Time to size down to one grand piano!

With space shrinking in what I affectionately call my "pod," I'm parting with my nightingale singing Baldwin that's sister to a neighboring Steinway. Sitting pretty at 5'5," its voice swims around a room inundated with computers, an elliptical, a digital keyboard, and hoards of Urtext editions. The moment has arrived, therefore, to acquire well-needed breathing…

GRAND comparisons

It's always telling to compare a piano's tone, resonance and decay in the showroom where purchased to its performance in one's living space. Unfortunately, one cannot transport the piano to one's home while evaluating it at the store. In this regard, I can share a pertinent experience where a 7' ft. Grotrian grand whose bass…

My Birthday present to me!

Who would have imagined that a new piano would be my special gift to myself! It was one week since my mother had passed away at 100 and I was devastated, shaken by the loss-- too distressed to be thinking about celebrating my upcoming birthday in any way. Yet when I saw an ad for…

The argument for learning piano on an acoustic

Today I was scoping out some Baldwin Acrosonic pianos on New York Craig's List as I have a few East Coast Skype students who are playing not-so-terrific sounding digitals. They cannot produce a singing tone on them, or enjoy the "feel" of a real piano. (the so-called hammer-weighted feature, notwithstanding) Naturally, not every "real" piano…