Wow. . Dublin has a piano festival!

I just thought this was awesome!
Dublin does Piano Festivals!
The pianist in this video is simply magnificent!

What if Wyandotte had piano festivals????
It wouldn't hafta be so thick on the classical side,
as this fest seems to be. . .
. . . .it could be eclectic. .
.. just thinking on electronic parchments, folks,
just thinking out loud
on electronic parchment.

What Is A Square Grand Piano?

OK, folks,
I know it's been a while
since I posted anything new
here on the
Little Piano House blog.
So many new things going on. . .
a fresh paint job in the rooms,
new carpeting. . .
and well,
perhaps the biggest news of all,
which I will detail
at the end of this blog entry. . .  .

And I must admit

that I posted this same blog entry

(more or less)

on another blog I just started,

but more on that later....

Right now,
I'd like to explain or describe
what a Square Grand Piano is.

Where to begin?
Where to begin?
Most people have never seen
a square grand piano in person.
Most people don't even know
what one is.

So,

what is a square grand?

It's an antique piano

that is, basically, square in shape

(a rectangle, really).

Sometimes she is known

as the box piano.

Square grand pianos

have their place in history.

They are, for the most part,

19th century instruments.

Steinway and Sons of New York

first gained infamy as master piano builders

with the square grand piano.

Square grand pianos are from the Victorian era,
as such they are very beautiful to behold.
These magnificent instruments were created,
built and carved by hand by artisans
extremely skilled in their craft.
These pianos have intricately carved legs,
music racks and pedal lyres.
This, alone, gives the square grand piano added value.

Steinway and Sons often used Brazilian rosewood.
Brazilian rosewood is almost extinct today.
In 1967,
the Brazilian government outlawed the export
of Brazilian rosewood logs
and in 1992,
the newly formed CITES
(Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
declared that Brazilian rosewood
is a threatened species.
The aim of the CITES Convention
is to ensure that international trade
in specimens of wild animals and plants
does not threaten their survival.
As a result,
most nations throughout the world
declare it illegal to harvest,
export or import any Brazilian Rosewood.
This ban includes import and export
of finished products made of Brazilian Rosewood.

And when originally crafted,
most of these beautiful pianos had ivory keys.
And so, this, too,
gives added value to the square grand.
Effective this year (Feb. 2014)
Ivory cannot be imported to the U.S. at all,
not even for historic reasons,
like restoring an antique piano.
So, if the square grand has her original ivory keys,
her value,
in the last few months alone,
has just gone up.
If the square grand piano with ivory keys
is in Europe and someone from the U.S. purchases it,
at an auction, for example,
they will not be able to legally bring that piano
into the United States.
Ever.

I respect the ivory laws.
And I most certainly respect
the beasts of our world.
But our musical history is as such
that most square grands
were crafted with ivory keys.
And as such, they are valuable.
And the new ivory law
makes them even more valuable.

Made of Ivory and rosewood,
you just can't buy this piano today.
She isn't made.
And with the name "Steinway & Sons,"
well, she is a treasure beyond measure.

Now let us also consider the fact
that the square grand piano
has her place in the history and evolution of pianos.
She came before the upright and player pianos,
and she certainly came before the modern day grand.
And so, she has value because she is,
in fact, a part of piano evolution. 
She is, in fact,
the grandparent of the modern day grand piano.

When restoring these instruments
new owners of these old pianos
are often amazed that the hammers
have leather instead of felt.
Again, we must look to the times
when these instruments were built.
Piano builders of the day
would have used the material they had on hand.
As such, they had more of a harp sound.
From leather to felt,
this is a part of the piano evolution.

By about 1880-1890,
the upright piano grew very popular.
It was considered as much more fashionable
than the square grand piano.
The upright piano was smaller
(can you believe it?)
and took up less space.
And so, the square grand piano
became obsolete by about the year 1900.

