[CAUT] endangered European piano- newspaper article

[Ron Poire]

Hallelujah!
Absolutely right.
I hope, that perhaps some of the instruments we are now throwing away, will 
be more economically salvagable.

Ron Poire


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Elwood Doss" <edoss at utm.edu>
To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 12:26 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] endangered European piano- newspaper article


> As the Asian market takes over more of the piano production, the workers
> will demand more income and a more lavish lifestyle.  That will continue
> to raise the price of overseas pianos.  The energy crisis will make it
> more expensive to ship overseas pianos to the US.  All of this will
> cause the piano manufacturers to move their operations back to the US.
> The electronic keyboards will be made more and more cheaply which means
> that, instead of having a life of 50 to 100 years, consumers will only
> get 5 to 7 years out of one, and the cost of repair will be prohibitive,
> let alone trying to get parts for them, and the consumer will continue
> to purchase new and used pianos.  The cost of purchasing a keyboard that
> has the same touch as an acoustic piano will continue to go up and be
> comparable to a used upright so the consumer will opt for the instrument
> that will last the longest...I could go on....
> Is the acoustic piano doomed?  Not on your life!
> Joy!
> Elwood
>
> Elwood Doss, Jr., M.M.E., RPT
> Piano Technician/Technical Director
> Department of Music
> 145 Fine Arts Building
> The University of Tennessee at Martin
> Martin, TN  38238
> 731/881-1852
> FAX: 731/881-7415
> HOME: 731/587-5700
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
> Richard Brekne
> Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 1:07 PM
> To: caut at ptg.org
> Subject: [CAUT] endangered european piano- newspaper article
>
> It is as I have said many a time... the acoustic piano is doomed. Sooner
>
> or later the public market will not be large enough to be able to
> support the industry.... and factories will close.  The public... too
> huge a majority will opt for cheaper and, to their ears.... just as good
>
> an option be it the cheaply made asian instruments or later on in our
> immediate future inexpensive, highly versatile, portable and maintenance
>
> free electronics.  The piano industry... and the acoustic industry as a
> whole will be reduced to what is left of the Harpsichord industry
> today.... if that much.
>
> Its a Brave New World out there folks... few seem to be very much aware
> of whats just around the next corner.  You think the Matrix movies were
> all that far fetched ??? Think again, and ponder the consequences.
>
> Cheers
> RicB
>