Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance by my Daughter & Son

•  Remembering J Brahms on his birthday (May 7, 1833)

Composer, J Brahms

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Virtual Music Lessons During Covid19

Daughter has been doing virtual Music Lessons since Spring 2020 -- with no end in sight! No one at the Music School seems to feel constrained to end the situation  😐😕😟 So far we've missed Spring Recital, and Christmas Recital. 

Lord, please rid our land of Coronavirus!

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Son's Free Bechstein Grand Piano

Impossible! It must be a God-thing. My previous encounter with a Bechstein Piano  occurred last year in MN at the lovely home of two kind Doctors whose son attends the same college as ours.

Hubby said Mr Doctor ordered his Bechstein Piano directly from Germany and took months to arrive in the US. I can only hazard a guess as to how much $$$ money $$$ it set him back, but I suppose he could afford it.

 My son and daughter in law did not need to order: their beautiful, re-built, C. Bechstein grand piano was literally handed to them -- for free (!!!) and included freight delivery up 3 flights of narrow stairs to their Wiesbaden apartment. Praise the Lord. God is good!! I am also very thankful that son can now make use of several years of weekly Piano lessons courtesy of the deep pockets of his good ol' mom and pop.

pc: JSE

C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik AG

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Yamaha Grand Pianos at Costco

I heard the unmistakable sound of tinkling pianos as I walked into Costco and saw gorgeous Piano beauties on display.  I was drawn to the one and only petite grand piano, of course. 
 Yamaha Corporation began in 1887 as a piano and reed organ manufacturer by Yamaha's founder, Japanese entrepreneur Torakusu Yamaha.  He was born on April 20, 1851. 
The amazing Bösendorfer brand is now a subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation.

baby grand piano (5' 3")

Piano Size Matters

List: Yamaha Musical Instruments

Yamaha Corporation

Bösendorfer Piano Manufacturer

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Tightening our Strings for Many Years

For the large chunk of change $$$ he's gotten from us for servicing our Piano(s) during the past 20 years, how does our Piano Tuner pay us back?  With dog treats, of course!  My pups simply love his visits.

Don is 85-year old.  He is not only a Piano Tuner, he is also a talented Singer, Jazz Musician, airplane Pilot, Accordionist, Organist, Entertainer, Music Teacher, and Owner of the Music School that each of our 6 kids have attended. He rides his motorcycle with his tuning tools stored in the back seat during warmer weather.

link   Piano STRINGS ATTACHED

Piano Strings Attached

One of our pianos, our baby grand,  needed a string replaced. The combination of a new piano wrench, an initial wrong threading, and a very dusty piano  meant three hours of work instead of one.  The good news is: Don, our piano tuner, did not charge a penny (he said we were his guinea pigs for his brand-new piano wrench). He did accept a cup of black coffee.  He will be back later to tune the piano.  BTW, how does ONE note with its broken string  result in FOUR, new strings?!  

118.07.04.17

Womanly Intuition is Highly Overrated

pc: Wheaton College

It was early in the afternoon, and I was the lone parent in the waiting room of the Music School.

Entry door opened; I got up to take a look.

I did not recognize the man -- short, stocky -- wearing a light-coloured coat; peering into the empty practice rooms.
He stopped and smiled when he caught a glimpse of me.

"Where is the owner?" he asked.
I gave directions to the outside stairs which lead to the owners' residence.
"Uhmmm....what's her name?"
I said her first name.
"Are YOU one of the teachers?"
No. Did he want someone in particular?
"Never mind. So the stairs are where??"
They're outside of the front doors, to the left.
He smiled once again and exited.
My anxiety level suddenly shot up.

I hurriedly found my cell phone and called my husband.
I paced from hallway to the waiting room, and back again, as I explained the situation.
He was just as perplexed as me; but after five minutes I'd calmed down enough, 'tho still feeling wary, to hang up.
I continued to wait.

Don, the school co-owner walked in through the back door.
Did a man show up at their front door about 10 minutes ago?
"What man? I didn't see anyone?" he answered.
Once again, I felt anxious.
"Let me go back upstairs and ask my wife."
I waited for his return, all the while thinking that the Music School needed a better security system.
A camera by the door?  Doors that lock behind you?
A Guard? One can never be too sure in today's society.

Don returned with the missing pieces to the puzzle.
Don's wife had given a donation months (years?) ago to AA.
The stranger had  remembered her (tho' not her name).
He had successfully completed the Alcoholics Anonymous program.
He's sober.  He's happy.  Most of all, he's thankful.
And that's why he'd shown up at the Music School.
Talk about misjudging a fellow!!

12.8.23.18