: > > Hi list > Last week a customer asked me if I would give a 20 minute presentation about > pianos to the local rotary club members of whom there are approximately 80. -------------------- > > (the mind runs wild!). > -------------------- > > Thanks > > Jarred Finnigan The mind running wild is an excellent start. Personally, I'd go into debunk mode and try to flush out a few of the entrenched (pardon the term) universal un-truths and misconceptions about pianos. I'd start with the assumed immortality of pianos, and the anecdotal proof that they don't need service... ever - (Aunt Aphasia's old Upright Grand that sat on the porch for 300 years and never got tuned, which nevertheless exhibited the BEAUTIFUL tone characteristic of the species), followed by the outside wall thing (correct side of the wall), and the basement thing (stalactites, penicillin mold, etc). I'd probably wrap with tuning stability as relates to play, temperature, and humidity, and the borderline child abuse inherent in foisting an old crappie shelter off on a poor defenseless kid as a valuable musical educational experience. In short, I'd use up as much of the twenty minutes as I could on "between the eyes" piano education and insure that they vividly remembered the time I came to the meeting. I've done it a few times in the past and it's really a hoot! Be prepared to discuss some of your points in detail with a few individuals for another half hour or so after the meeting because you will actually get the attention of a few conscious individuals with this approach and they'll have questions. If you try to do consumer grade history lectures or Martha Stewart tips, you'll just put them to sleep. It's worth doing, but be more careful what you agree to next time. ;-) Prepare to learn a few things yourself in the process. Ron N
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