<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2769" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=rol= e_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 12/5/2005 1:16:51 PM Central Standard Time, smkroeker@shaw.ca writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><= FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size= =2>Artists are generally polite, but when pressed, usually agree that  <BR>the action is 'heavy and unresponsive' (I have the t/w numbers to  <BR>support this, but won't bore you with them ... yet) coupled with = <BR>relatively soft hammers.<BR><BR>The challenge is to convince the gener= ous donors of this instrument  <BR>that further investment is necessary t= o bring out it's best.  I'd  <BR>like to intersperse my recommendations with 'official' Steinway and  <BR>PTG bulletins.<BR><BR>I'd be very grateful for any suggestions.<BR><BR>Best regards from the frozen Canadian prairie,<BR><BR>Stan Kroeker, RPT<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV>Stan</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Ed suggested what to do to get the piano to sound right. (which is very= good advice). But I think what you're looking for is "ammunition" to convinc= e the donor of the piano to spend money on maintaining this instrument. In mos= t cases, donors think that after spending $50 - 60,000 on an instrument, that = for that kind of money, it should last forever, without doing anything. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Although the PTG does have the CAUT guidelines, this is mostly for institutions with multiple pianos. Since the B is the only piano in this ven= ue, perhaps the best way to approach this is to talk directly to Steinway and as= k if they have something in writing that you can show the Center and the donor. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Another way to get them to get the work done is to talk to an arti= st before the next performance, and ask if he/she will go with you to expl= ain, from their perspective, what should be done to make the instrument better. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Good luck</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It's 45 degrees here in Alabama, and I'm freezing.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"= >Willem Blees, RPT<BR>Piano Tuner/Technician<BR>School of Music<BR>University of Alabama<BR>Tuscaloosa, AL</FONT></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>