Church Pianos on a Mouse-Sized Budget [was Re: Kids and Pianos]

[Z! Reinhardt]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Nossaman" <RNossaman@KSCABLE.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2001 3:39 PM
Subject: Re: Kids and Pianos [was Re: Scaling problem]


If only good advice worked.

Now how do we throw a blanket over the well meaning church goer who
bypasses the selection process and buys and donates the lowest priced piano
on the planet moments after overhearing discussion of forming a piano
acquisition committee - thereby guaranteeing musical misery for at least
the next ten years by replacing a good old worn out instrument with a
really bad new one?


Ron N

+ + + + +

Be ever observant, watch every move of everyone who just might be thinking
of such a prank, then deftly throw the blanket and catch that little
churchmouse before he/she has a chance to spend any money!!

Actually, this is a really good question.  Perhaps you could start a
precedent with your church customers that no piano would be "admitted" to
the church without the approval of the piano technician, the services for
whom would be borne by the person considering making the donation.  I sort
of have an arrangement like that at a nearby nursing home, and have been
able so far to keep some pretty undesirable stuff at bay.

Now to talk some of my church customers into replacing some of the existing
pianos that really don't function as such, and are really too far gone to be
worth fixing.  Why of course -- solicit for donations on the condition that
any piano under consideration must be approved by the technician (me).

Has anyone tried this approach or some variation of it?

Z! Reinhardt  RPT
Ann Arbor  MI
diskladame@provide.net