It’s been over three years since I have posted in my blog FocusedHour88Keys. I decided it was time to jump back in and focus on my favorite instrument, as well as a lifetime of committing to playing the piano capably and with great musicality!
So, I am 67 years old and my first piano was a small Baldwin spinet- an Acrosonic. My Dad received a promotion at the bank where he was a real estate attorney. So, he knew how much my mom wanted a piano and he bought her one. I can still remember the day the piano was delivered. My mom was at the corner of our street Vaughan in NW Detroit, and I remember her screaming. “Run Rosemary run we just got a piano.” I was walking with my childhood friend Mark James, and I turned to him and said something like “I’ve got to go!” And off I went.
My mom took piano lessons first, but eventually it was I who raised my hand, when my dad asked “who wants to take piano lessons?” It was the start of my musical journey….and helped me to create my piano motto - Changing hearts and minds one note at a time. Whatever your reason for playing the piano, come up with a statement that holds you accountable to practicing, playing and even performing.
But I digress. I am a social media person to an extent, and I find myself perusing my Facebook page, for several reasons. I like to see pictures of my adult children, on vacation, with their friends, or even their posting of humorous anecdotes. I also have a judge colleague, who posts loads of interesting things about history, as well as fun family vacations. I love to post about my home town of Detroit, my favorite musicians, and interesting stories, about historical figures.
Facebook, also has groups particularly community Buy Sell and Trade pages. Here, people put their items on the page to sell—-It’s an interesting approach to the old fashioned garage or tag sale. The concern I have is that folks put pianos up for sale on the site. And they sell these instruments for $1.00 or $5.00. The pianos are beautiful spinets with a history and a story. Shouldn’t these pianos become part of a school music department where they can be used by students to become better musicians?
I have friends who often tell me, I bought my child a keyboard, then I I don’t have to tune a piano. Really? How can a keyboard replace a real live piano? It can’t and don’t lull yourself into the the thought process that it can. The touch and feel of a real piano, the sound, the craftsmanship, well there is nothing like it in the world.
I even suggest that if you want a real piano, go on one of these Facebook Buy Sell Trade pages, and buy one of these instruments for cheap. Then turn around and contact your local piano tuner guild, find a tuner, and get it tuned. It might require having the tuner coming back a couple of times in a year, to bring the piano to an amazing place . But I guarantee this will work. Be part of this piano’s story. This piano could change your life! We all want to change hearts and minds one note at a time. And here is a way to start!
I
