NO. James Grebe R.P.T. from St. Louis pianoman@inlink.com "Only my best is good enough" ---------- > From: Wimblees@aol.com > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Re: is this honest > Date: Sunday, November 09, 1997 12:06 PM > > In a message dated 97-11-09 11:02:42 EST, you write: > > >s this happening anywhere else. > >Friday I got a letter form the St. Louis Symphony sent by the Executive > >Director Bruce Coppock. It seems that the Steinway Piano Gallery here is > >having a special sale in conjunction with the symphony music school for > >pianos used in the school and others on special sale. This sounds like a > >normal university sale except that: > >1. The symphony is part of a recipient of special tax monies in this area > >that everyone pays. > >2. The symphony has its own music school that competes with private music > >teacher for the same students. > >3. Since when does the St. Louis Symphony have as its official piano the > >Steinway. They say in the letter, "the same brand of instrument you hear > >us play in concert". Last I heard Baldwin, Kawai, Yamaha, Petrov, > >Bosendorfer, and Fazioli were all competing in this market. True most > >pianists use the Steinway but that doesn't make it "THE OFFICIAL PIANO". > >Could it be that it is chosen many times cause the Steinways are already > >there? > > I am totally against institutions receiving public money and then using > >part of that money to compete against the private businesses doing the same > >thing. Same thing with public educational viewer supported television that > >begs for our money every few months. I watch 'The New Yankee Workshop" as > >well as 'This Old House" regularly. Before and after each program of > >viewer supported programs we are subjected to commercials by Builders > >Square, a travel agency, Porter Cable Tools, Stanley Works, Delta, etc... > > > >How can all these institutions get away with this! > > > > > >James Grebe > > > > Jim: > > I got the same letter, and, of course, being in the piano sales busines, I > was not too happy about it. Unfortunatley, there is not much that can be done > about it. You say, " 1. The symphony is part of a recipient of special tax > monies in this area that everyone pays" The fact the the symphony gets some > public money doesn't prevent it from promoting a private companies. Even > though sales like were previously held at private schools like Webster > University, they also get some public assistence from, in the forms grants > and other funding. Therefore, the symhony can do the same thing. Several car > dealers havealso been promoted by the STLSO, in exchange for sizeable > contributions. There was even an expensive car sitting in the lobby of Powel > Hall once to promote it. > > "3. Since when does the St. Louis Symphony have as its official piano the > Steinway. They say in the letter, "the same brand of instrument you hear us > play in concert". I don't know when the last time was you went to the > symphony, but in the program it clearly states that Steinway is the > "official" piano of the STLSO. This, I guess gives the manufacturere the > right to publicy say so, and hold a sale. Since the Symphony Music School, > formerly CASA, is now owned and operated by the Symphony, and since the > Steinway company has supplied them to the school, they have the right to hold > this sale. > > "2. The symphony has its own music school that competes with private music > teacher for the same students." This is irrelevant. It is a private school, > operated by the symphony. A college's music school also competes with private > music teachers. If there is a music teacher with a large enough music studio > to attract the attention of a major manufacturer to have them supply the > studio with free pianos in exchange for a "sale", I don't think the teacher > would turn that down. In fact, I just got a terrific idea. I am going to hold > a sale of "Music Studio" pianos, after I let my wife teach on them for a > year. Do you think it will work? > > Wim Blees > >
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