Looks Like a Family Lives Here

At a neighborhood reception recently I noticed the family piano, and it made me think of how the piano was once the center of family life.  In the old days, families would gather around the piano for entertainment, and it's interesting to think of all the other benefits that came along with such a group activity.

But this piano clearly has much family use in 2010, and I think that has to a good thing. In fact, I'd say a very good thing..

There's a beginning book of music open, which probably indicates piano lessons. We all know the many benefits of music lessons at a young age.

And then there's just the beauty of the instrument itself, and the way it becomes a focal point for not only the family's educational and musical activities, but as a place to collect many family pictures. What could be more appropriate? It's silently sitting there, symbolizing all kinds of real-world family values.

(And wouldn't it be a good thing if more families had active pianos in the living room? Maybe where the big-screen TV now sits?)

Played this great Steinway last night in the Great Hall--there's no other way to describe it--in Glenridge Hall, an old (major) mansion in North Atlanta. This house is used for movies, but is an actual home.

The piano is perfect, and is perfectly maintained BUT it sounds so good in the room that I went looking for the reason. I play a lot of very good pianos, but this one sounds SO much better that I wondered why. It's not just the size of the piano---around 7 feet--tho that certainly helps.

I figured that the warm, full, almost perfect sound came largely from the wood in the room---the old wood--and from the high ceiling, but I think (after some research) that the enormous size of the hall helps. The wood adds richness and natural reverb , and the ballroom-sized room makes that a natural reverb. You just can't get that sound in a regular-sized room.

Here's a nice explanation of room acoustics and piano sound from the Beethoven Pianos website. Acoustics is an arcane science, but you sure know good acoustics when you hear it . . . so . . . I guess I need a living room that's roughly the size of my entire house!