How My Students Forced Me Into Selling Pianos

Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. This story might sound a little dramatic at first, that my students forced me into selling pianos. But there’s a real story behind that idea, and it all began with my early days as a piano teacher.

Getting Started as a Teacher

I started teaching piano when I was still in high school, assisting my father with his teaching as my sister did before me. He would give me his beginner students, and throughout my conservatory years, teaching and accompanying became my part-time work. After graduation, things took an interesting turn. I was making my living primarily teaching piano, along with accompanying and doing some recording work.

The Question That Changed Everything

People would call me for lessons, and the first question I asked was: “Do you have a piano?” About half the time, people would say no. I would tell them honestly that they were better off having a piano and no lessons than having lessons without a piano. I wouldn’t take on students who didn’t have an instrument to practice on. Even if they had access to a piano somewhere else, it just wouldn’t work. You really need to live with a piano to make meaningful progress. So I came up with an idea. I found an old upright piano at a reasonable price and had my technician fix it up. The next time someone called for lessons and didn’t have a piano, I told them I had one available. They came over, tried it, liked it, and bought it. That’s when a light bulb went on.

Taking a Risk with More Pianos

Encouraged by that success, I decided to get a couple more upright pianos. These were large, old uprights, and I even moved some of them myself, which is a story in itself. But then I ran into a problem. I had checked the soundboards, tuning, and hammers, but I made a critical mistake. I didn’t remove the kickboard to inspect underneath. As it turned out, both pianos had cracked bass bridges! I was devastated. I had invested money into these instruments and didn’t have extra funds to fix them. So I contacted another technician and proposed a deal. He would do the repairs, and once the pianos sold, we would split any profit. If there was no profit, he would take all the proceeds.

A Turning Point

He repaired the bass bridges and refined the pianos, and remarkably, both instruments sold very quickly. That’s when I realized this approach could actually work on a larger scale.

At the time, we were living in an 1,100-square-foot house with a walkout basement where I had my recording studio. Before long, we had 27 pianos in that house, including six grands! What started as a way to help my students had turned into something much bigger.

A Shared Passion for Pianos

What I love most about this journey is working with people who share a passion for pianos. It’s incredibly rewarding. Pianos have been in decline for over a century, so building a community of people who care about them is deeply meaningful. This is what makes me excited to get up in the morning. Creating videos, practicing, working with technicians, writing articles, and helping preserve these instruments all contribute to keeping piano alive, and preventing pianos from ending up in landfills.

Rescuing and Restoring Instruments

We receive offers for pianos every single day. In fact, just recently, someone offered 35 pianos from a company that was no longer in the business. These included instruments from well-known makers like Steinway, Baldwin, Yamaha, and Kawai. Of course, we can’t take them all, but we do what we can. It truly is a labor of love.

The Reality of Moving Pianos

As I mentioned before, I got into moving pianos myself early on, which, looking back, was quite an experience. My technician had built a trailer that allowed an upright piano to be strapped onto a platform and winched into a flat position for transport. I would deliver pianos myself, often relying on someone at the destination to help unload. These were usually heavy old uprights, and I sold them at very modest prices. They weren’t concert-level instruments, but they were perfectly serviceable for beginning students. This was decades before digital pianos offered an inexpensive option. Eventually, I realized that moving pianos long-term takes a physical toll. Many professional movers develop back or knee problems, so I made the decision to stop doing that work myself. And I have never had any back pain!

Sharing the Love of Pianos

This journey into selling pianos grew naturally out of teaching. It combines everything I love: performing, teaching, creating content, and connecting with others who appreciate the piano. It’s incredibly fulfilling to build relationships with people who share this passion and to play a role in keeping these beautiful instruments in use for future generations.

Thanks again for joining me. I’m Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com Your Online Piano Resource.