We are approaching a new month and that means Piano PALS (People Always Learning Something) will be planning their next meeting. We had decided on the first Sunday of each month during our last Spring session.  However, at our October 5 meeting it was the “usual crowd”.  We enjoyed rehearsing together, but we were hoping for some new talent.

Piano PALS is an informal group of adult piano players who get together to play duets and trios.  We provide music at beginning, intermediate and advanced levels.  We’ve been meeting at Batchelder’s Plummer Piano in downtown Rapid City so that everyone can play at a grand piano - even if we have 7 or 8 players. It’s lots of fun.   Maybe we have picked the wrong time and place.  Please take a moment to answer a few questions so that we can make better plans.

• What day of the week would be best for you to attend?
• Would you prefer morning, afternoon or evening?
• Are you worried that your playing skills won’t be “up to snuff”?
• What kind of music would you like to play in duet form?
• Would you like to perform in a small recital?
• Would you rather practice alone ?
• Would you like to practice with others?

Those who attend have lots of fun, gain a bit of inspiration and improve their piano playing skills.  We’d like to have more members.

  Whadya’ think? Wanna play?

If you have any questions, please call me at 342-3328.

Thanks for stopping by.  mlt

 

 

Time to make a schedule and stick to it.  That’s what most piano teachers hope for by now.  At this point, most students know which nights will be a heavy load of homework, soccer is done and church activities have been selected. 

Throughout September and into October, I keep my schedule very flexible as students try to figure out how to work in dance, piano and gymnastics.  Most have found the best time for piano lessons and just a few families are coming into the mix with new beginners this week.  If you have been thinking about calling to set up a lesson time, please do it this week - 342-3328 - and I’ll still be able to provide a reasonable after-school slot.

For adult students, I usually offer times before 3 p.m. and after 7 p.m.  Some choose to use a lunch break as piano time.   At any rate, I feel like the old workhorse getting into comfortable harness and settling into a steady trotting pace.

Holiday playing opportunities are also starting up.  On Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008, I’ll be playing at the Lead Opera House for their fundraiser.  The theme is “Phantom of the Opera” and it should be a fun evening.  My student Karen Waltman will be joining me for some holiday duets; we got a lot of practice last year playing in the lobby before “Nutcracker” performances. If you are planning holiday parties, don’t forget to call us EARLY!

How much?  I charge $30 an hour.  If you have special music that I will have to spend time rehearsing and arranging, there will be an additional charge.  That should give you a good ballpark figure to work with when you are talking to any piano player.  Of course, I am very particular about the condition of the piano that will be available (see previous posts).

Today’s picture is of my student Sarah joining me for Christmas Duets at Flowers by LeRoy a few years ago.   We had a great time playing in the front window, surrounded by the finest decorations and the piano was terrific!

Thanks for stopping by. mlt

 

OK- Sammi has a 30-year-old Wurlitzer, probably a console.  Theresa has a ten-year-old Technic keyboard with computer capability.  The standard answer of any salesmen would probably be, “Thousand bucks, if it is in tip-top condition”.

If you are checking out used pianos, here’s some pointers. 

•  Find out if it has been tuned regularly; that should be done at least once a year.  Many tuners leave a mark inside the piano.  Open ‘er up and look around, you should find a tag inside or sometimes some hieroglyphics scratched along the inside .
•  While you’ve got your head in there, look around.  Is it generally clean?  Does it smell OK?  A whiff of mold could be trouble.  Look at the bottom of the cabinet - any signs of water damage? If it is on rollers, do they work?
• Are the legs wobbly? Do they look like they belong to the main body?  Step back and look the whole thing over - sometimes folks put together a real “custom package”.
• If you are looking at a keyboard, ask the owner to keep it hooked up to the computer so you can check out the programs.  GET THE MANUAL, so you know how to run the thing.  Remember a keyboard is a computer and they age quickly.

Hire a professional.  Several times I have shopped for another grand piano, but I have learned to take a tuner along with me for a final inspection.  So far, we haven’t found the perfect bargain, but we have a great time when he shines a flashlight from above and I crawl under the piano to check for cracks in the soundboard.  It’s part of the fun of being an eccentric, artistic type.

So much more than piano lessons.. that’s the catch phrase on my business card.  This photo shows my piano student Brennan a few years ago learning how to handle the ol’ apple picker, a skill he’ll probably remember much longer than practicing scales.  The apple tree is loaded with fruit this year and I sure miss him.

PIANO PALS was a grand rehearsal and soon I hope we will be playing in public.  Check back to find our where and when.

Thanks for stopping by.  mlt

Sammi sent in a comment asking for help to sell her mom’s piano.  Just last week one of my former “piano moms” called to see about selling her digital now that the kids have outgrown it.  So, I’m going to take the plunge and print some advice.

First, let me say, it’s a good idea to let piano teachers know you have a piano for sale. We are in the front ranks of folks looking for a good, used instrument. 

Next, you’ll save a lot of steps by putting an ad in the classifieds.  Be sure to list the brand name of the piano (Kawai, Baldwin, Yamaha, etc), approximately how old it is, whether it was consistently tuned.

Things you don’t need to say:  what pitch it is tuned to, whether the soundboard is good, that it includes a bench (sorry, those just make me fall off my chair from laughing). 

Be realistic about the price.  Pianos are like cars, the minute you drive them off the lot (or unload them from the truck) they begin to depreciate.  If you bought it brand new within the last ten years, you might be able to get half your money back, but only if you have taken extremely good care of it, tuned it twice a year,  and made sure it is played every day.  Realistically, you can probably get about a third of the money you put into it.

 I know, you’ve been told that your Hamlin & Mason or Ivers & Pond is “rare”. Yup, they are rare out here.  (So’s an Edsel.)  An old piano is only good if it has been well cared for. The best pianos are  in a room that gets consistent heating/cooling  and are played everyday.   I can’t tell you how many times people have proudly flung open the door to a cold chamber and displayed a Steinway Grand saying, “We don’t let anyone touch it.”  I know immediately that it is going to sound like a pile of lumber.

Bite the bullet. If there is no one to play it, you don’t have the room or it’s pretty ugly, just let it go for a low price.  Let someone else worry about hauling it away.

Well, this oughta bring out some comments.  I’ll save “advice for the buyer” for another posting.

Thanks for stopping by. mlt