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Tiffany Poon visits Steinway


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 Find 500 of Harry's jazz piano arrangements of standards, for educational purposes and tutorials, at https://www.patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and also helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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She's a wonderful player but this whole "vault concept" is a bit snobbish and off putting to me personally.

 

I thought Rich Gallassini of Cunningham Pianos in Philadelphia summed it up quite well on Piano World :

 

"The whole idea of "the vault" is the expansion of something piano dealers have been doing for decades. It is standard practice to have an area that is reserved for a special customer that contains special pianos. This idea originally came from the real need of someone choosing a serious piano to have some uninterrupted time to do so.

 

Dealers began using these areas to denote exclusivity. The feeling that only "special people" got to go in. That you somehow were "better than" others if you were invited into this special room. It made the client feel "included" in an inner circle of some kind. Wine racks, champagne coolers, chandeliers, and fine furnishings were added. The whole idea works when you are going for "exclusivity".

 

My personal problem with the idea is that exclusivity is exclusion. Exclusion is the way some dealers operate. I am clearly 180 degrees removed from that idea and I believe in having an inclusionary or inclusive way of doing business. I believe it will encourage more people to enjoy all of the great things that active music making at the piano has to offer. It is good for the improvement of life for all people and I think it is also good for business.

 

Do I have very expensive pianos? Do I supervise how those instruments are treated? Of course I do. That is a huge investment in the actual instruments and it is a significant labor expense to keep them in fine shape.

 

But I encourage everybody who might stop into one of my stores to sit at my most special instruments. Experience them. Understand what makes a great piano sing. Also, the look on a 7 year old's face who plays the instrument that Louis Lortie had played three nights before in concert makes my day.... and I might have planted a seed in that 7 year old that will blossom into a lifelong passion.

 

My 2 cents".

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Just yesterday I stopped by Pierre's Fine Pianos in W. LA as I was in the area for a recording session. This nobody came in unannounced in shorts and a sweatshirt and unceremoniously played two of the finest pianos I've ever played - a 2004 used Fazioli 212 and Herbie's current piano for gigs outside his home. A just under two year old Fazioli 278 . I prefer the casual, non-pretentious atmosphere of Pierre's shop to the uptight suits that size you up when you walk in the door. :rolleyes:;)

 

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That 2.5 million arty-farty piano looks like crap to me. Gibson guitar every few years does a total art piece guitar and they look just a trashy and equally ridiculous price. I was surprised Steinway did a John Lennon while piano, but just an excuse to overprice a piano. I agree with Dave Ferris this vault stuff is too snobbish.

 

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That 2.5 million arty-farty piano looks like crap to me. Gibson guitar every few years does a total art piece guitar and they look just a trashy and equally ridiculous price. I was surprised Steinway did a John Lennon while piano, but just an excuse to overprice a piano. I agree with Dave Ferris this vault stuff is too snobbish.

 

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I just visited Cunningham Pianos showroom in King of Prussia today. I called beforehand to make sure they had the models I was interested in auditioning. I told them my budget and the wonderful sales person who both gave me space to play and also answer all my questions, said, "You can't leave without playing the 9 foot Bosendorfer (which was, of course, way beyond my price point). Last time I was in, Rich said you have to try the Yamaha CFX, even though I was looking at the AvantGrands. That's my kind of store!
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Rich G. is a gem. When we lived in New Jersey, young and quite broke, my wife humored me and we drove out with two small children to Cunningham Piano. No appointment, just random people off the street. Rich greeted us like we were there to buy his best piano, and encouraged me to play anything in the store. I found a Bosendorfer 225. My wife had excused herself to the restroom when I started playing. I was lost in the sound - one of the best Bosendorfers I've ever played. From across the room, she exclaimed, "What is THAT?". She still talks about that piano. I couldn't afford it. Rich didn't mind. He knew how special that piano was and was glad to share it, and told us all about it with the same enthusiasm I had for playing it. His attitude and spirit would certainly welcome anyone to explore what is musically possible!
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Hmmm,, if I remember correctly,, wasn"t ' Tiffany Does Steinway ' the sequel to ' Debbie Does Dallas'?

Just the name "Tiffany Poon" conjures so many confusing images that my brain goes into hyper-weird, and fails to process the rest of the sentence.

 

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

-Mark Twain

 

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