Hey Mr Invisible :) I suspect that this rather correctly mirrors the situation... if it isnt actually conservatively positve. Cheers RicB Topperpiano@aol.com wrote: > Years ago I was privy to some research done by one of the piano > manufacturers and the MTNA. Their research showed that the attrition > rate of students on old upright pianos and spinets over 30 years old > was about 80% and the attrition rate of students who started lessons > on new pianos was about 20%. I no longer have any evidence that this > was accurate and one could question the findings given the possible > bias by the piano company and teachers. You could also speculate on > the commitment by the parents to keep their children practicing if > they had made the monetary investment of a new piano. All in all I > think the results had some real validity. The problem arises when the > student has a piano that is so far removed from the quality of the > teacher's piano. It also becomes an issue when certain musical > requirements are made beyond counting and basic dynamics. It is really > difficult to create a legato line using a piano with a retarded decay > rate. And nearly impossible to play staccato notes on old uprights > with inadequate damping and overall ringing. The results from the > piano manufacturer's standpoint is that if teachers would recommend > new pianos then they would keep students longer. I really can't argue > much with this line of reasoning given the really horrible pianos that > students have purchased on a teacher's recommendation.
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