[CAUT] "All Steinway" Schools. The problem with...

[Kendall Ross Bean]

David~

Oops. Right you are. Highly unusual in this day and age to see an American
company making a good product... Let's give credit where due, and not throw
the baby out with what he's done in the bathwater...

(By the way, in this case, what is your definition of good...?   ;-)  )

~Kendall 

-----Original Message-----
From: David Ilvedson [mailto:ilvey at sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 5:52 PM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] "All Steinway" Schools. The problem with...

If I might comment...I don't see why we are constantly coming down on
Steinway?   This is an American company making a good product.   We NEED
more of this...

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA  94044

----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: "Fred Sturm" <fssturm at unm.edu>
To: "caut University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
Received: 11/22/2008 5:37:16 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] "All Steinway" Schools. The problem with...


>On Nov 22, 2008, at 1:14 PM, Ed Sutton wrote:
>> Is it possible that only practicing on one brand of piano results in 
>> performers who only know how to play that brand of piano, and so, 
>> believe that it is the only best piano for performance?
>> Kinda like knowing that English is the language everybody else should 
>> learn to speak?
>> ES


>	I have to say that from my experience, what is more important is 
>whether the piano has been well maintained: in good "condition,"
>regulation, voice, tune. Practicing on pianos that are lacking in those 
>respects is definitely a detriment. As for variety, and how that 
>impacts the educational experience, I am certainly in favor of variety 
>(personal experience as a performer/practicer included here). But I 
>must say that I find more variety among pianos within the Steinway line 
>than among pianos in any other line. Some will say that is a defect 
>caused by bad production or design standards. I say it is admirable 
>whether or not it is a "defect," because variety is necessary to the 
>performer. Pity the violinist who has to choose one instrument. I'd 
>rather be the pianist who has to take "pot luck" some times.
>	Bottom line, yes, philosophically and indeed practically speaking I 
>hold with those who favor diversity. Diversity of brand may or may not 
>be a good thing in and of itself, depending on many factors. If the 
>brand S&S plus the marketing skill of the company is capable of getting 
>donors to open their wallets, I say hurrah!! In most of these cases, 
>there was no replacement budget or a laughably inadequate one prior to 
>"taking the plunge."
>	The number of schools which have adequate replacement budgets, and
are 
>capable of maintaining both diversity and quality (of maintenance
>especially) is pretty tiny. I happen to work at one (well, we have an 
>adequate replacement budget, and a not quite adequate maintenance 
>budget). Trying to come up with a variety of quality instruments is a 
>challenge, especially working under state regulations. Our dealerships 
>are limited in their offerings, and I often don't get bids on 
>instruments I would want to consider (eg, the dealer who carries 
>Bechstein as well as Kawai and Yamaha failed to bid the Bechstein last 
>year even though I listed it on the request for bids). Shrinking 
>markets and increasingly weak dealerships mean choices are very 
>limited, unless I want to go to the expense of shipping people 500 
>miles or more to try out pianos (and they are willing to spend the 
>time).
>	In any case, this whole question is very much a mixed bag. There are
a 
>lot of passions aroused one way and another. I think that on the whole, 
>those schools who choose to go all-Steinway are well served, as long as 
>they have adequate maintenance staff. If variety of brand/ manufacturer 
>is a big plus, this means that all the other schools have the 
>opportunity to compete on this basis, and if it is a big plus, the 
>students will come flocking to their doors. What I fail to understand 
>is why people seem to feel threatened. Competition has been going on in 
>the piano world for 300 years. May it continue.
>Regards,
>Fred Sturm
>University of New Mexico
>fssturm at unm.edu