Budget Pianos for Beginners
Over my 30+ years of music industry experience, I have often been asked how much should one budget for a first piano (or as some like to call it, a “starter” piano)? The problem with this question is the assumption that you will buy more than one piano in your lifetime. Over 90% of customers never buy a second piano.
Here are two possible reasons why:
How Much Do Pianos Cost?
Deciding on a budget for your piano can be one of the hardest parts of the process. Especially if you haven’t shopped for a piano before (or haven’t in a long time), you might be surprised at the range of piano prices you’ll encounter. Some decisions – like whether you are considering a digital piano or an acoustic piano – can narrow the options a bit, but – in the end – understanding piano pricing can be key to making sure your musical investment is… a sound one. Here are some important considerations when determining how much you should pay for a piano:
Kyrene Schools Piano Update: Year One With Roland
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Julie Hackmann from the Kyrene School District. Mrs. Hackmann is the Coordinator of Kyrene’s Visual and Performing Arts Department. It has been a year since her district replaced nearly all of their old school pianos with new Roland Digital Pianos, and we wanted to catch up with her to see how they’re doing. Also, we thought it would be a great opportunity to share with you the process she went through to make this investment happen.
The Truth About School Studio Pianos
If you grew up the way I did, you probably heard someone in your household overuse the whole “right tool for the right job” cliché. Then – to your horror – you found yourself saying the same thing over the years. We’ve all been there. The fact is that there are some tools that work better in certain situations – even when it comes to pianos. While any piano can be used in a school, not every piano is ideally suited for the rigors of a school environment. In fact, some pianos are too small, too fragile or too limited to be appropriate classroom tools. …and since there isn’t much information on the internet about what makes a piano a “good school piano,” I thought I would focus on it here. More specifically, I’m going to bypass grand pianos and talk about the “school studio” piano – the upright piano most commonly found in classrooms around the world. I’ll cover what specific criteria make this piano ideal for the school environment and those criteria might be changing in the years ahead. Let’s get started!
Bösendorfer Pianos – Handcrafting, Beauty, and the Soul of Vienna
Bosendorfer Piano Company was founded on July 25, 1828. On this date, the company was granted membership into the illustrious Austrian Instruments Manufacturers Guild. From the very beginning, the Bösendorfer family set out to make a piano that would attract the world’s finest musicians and make Bösendorfer a household name in Europe. During the 1800s, Vienna was the global hub for what we now call “classical music.” Composers like Mozart, Schubert, Haydn, and Beethoven were active in Vienna and were just beginning to write music specifically for the piano. The son of a carpenter and an accomplished musician himself, Ignaz Bösendorfer understood the unique relationship between exquisite woods, mechanics and tonality. His designs and materials choices resulted in durable, well-balanced pianos capable of producing strong, vibrant tones. This set the stage for Bösendorfer pianos to become the instrument of choice for the greatest pianists of the time, for large concert halls, for royalty and for many who considered a Bösendorfer piano to be a symbol of social status and sophistication.
Tech Tools for Today’s Piano Teachers
If you’ve been a piano teacher for any length of time, you’ve undoubtedly heard about countless “must have” teaching tools for your studio. From flashcards to beanbags, from rhythm cups to theory games, and from play-a-long CDs to MIDI files – you’ve seen it all! Of course, sometimes these tools really DO work – especially with that “difficult to reach” student – and offer some powerful rewards. Often, though, they just find a cozy spot on your studio shelf where they collect dust for what seems like an eternity. How, then, do you know which new “tech tools” will actually HELP you teach and which ones will just drive you nuts over time? Well, that’s where we come in. Thanks to our personal relationships with piano teachers all over Arizona and beyond, we have compiled a list of highly effective tools for modern piano teachers… and – before you start to worry that you’re not “tech savvy” enough to learn these – I recommend you give them a try. Most of these tools are quick and easy to use – especially with the right support from your local Riverton Piano Company store. …so here’s a properly vetted list of REAL tools today’s piano teachers are raving about:
The Truth About the Yamaha GB1K Baby Grand Piano
If you’re looking to purchase a new baby grand piano, the choices out there are vast and varied. Some brands are familiar and some are pretty obscure – but they all claim to be the best in their relative price points. It’s impossible for me to make a blanket statement about which brand or model may be best for you because we’re dealing with two things – Facts and Emotion. Facts are universal (objective). They can be tested and proven. Emotions are just as real, but they aren’t universal (Emotions are subjective). So – since we can’t comment on an individual’s feelings – let’s take emotion out of the equation for a moment and focus on the facts surrounding Yamaha‘s most popular baby grand piano: the Yamaha GB1K.
Making Music with MIDI
Purchasing a hybrid piano, a player piano, or a digital piano opens up exciting options for both the hobbyist and professional piano player thanks to a technology called MIDI.
If you’re not familiar with MIDI, check out our article “What is MIDI and Why Should You Care?” It will get you up to speed.
Currently, all of our Roland digital pianos, Yamaha Clavinovas, PianoDisc player pianos as well as our Yamaha Disklavier and Yamaha Silent Pianos use MIDI. Some can even use MIDI wirelessly over a Bluetooth connection. That means that these pianos give you more options than a traditional acoustic piano and can help you get more out of your instrument. Here are just some of the things they can do:
Finding Funds for Your Piano Program
Without a doubt, one of the greatest challenges for music educators, administrators and college deans is finding funds for musical equipment. With dwindling budgets, failing gear and all those field trips, concert tours, performances, visiting artists, and so much more pulling more resources every year, it’s no wonder schools and universities are in a constant struggle to afford the things they need. This is especially true when planning for high quality instruments which are more expensive initially (though they last longer and produce better outcomes in the long term). How, then, can you hope to find the money you need for your program or musical project?
Refreshing Your Piano Recitals
On June 9, 1840, Franz Liszt hosted a concert in Mayfair, London’s Hanover Square Rooms. The performance was part of a two-concert series advertised as “Liszt’s PianoForte Recitals.” History records this as the first “piano recital.” …but you might be surprised to learn that – though Liszt coined the term itself – many don’t consider him to be the father of modern classical piano recitals. Why? Because they were too much fun! Seriously.