It really is an irony
that these old upright pianos,
the ones that gained favor
after the square grand lost favor,
are the ones all over craigslist
as the instruments people are giving away.
It just blows my mind
that the upright piano is so unwanted today,
so out of favor.
They sound absolutely phenomenal!
My brother owns an upright
and I've always been jealous
of that beautiful sounding piano.
But just a word before you give yours away,
before you post her on Craiglist as "free".. . . . .
...she may have ivory keys!!!

...But, again, history has replaced her
with The Grand Piano....

And even more,
nearly anyone and everyone
can afford or has room in their home
or apartment for an electronic keyboard.
The piano evolution continues,
and not many seem to be aware
of what exactly they have
nor of what the history is. 

Sadly, many give away
or throw out an old piano totally unaware.
I have a facebook photographer friend
who takes photos in abandoned buildings
and is always posting pics of pianos
that have been abandoned. . . .
. . .makes me so sad. . . . . . 

. . .how I wish I could take all of them in.
How I wish I could save
and restore every unwanted upright, grand and square. . .
 . . .in my next life
I'm going to save all of the pianos,
start a piano museum,
restore and repair and tune them
and then give them to loving families who want them.

 . . But I digress. . . . 
Back to the square grand. . . 

Even though the square grand piano
has her place in history,
there are those who would detract
and state that the square grand piano
has an inferior sound.
The truth is,
it is a softer sound than the grand or upright.
As previously stated,
some actually sound like a harp.
So we can't compare apples and oranges. 

We need to understand
what was going on in history
and what materials where available at the time,
as well as look at what venues
these pianos were crafted for. 

Today, we want baby grands and concert grands.
We want Elton John's pianos
to have bigger and bigger sound.
We want louder and louder pianos
every time we see him. 
And, in fact,
looking at things historically,
putting things in perspective,
today's modern music really
does carry a harsher/louder sound.

Back in the day,
there were theaters and parlors
that needed the music of the piano.
Back in the day,
an instrument that made music
to fill The Palace of Auburn Hills
wasn't being considered.
It was a softer sound, a gentler sound,
that was so desired. 

And so,
now that I've more or less explained
what a square grand is,
you probably wonder why.
It is because with great joy
we want to tell the whole wide world
that we now find ourselves
as the new owners of a very, very old antique piano.
(Pianos are considered antique at 100 years old.)

We are the new owners
of an antique piano that is museum worthy.
She is a square grand piano.
She bears the name, "Steinway & Sons."
She is 142 years old.
I've named her Andrea.
Hey, people name their boats.
Why can't I name my piano? 
She hasn't been delivered yet.
She won't come home for a couple of more days yet.
But I will let you all know once she gets here!!

This blog, then,
is dedicated to finding creative ways
of raising necessary capital
to have her completely restored. 

Please, help me welcome Andrea the Piano
to The Beautiful City of Wyandotte, MI
. . . and more specifically,
to The Little Piano House!

Stairway to Heaven!

Post by Little Piano House.

As always,
remember that private piano lessons
(as well as semi-private piano lessons)
are available
in The Beautiful City of
Wyandotte, MI
Contact me here
or on the Little Piano House Facebook page. 

Piano Lessons in Wyandotte, MI

 Yes, piano lessons in the beautiful city of Wyandotte.
I recently moved things around
in The Little Piano House.
The room for group lessons is just about ready.
I still have one more instrument
that needs to be moved in.
And I hope to purchase another,
an 88-key keyboard w/weighted keys,
but that probably won't happen until the spring.

And,
The White Board is up
and in use!
Here's a pic of the White Board.
I had to take several as the window
kept giving me a glare.
I finally figured out
that I have to put a curtain in that window!!!

Anyhow,
the White Board will feature things
like quotes from composers,
music terminology,
words of inspiration, etc.
This will be the first things students see
when they come in for their lesson.

And yes,
The Little Piano House
is actually a little house
in the city of Wyandotte
near Roosevelt High School.
It's guest house on our property
used for music and art and things creative.

