Forty Miles of Bad Piano Road

No, I didn't have to play this jewel of a piano.

But it's not beyond imagination (sadly) that a client would say, "Oh, it will be fine---just do what you can with it.  No one will know."

(When they say that, and I've heard it often over the years, I always want to say, "YOU, Mr. Client, may not notice anything amiss because YOU are a moron. But don't underestimate your guests.)

This mangled piano was in a fancy wedding venue in the mountains of North Carolina, not far from Cashiers. It's a fancy place.

I'm hoping that this piano is just there for atmosphere.

But, looking at it, you have to wonder what this piano has seen. Was it beat up this way in a middle-class living room? Not likely.

In a holy-roller church, where it was played by enthusiastic piano-pounders? In a raunchy mountain beer joint where the band set up behind chicken wire? By Jerry Lee Lewis wannabes?

Who knows? It's fun to imagine, but it was more fun to see it and know I didn't have to sit down and fight to make music come out of that box!

History of the Piano--an Infographic

When we sit down to enjoy our favorite instrument--well, at least it's MY favorite instrument--we usually don't think about all the innovations and changes and technological marvels that have gotten us to where we are today.

We just sit down and enjoy making music. But today's fine instruments are just the tip of the historic iceberg.

Here's a guest post from the HeyKiKi blog that illustrates--in a very clear infographic--how the piano evolved. One picture is still worth a lot of words.

If you like context with your music, you'll enjoy this graphic history of the piano at a glance.

A Good Piano Is Hard to Find

So . . . what IS that that makes one piano sound so good, and another (maybe very similar instrument) sound so lifeless and dull?

Well, obviously there are tons of variables--the quality of the instrument, the age of the strings and felts, and all that. But even given a well-maintained piano, I'm mystified sometimes by differences.

I vividly recall playing for a party at a very nice home in a very nice part of Atlanta---and there was a very nice K. Kawai grand in the living room. When I saw the piano, I was excited--a pleasant evening was in store, because I usually really like those pianos.

But it was not to be, and I just couldn't figure it out. The piano was in tune, clearly well-maintained, and the room was large with plenty of wood and reflective surfaces--but that was the one of the DEADEST pianos I've ever played. Maybe it was just a combination of things that I don't understand.

There is huge variety in pianos, and even very similar instruments from wonderful manufacturers can be dramatically different. You have to play it to be sure--the brand name only gets you started.

As always in these discussions, it reminds me of what Atlanta's dean of society pianists, Margaret Perrin, told me many years ago. "There is nothing," she said, "NOTHING, like a big old Mason-Hamlin grand." And, in my very honest opinion, she was exactly right!

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?)