Month: January 2011

appraisal piano, authorsden, Baldwin piano, Beethoven, California, cast iron piano plate, cd baby, cdbaby, Classical era, classical music, Connell York, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, Facebook, Fresno, Fresno California, Fresno Piano Store, Fresno Superior Court, Fur Elise, humor, in propria persona, memoir, music teachers association, music teachers association of california, music teachers associationo of California, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Northwest Fresno, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, photos, piano, piano finding, piano finding adventure, piano maintenance, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano teacher, piano technician, piano technician's guild, piano tuner, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, small claims court, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, uk-piano-forums, used piano, used pianos, word press, wordpress.com, York

Fighting for a Dream Piano (Hopefully it should not come to this)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

This writing, true to the last detail is meant to give piano buyers a heads up about how to handle a situation where an Oral Agreement may be breached by a seller. The following ad was placed at the on line Fresno Bee Classifieds website: Published 07/12/07 00:00:00 PIANO Baldwin Baby Grand cherry, xlnt cond… Continue reading Fighting for a Dream Piano (Hopefully it should not come to this)

antique pianos, antiques, appraisal piano, authorsden, bluebookofpianos.com, cabinet grand, cd baby, cdbaby, Connell York, cracked piano plate, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, Facebook, Fresno Piano Store, humor, Larry Fine, mice, moths, Mr. York, MTAC, music, music teachers association, music teachers association of california, my space, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Northwest Fresno, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, old upright, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano finding, piano finding adventure, piano repair, piano restoration, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano teacher, piano technician, piano technician's guild, piano tuner, piano tuning, piano warm-ups, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Pierce Piano Atlas, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Steinway grand piano, Steinway studio upright, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, technique, The Piano Book, uk-piano-forums, used piano, used pianos, word press, wordpress.com

Do’s and Don’ts for Piano Buyers and Sellers (Dream Piano’s last Chapter)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

DO’s for Buyers If possible take along a Registered Piano Technician and performing pianist with a good pair of ears to evaluate a used or new piano on the market. You can find a list of RPT members at your Piano Technicians’ Guild online site, or look in the business or Yellow Pages for the… Continue reading Do’s and Don’ts for Piano Buyers and Sellers (Dream Piano’s last Chapter)

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Piano Instruction: Playing Diminished 7th chords and arpeggios (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVZyIhTXmag In order to understand how a diminished chord is formed a student needs to know the difference between a Major and minor third. A Major third has two consecutive whole steps from a starting note so for example, C to E creates a Major third. If a student sings C to D to E,… Continue reading Piano Instruction: Playing Diminished 7th chords and arpeggios (Video)

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DREAM PIANO: Overview and Acknowledgments

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

My two-year long romp on the piano finding trail with York as my professional companion and consultant had been worth all the time spent in, around and under pianos. How else would I have acquired knowledge about the piano’s harp, or cast iron plate were it not for his having the bravado to dismantle it… Continue reading DREAM PIANO: Overview and Acknowledgments

American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, antique pianos, antiques, appraisal piano, arpeggios, authorsden, Bach Prelude in C Major, bluebookofpianos.com, cabinet grand, cast iron piano plate, cd baby, cdbaby, Chesterfields, Classical era, classical music, Connell York, Fresno, Fresno California, Fresno Famous, humor, JS Bach, keyboard technique, memoir, Mr. York, music, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Northwest Fresno, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, old upright, photos, piano finding, piano finding adventure, piano lesson, piano repair, piano restoration, piano room, piano scales, piano student, piano teacher, piano technique, piano tuner, piano tuning, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Rondo form, Sam Torcaso, satire, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Steinway and Sons, Steinway M grand piano, Steinway studio upright, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, technique, The Piano Book, The Well Tempered Clavier, uk-piano-forums, Uncategorized, used piano, used pianos, Victor Thasiah, word press, wordpress.com, Wurlitzer piano, York

On the Meat Rack of used pianos: One that Never Left Its Home

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I received a phone call on a June morning from a man who inquired about my piano-finding services. He sounded like he might be from India, but I wasn’t sure. “Do you help with selling a piano?” he inquired. "On occasion, I do," I replied. "It depends on the quality of the instrument." I could… Continue reading On the Meat Rack of used pianos: One that Never Left Its Home

Anne Meux, cd baby, cdbaby, Classical era, classical music, Fig Garden Village, Fresno California, Fresno designated landmark, Fresno Historical Society, humor, memoir, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Northwest Fresno, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, old upright, piano, piano finding, piano finding adventure, piano restoration, piano society, Piano Street, piano teacher, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, satire, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway and Sons, Steinway grand piano, talkclassical.com, The Meux Home, Tulare and R Street, uk-piano-forums, Uncategorized, used piano, Weber upright piano, West San Ramon Fresno, word press, wordpress.com

Anne Meux, her pianos, and my visit

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

From the Internet site about the Meux Home that is located in downtown Fresno within walking distance of the Amtrak station: "One of the prime houses in terms of historical and architectural significance is the Meux Family home at the northwest corner of Tulare and R Streets. "The home was built in 1888 by Dr.… Continue reading Anne Meux, her pianos, and my visit

arpeggios, Classical era, classical music, Classical period sonata, counterpoint, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, humor, Mozart, Mozart sonata in C K545, MTAC, music, music history, musicology, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano pedagogy, piano room, piano scales, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano teacher, piano technique, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Rondo form, scales, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway and Sons, Steinway grand piano, Steinway M grand piano, Steinway piano, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, technique, Theory, Uncategorized, video performances, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Instruction: Mozart Rondo: Allegretto, 3rd mvt. Sonata in C, K. 545

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6oSo-WC9OM http://youtu.be/Meb-yhioUIo In this instructional video I analyze the form and musical content of Mozart's Sonata in C Major, K. 545, Rondo: Allegretto, Third movement. (I play behind tempo to make the commentary and musical phrases more understandable) The Rondo, more often than not, is the form used in the last movement of a Classical… Continue reading Piano Instruction: Mozart Rondo: Allegretto, 3rd mvt. Sonata in C, K. 545

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Recording on a SLEEPER Dream Piano

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

On a whim, I had decided to make an hour long trip to Visalia about 50 miles south of Fresno to sniff out the stock over at the “Piano Gallery.” (This was before it went out of business) A medium size establishment in an upscale shopping mall, it was owned by “Ginnadiy Merkerin,” a Russian… Continue reading Recording on a SLEEPER Dream Piano

arpeggios, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, five finger positions, five finger warm-ups, Fresno, Fresno California, gymnastics, keyboard technique, Major and minor scales, MTAC, music, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, pentachords, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano pedagogy, piano scales, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano teacher, piano technique, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, pyrotechnical exercises, scales, Teach Street, technique, Uncategorized, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Instruction: Five finger warm-ups in Major and minor (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Most piano students can begin playing five finger major and minor positions between the 6th and 9th month of lessons, if not sooner. Young children learning the basic symbols of notation and rhythm may need a longer period before embarking upon these exercises, although in Faber's "Piano's Adventures," Primer level, a five finger warm-up appears… Continue reading Piano Instruction: Five finger warm-ups in Major and minor (Video)

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Piano Tuner, York on Mice, Rats, Moths and Cats (Video, part 2)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

In this part two follow-up to York's World War II Memoir, the seasoned piano tuner relaxes into his emblematic animated conversation, telling the world how to eradicate mice, rats, and moths from pianos. Oldsters watching better have a fresh pair of Depends, because York lets loose with some mighty over the top, funny lines. Throw… Continue reading Piano Tuner, York on Mice, Rats, Moths and Cats (Video, part 2)