[CAUT] pushing pianos

[reggaepass at aol.com]

A little appeal to vanity goes a long way.
Ain't it true!?!


ae


-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Sturm <fssturm at unm.edu>
To: caut at ptg.org
Sent: Fri, Jul 23, 2010 11:48 am
Subject: Re: [CAUT] pushing pianos



On Jul 23, 2010, at 9:40 AM, reggaepass at aol.com wrote:


Allow me to clarify something: For the summer high school music camp that takes place here at CalArts, I am always present when a piano is being moved.  One has to go a fair distance, and the piano instructor (himself a piano technician!) wants to use the opportunity to teach whatever can be taught to pianists who find themselves pushing pianos around.



    I think this is a good idea. Two adults in charge. You COULD just move it yourselves. But I applaud you and your colleague for making it an opportunity for serious up and coming musicians to learn something - obviously the caveat being that it is done in such a way that they do learn something. 
    These are people who are likely to be pushing pianos around during their lives, not just generic adolescents. They are also likely to be people in charge of others who will be pushing pianos around. Why is it such a bad idea that they be given this experience? Nobody learns from a blanket prohibition. In this case, it is better they should not learn later from the experience of breaking legs and lyres or worse, since the experiences related on this list make it obvious that people are going to try to move pianos themselves, whether we like it or not.
    The realities should be made as vivid as possible: right brain, not empty words from the left brain. Think of pushing a car. How hard is it to get it going? Once it is going, how easy is it to stop it? What happens when a tire hits a curb or a rock? The piano truck has much smaller wheels, and they are not pneumatic - no give or bounce. They can be stopped cold by a pebble. The legs are like toothpicks compared to the weight of the piano. They can shatter instantaneously. Images like that can penetrate and last (and I know Alan can do a great job of making that happen).
    In a practical way, the first step is to look at the whole pathway to be traveled. Are there any obstacles whatsoever? This means bits of grit on the floor, as well as any expansion joints or low sills. Any foreign objects should be swept away. Any bumps should be negotiated with the piano at a dead stop before you go over them. (How long does it take to get the piano to a dead stop? Try it on a floor that is completely clear of obstacles. Plan ahead). Only the very smallest bumps can be negotiated at all. Period. Treat the operation very seriously, model responsible behavior for them to emulate.
 It also wouldn't hurt to tell them most of your colleagues think they shouldn't be doing this, that they will most likely cause all sorts of damage. But you know that they are exceptional. A little appeal to vanity goes a long way.

 

Regards,
Fred Sturm
fssturm at unm.edu
http://www.youtube.com/fredsturm

 


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