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Home Links: University of Wyoming Music Dept.
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The piano technical resource site |
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If you own a piano, consider that your piano may be one of the single most valuable items you own. To keep your instrument in top shape requires the skill of a piano technician. Your technician is not only an experienced tuner, but also a skilled craftsman able to regulate, repair, or rebuild as well. I have provided this site to give you a resource for piano technical issues. In the question and answer pages, I have addressed issues such as tuning, voicing, regulating, and how to find an experienced piano technician. I welcome any questions you may have about pianos or the website. Click on "Ask a Question or Feedback" and fill out the form on the page to ask any piano related question that you might have. I will either post an answer in the "Answers to Questions" page, or send you a personal reply as soon as I can. Please, before you send me a request to assess the value of a piano, carefully read the "Piano Age & Value" page. Please do not ask me to assess the value of or date your piano. These services are usually available through your local piano dealer.
You may download (links on the left - you will find the sound quality nicer on these) or play below recordings of two piano pieces taken from a CD of my own performances on a Bechstein concert grand. These MP3 files are in zipped format. Download them to your computer placing them in a folder such as My Music. Unzip the files, and double click on them to open them to your designated MP3 player. To play in your web browser, just activate the flash player by clicking on it once, then on the play button.
Chopin Etude Op.25 No.6
Ondine from Gaspard de la Nuit by Ravel
A visit to the New York Steinway & Sons Factory
On September 27th, 2006 I had the privilege of traveling to New York city to the Steinway factory. I was accompanied by three faculty pianists from the University of Wyoming as well as Mark Dunkley and his wife from Dunkley Music in Boise, Idaho to select a new concert grand for the music department. What a remarkable experience it was. After a brief tour of the factory, we selected a beautiful model D, as well as a model B for a private customer. Each and every piano was beautiful, and wonderfully prepared by technicians Dirk Dickten and Terry Walsh. Many thanks to these hard working guys that have a rigorous schedule of selections to prepare for every week. I came away from the experience impressed in several ways. First of all, that Steinway is a remarkable company dedicated to producing absolutely wonderful pianos. Forget any negatives you may have heard such as "old Steinways are better that new ones" or, "you are just paying for the name". Not true. You have only to see, hear and play for yourself. Secondly, the factory program of old Steinway piano restorations is unequalled. There were several old restored pianos in Steinway Hall that were astounding. What a treat to sample some of these instruments that were from 1891, 1898, 1921, 1934, and 1947. You could not tell these pianos from the new ones. And lastly, I was impressed with the people. These were genuinely helpful, friendly, and skilled professionals dedicated to working for a quality company. If you ever get a chance, make it a point to visit there and see for yourself.
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