, another fellow that is on his faculty, Andre Schube (sp?), could sense my nervousness and put his arm around me, smiled, and said “The piano is just fine!”  In our world, which has its share of egos and personalities, it’s like a breath of fresh air to have such encounters. Both of these folks were monster players but the nicest fellow you could meet.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Jim Busby - <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Snow</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">College</st1:PlaceType>, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Ephraim</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Utah</st1:State></st1:place> (My other hat)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> </div> </body> </html>