In this special video episode of A Musical Life, I wanted to talk about the world of the piano from the perspective of a professional pianist. Contrary to what you might think, I’m actually embarrassed to confess how little I’ve actually known about the different makes and models of pianos, much less how they actually work to make beautiful sounds beyond my own instincts and musical training. If a professional pianist has a hard time understanding the differences between piano manufacturers and the mechanical details of what makes one piano different from another, then how is an average lay person or first time piano buyer supposed to fare? To that end, I’m incredibly grateful to author Larry Fine, a piano technician who wrote the pioneering book, “The Piano Book”, and then went on to share his in-depth knowledge of pianos on his website, http://pianobuyer.com
Larry recently published a compendium to his massive website, titled “The Best of Acoustic and Digital Piano Buyer“. This is a fantastic guide to everything about the piano – what they are, how they work, how to care for them, and even how to restore older pianos and dispose of unwanted ones. The book includes an overview of 80 brands of major piano manufacturers, and is an essential guide for everyone interested in pianos.
You can purchase a copy of “The Best of Acoustic and Digital Piano Buyer” at http://pianobuyer.com or on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2CxfiH3 or at local bookstores everywhere.
Temple University’s Music Preparatory Division, or “Temple Music Prep” for short, is a program located in the heart of center city, Philadelphia, that provides high quality, non-credit music and dance instruction, and related activities to the Community on behalf of the Boyer College of Music and Dance, and Temple University at-large.
Jeff Russo was one of the two founding members of the rock band “Tonic”, perhaps best known for their number one hit in the 90s, “If You Could Only See”. Nowadays, Jeff is in demand as a TV and film composer, having scored music for hit shows like “Fargo”, “American Gothic”, and can currently be heard on the new FX Marvel series, “Legion”.
David Hart is the developer of the G4 Guitar Method, a method based on his two decades of teaching and opening schools throughout Australia. David’s G4 method not only teaches students the 7 essential skills of guitar playing – it also teaches teachers how to become entrepreneurs and open their own schools, as evidenced by the 50 franchises of the G4 Guitar method around the world.
Carol Jantsch became the first female tuba player to win a major symphony orchestra position while she was still a senior attending the University of Michigan back in 2006. In addition to her duties as principal tuba of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Carol has been active as a tuba soloist, appearing in recital and in concerto settings with orchestras and ensembles around the world, and now has started her own tuba cover band called “Tubular”.
Sara Davis Buechner has been hailed by The New York Times for her “intelligence, integrity and all-encompassing technical prowess”. As one of the leading keyboard artists of our time, Sara has an active repertoire of over 100 piano concertos and has appeared with prominent orchestras all over the world. Sara was recently appointed to the piano faculty at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance, in Philadelphia.
