If you own a piano, consider yourself very privileged. Pianos are becoming less and less prevalent, due to the popularity of electric pianos and electric keyboards. It is said that Steinway produced thousands less pianos last year due to this lack of demand. This means, that the existing pianos must be cared for diligently. Good pianos will be gaining in worth, as most classical music cannot be played on the smaller keyboards.
With this said, when is the last time you had your piano professionally tuned? If you haven’t had it tuned in the last year, don’t invite someone to play it as you will be very embarrassed. There are pianos in so many beautiful homes, but the piano is just a “fixture” of eloquence or status. It is to be seen and not heard. Pianos need to be played. The felt pads become very hard and brittle when the lid is left open to the atmosphere. This makes the piano have a tinny sound when played.
I recommend having your piano tuned at least once a year. This gets a little bit of attention given to the workings inside of the piano. Just because a piano looks pretty, doesn’t mean that it will sound pretty.
Some of my most embarrassing moments have been with my sitting down at someone’s gorgeous piano, running my fingers over an arpeggio to find that the piano is hopelessly out of tune. Beautiful antique pianos have a tendency to be very out of tune with even the notes sticking in some areas. This causes embarrassment to the owner of the piano as well as to the musician that has been asked to play it.
I had an unusual experience while in Italy. In a 1500s monastery there was a lovely antique concert grand piano in a large room, which was used for gatherings and concerts. One of our tour guides who knew of my musical background insisted that I play for our group. I was mortified, as I was almost positive that that piano had not been touched in perhaps years and years. I hesitatingly struck a chord just to reassure my hunch, when I was startled to realize that the piano was in excellent tune and repair. I ended up playing at least thirty minutes on it and enjoyed every minute of it. Europeans love their music and their musical instruments.
Speaking of music, there are great fabrics available now with musical notations. There was a time when I searched the shops for this kind of fabric for a project. Musical themed quilts are welcomed by musicians and “wanna be” musicians. The fabrics come in all colors to make it easier to plan a project.
Pictured is Susan Surdyk who lives in Illinois, but visits her parents once a month in Ponte Vedra. She always works her visit in around the monthly meeting of the Ocean Wave Quilters Guild that meets the second Friday of every month at The Players Community Center on Landrum Ln., off CR-210 behind the Shell station. They meet at 10:00 – 12:00 and welcome visitors. The next meeting will be Jan. 8.
Mark your calendar and attend this next meeting. You’ll be so glad you did!
