<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><style></style></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>Same here David.  Funny line even if not meant to be humorous!  HMiE!  J  I do not have even one reputable music teacher in my client database that teaches on a digital.  Not do any of the professor’s at my college while teaching there.  Yes, they all say the same as yours do too.  Many will simply say “they are a toy to be used for amusement for off-time pleasure but not for real practicing or for real performing.”   While some may own one, they allow waiting students to “play with them” with head phones on while awaiting their lesson time.   I can see that.  Keeps them from being bored.  I don’t see them as a threat either.  Just a new way of life, for some, for now…  <o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>Jer Groot RPT<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of David Boyce Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 5:45 AM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] Is this the work of an RPT?<o:p></o:p></div></div><o:p> </o:p>Not sure whether I should have started another thread with this, as it's going off-topic a bit.  But I wanted to say, interesting anecdote Ger. I was chatting to a client the week before last, who is a high school music teacher, and also an HMiE (Her Majesty's inspectorate for Education) for Music - a schools inspector for music. She was adamant that her electronic keyboard was just "a tool", useful for doing certain things, but that for playing pleasure, it would always be the old Bechstein.  Another client is the same; a music teaqcher and performer with an excellent reputation (and ability to match), he has a good quality 'digital piano' as well as a very high quality upright piano.  For  playing pleasure, it's always the piano.  The 'digital piano' is a useful addition, but not a substitute. The temptation for education departments to save money by buying keyboards for learning on, is unfortunate.  They are better than nothing, and can be a useful music tool, with headphones etc.  But just because they have 88 black and white keys that go up and down, that doesn't mean they're really as good as a piano! Best regards, David Boyce <o:p></o:p><pre>Here is an interesting fact.  Last year, we purchased 25 brand new pianos<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>for our college music department but, due to budget constraints, the college<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>also purchased about (I didn't bother to count them, I could care less)<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>12-15 maybe, digital pianos.  Every single time I am there tuning, which is<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>often, 98 % to many times, 100 % of the digital pianos are NOT being used<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>but, ALL of the real pianos ARE.  <o:p></o:p></pre><o:p> </o:p></div></body></html>