photos – Arioso7's Blog (Shirley Kirsten)

Piano practicing, performance, and gym routines: Always Reach Beyond! (Video, Bach Invention 8 in F)

November 27, 2011February 4, 2013 arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

http://youtu.be/7no8U9pV_SI I take my inspiration from the two Irina/Irena-s, each pronouncing their names slightly differently. Irina Gorin is the ingenious piano teacher from Carmel, Indiana via the Ukraine, and Irena Orlov is from Washington D.C.'s Levine School of Music via Leningrad. They both inspire students to explore and draw out their deepest creative expression. That's… Continue reading Piano practicing, performance, and gym routines: Always Reach Beyond! (Video, Bach Invention 8 in F)

19th Century music, 20th Century music, Aeolian piano, Aeolian piano company, Aeolian spinet, American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, antique pianos, antiques, appraisal piano, arpeggios, Ashburnham, authorsden, Barbie doll collection, Barbie dolls, Betty Boop collection, Bluebook of pianos, bluebookofpianos.com, California, Chesterfields, Chickering piano, Classical era, classical music, Clinkscale's Makers of the Piano, Connell York, dream piano, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, Facebook, Fig Garden Village, Fresno, Fresno California, Fresno Famous, Fresno Historical Society, Fresno Piano Store, humor, J. Fritz piano, Knight piano, Mason and Hamlin piano, memoir, Mr. York, MTAC, music, music history, Music Teachers Asssociation of California, my space, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Old Fig Garden in Fresno, old upright, photos, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano finding, piano finding adventure, piano pedagogy, piano restoration, piano sale, piano society, Piano Street, piano tuner, piano tuning, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld.com, Pierce Piano Atlas, private party piano sale, Robert Furst, Romantic era music, Romantic music, Sam Torcaso, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, The Frederick Collection, The Piano Book, Twenty five Progressive pieces by Burgmuller, used piano, Weber piano, word press, wordpress.com, York, you tube, you tube video

A Table Style Piano with Three Leaves–the whole story in lurid detail

January 26, 2011June 19, 2011 arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Two days following my encounter with the towering no name upright, I was drawn to a Fresno Bee Classified ad, that listed an antique ”Counsel piano” for sale at “$1500 or best offer.” (First thing that popped into my head was Indian pow-wow- tribal "council?") What on earth was a Counsel? I snatched up my… Continue reading A Table Style Piano with Three Leaves–the whole story in lurid detail

Aeolian piano, antiques, appraisal piano, authorsden, Bach Invention, Bach Prelude in C Major, Bach Two Part Inventions, Beethoven, bluebookofpianos.com, Brahms, California, cd baby, cdbaby, Chickering grand piano, Chickering piano, Chopin, Classical era, classical music, Classical period sonata, Craigs List, Creative Fresno, Domenico Scarlatti, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, essay, Facebook, Fig Garden Village, Fresno, Fresno California, Fur Elise, humor, J.S. Bach, JS Bach, Kawai, Larry Fine, Major and minor scales, Mariposa, memoir, mountain lions, Mozart, Mr. York, music, music history, music teachers association, music teachers association of california, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Old Fig Garden in Fresno, photos, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano finding, piano finding adventure, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano pedagogy, piano purchase, piano repair, piano restoration, piano room, piano sale, piano scales, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano teacher, piano technique, piano tuner, piano tuning, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Pierce Piano Atlas, private party piano sale, private party piano sale, Riverdale California, satire, talkclassical.com, used piano, used pianos, word press, wordpress.com, York

A Day with Two Piano Finalists

January 20, 2011January 26, 2011 arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

A Kawai and Chickering were in a tight race, until one took off and surpassed the other. My whole Saturday was consumed with evaluating two pianos: a practically brand new "Kawai" 5'1" grand and a larger, nearly 5'8" size "Chickering," 1980. The Kawai captured my interest because a smaller studio upright of the same brand… Continue reading A Day with Two Piano Finalists

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)

January 19, 2011February 16, 2012 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)

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

January 16, 2011June 9, 2013 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

