is this honest +

[pianoman]

This is what we must try to examine everything we hear put forth and
challenge till we are sure in our own minds.  Public money spent on the
arts breeds this kind of shoddy colored endorsements.  Is there an official
violin or trumpet of the symphony?  How about the official deodorant?  If
public institutions want public money (all our money) there should not be
endorsements made for brand name products.  All makers should have the
chance.  That was the problem with the Van Cliburn competition.  Any piano
is fine as long as it is a Steinway or a Hamburg Steinway and whoa to you
if you used anything else.  That is one reason you don't see Kawais. or
Yamahas very much in the concert halls.  Everyone is to afraid to take the
chance to get Steinway mad at you.  Sure Steinway is great but is it for
the REAL person?
Just my opinion after getting up on the wrong side.
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 
> 
>