Playing Musical Chairs with Pianos

PNOTNR@aol.com PNOTNR@aol.com
Tue Apr 6 18:13 MDT 1999


The school where I work recently learned that an alumnus is interested in 
making a donation to the school of music of a new concert grand piano.  
(Apparently he needs the tax deduction....nice problem to have!)  When told 
that the price tag would be around 60K, it did not seem to be a problem

The only stipulation is that he wants the school to also put something 
towards this.  The chair of the music dept. tells me that there is no money 
budgeted for this, and that the only way the department could come up with 
cash would be to sell one of the two concert grands they now have.

Currently we have a Baldwin Grand, model D from 1963, and a Steinway Model D 
from 1981.  Both instruments need work.

My feeling is that right now we have two mediocre grands and if we sell one, 
we'll end up with one nice new grand, and one mediocre grand.........for 
$60,000.

I said that for the same money, we could completely rebuild both existing 
instruments and have money left over to buy another smaller grand.  But the 
music dept. chair has asked that I provide figures on...

Selling price for a 1981 Steinway & Sons Grand, Model D  (not teflon action)
Selling price for a 1963 Baldwin Grand, Model D

I'd also welcome opinions from you CAUT folks about what might be the best 
way to go from here.  Thanks for any assistence.

Sincerely,

Gordon Large, RPT
Colby College
Waterville, Maine


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