Remember,
private, semi-private
and group lessons
are available,
with discount for Senior Citizens.

Are you ready for your first piano lesson?

 

Group Piano Lessons Now Available in Wyandotte!

Yes,
you read that right!
Group piano lessons are now available
at The  Little Piano House.

I still need to update this blog
and update The Little Piano Facebook Page
to show the cost and time slots,
but you can feel free to send me a message
if you are interested.

The class will run
when we have 4 registered students.
Book fee of $5.
After that initial starter book,
all other books will be provided for
free of charge
as a part of the lesson.

Lesson cost $8 per class session,
4 sessions per month
(once a week).
The class will run for 45 minutes.

Wednesday - 5:30p.m. - 6:15p.m. - ages 8-14
Wednesday - 7:00p.m. - 7:45p.m. - adults

More dates and times
as need demands.

And yes,
there are enough instruments
in The Little Piano House
for everyone to work with
when they attend this group class.

 So,
are you ready for your first lesson??

Piano Lessons for Summer Vacation

The school year is almost over.
What plans do you have
for your children for summer vacation?

Will they be involved sports?
Swimming?
Vacation Bible School?
Summer camp?

Why not consider enrolling them
in piano lessons?
The benefits are far reaching.
You see, it’s not only about music study.

Piano study helps increase math scores,
test scores and I.Q.
In fact,
kids who continue their playing piano
through their teenage years
average about 100 points higher on the SAT.

What’s more,
undergraduates who major in music
have the highest acceptance rate
into medical school, at 66%.

Piano study helps to raise self-esteem.

Piano study helps children focus,
helps them develop concentration skills.
                               
Playing piano is good for your health.
Research reveals
that those who are involved
in creating music
on a regular basis
experience less anxiety,
loneliness and depression.

Do contact me.
Low cost piano lessons
are available  in the beautiful city
of Wyandotte, MI
 
Let’s get your child involved
in the study of piano.
The benefits are a lot more
than music study.
Your child will reap
a lifetime of benefits.

Piano Lessons For Beginners - Lesson 4 - How Do I Play A Scale?

OK, piano newbies! Let's learn the C Major Scale!

Also, here is a link to a picture scale. The first scale in this link is the C Major scale,
the one demonstrated in this video.
The numbers refer to which finger you use.
Thumb is finger 1,  pointer finger is 2 . . . pinky is 5 (this numbering is for both hands).

When you are ready to learn more about scales,
to learn how to create a scale starting on any note of the piano,
just contact me for information on private and semi-private piano lessons
in the Beautiful City of Wyandotte, MI.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Piano Lessons for Beginers - Lesson 3 - What Are Intervals?

The third video in this series,
Piano Lessons for Beginners Lesson 3 discusses intervals.
An interval is the distance between two notes.

I offer these videos for those of you who aren't quite ready
to sign up for piano lessons just yet,
but want a little something to get you started at home.
When you are ready lessons,
don't forget to contact me
for Piano Lessons in the Beautiful City of Wyandotte, MI.

Piano Lessons for Beginners - Lesson 2 - What Are Sharps And Flats?

Lesson 2 of online piano lessons for the beginner piano student.
This lesson details sharps and flats.
The video will show that sharps and flats are not always necessarily on the black keys.
It also details how to go "up" and go "down."
Again, I post these videos for those of you
who are aren't quite ready to sign up for piano lessons
but would like a little something to get you going at home.
When you are ready for lessons,
don't forget to contact meat Wyandotte's Little Piano House.

Piano Lessons for Beginners - Lesson 1 - Can You Name The White Keys?

I found this video on youtube and found it to be so on the mark.
If you are considering taking piano lessons
at Wyandotte's Little Piano House,
but aren't quite ready to register yet,
this, and subsequent videos, may help you at least get started at home.
This video will help you loads with naming the white keys on the piano.
When you are ready to register for piano lessons,
just contact me!