California, classical music, Classical period sonata, Connell York, Facebook, Fresno, Fresno California, Fresno Famous, Fresno Piano Store, Geneva International, humor, Kawai, Larry Fine, Mr. York, MTAC, music, NAMM, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Nordiska, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Peter Wolf, photos, pianist, piano, piano finding, piano finding adventure, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano repair, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano teacher, piano technique, piano tuner, piano tuning, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Pierce Piano Atlas, satire, scales, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway and Sons, Steinway grand piano, Steinway piano, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, technique, The Piano Book, uk-piano-forums, Uncategorized, used piano, used pianos, Visalia California, Visalia Piano Gallery, Wolf Sound Studio, word press, wordpress.com, York

Recording on a SLEEPER Dream Piano

January 13, 2011January 13, 2011 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

cat, cats, Connell York, Fresno, Fresno California, Fresno Piano Store, humor, Japan, memoir, mice, moths, Mr. York, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, photos, piano, piano finding, piano finding adventure, piano maintenance, piano repair, piano restoration, piano room, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano teacher, piano technician's guild, piano tuner, piano tuning, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, rats, satire, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Steinway and Sons, Steinway grand piano, Steinway M grand piano, Steinway piano, Steinway studio upright, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, uk-piano-forums, Uncategorized, veterans, Waltzing Matilda, word press, wordpress.com, World War II, York, you tube, you tube video

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

January 10, 2011January 12, 2011 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)

antique pianos, Ashburnham, authorsden, Clinkscale's Makers of the Piano, Connell York, Fresno, Fresno California, humor, J. Fritz piano, Lillian Freundlich, Massachussetts, music history, musicology, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, ornaments, Patricia Frederick, photos, pianist, piano, piano finding, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano society, Piano Street, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, satire, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Steinway and Sons, talkclassical.com, The Frederick Collection, The Piano Book, uk-piano-forums, Uncategorized, used piano, used pianos, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

The Ghost of Fritz? Was I Dreaming?

December 28, 2010July 21, 2012 arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I had to pinch myself when I discovered a Craig’s List ad that featured “an antique baby grand piano selling for $1500.” Staring at me was a larger-than-life “Johann Fritz” that seemed to closely resemble the heart-breaker with the same surname formerly housed at a local American Cancer Society Discovery thrift store! It looked like… Continue reading The Ghost of Fritz? Was I Dreaming?

antique pianos, appraisal piano, authorsden, Clinkscale's Makers of the Piano, Fresno, Fresno California, humor, J. Fritz piano, Massachusetts, Massachussetts, memoir, Mr. York, music history, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, old upright, Patricia Frederick, photos, pianist, piano, piano finding, piano finding adventure, piano restoration, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano teacher, piano technician, piano technician's guild, piano technique, piano tuner, piano tuning, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, satire, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Steinway and Sons, Steinway grand piano, Steinway M grand piano, Steinway piano, Steinway studio upright, talkclassical.com, The Frederick Collection, uk-piano-forums, Uncategorized, used piano, used pianos, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

The Fritz Piano of Vienna: A Romantic Era Reborn

December 27, 2010February 13, 2011 arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

On a wind swept day in March, while I was shopping in a busy Northwest Fresno plaza, I spotted a curvaceous baby grand piano through the open door of the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop. Its sunbathed, feminine profile and polished wood exterior drew me to it with the force of a magnet. Decades before, I… Continue reading The Fritz Piano of Vienna: A Romantic Era Reborn

Aeolian piano, antique pianos, appraisal piano, El Cerrito California, Fresno California, Nordiska, photos, piano, piano finding, piano finding adventure, piano lesson, piano repair, piano room, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano teacher, piano technician, piano technician's guild, piano technique, piano tuner, piano tuning, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Steinway and Sons, Steinway M grand piano, Steinway piano, Steinway studio upright, uk-piano-forums, Uncategorized, used piano, used pianos, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Pianos I own and those that I reluctantly let go

December 25, 2010December 27, 2010 arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

My Steinway, model "M" grand, 1917 is a permanent fixture in my living room which doubles as my piano studio. It was rebuilt to perfection in 1992 by Dale Erwin, Modesto. (http://www.erwinspiano.com) I cannot give anyone a higher recommendation than Dale. He views the piano as a singing instrument and voices it exquisitely. His skills… Continue reading Pianos I own and those that I reluctantly let go