Tag Archives: steinway

Why Your Piano is Not Protected (with Guest Brian Janey)

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. The topic today is about why your piano is not protected. What do I mean by that? I’ve made many videos telling you how to care for your piano with a proper environment: having a Dampp-Chaser or Piano Life Saver system, a humidifier or a dehumidifier, protecting it from the sun, and servicing it on a regular basis. But I’m not talking about any of that today. Today I’m talking about insurance. You may think your piano is insured, but it very well may not be.

How do you insure your piano?

A lot of people have homeowner’s insurance and just assume their piano is covered. But if you have the unfortunate circumstance of a flood or a fire, you may find that without a rider on your insurance policy, it won’t be covered. But how do you even get a rider? How do you prove the value of your piano? Can you just show the invoice of what you paid for it? Or go to your local piano store and have them say what it’s worth? Unfortunately, that won’t work. An appraisal will have to be done by someone who is legally liable to the IRS or to banks and insurance companies. I have an expert with me today who’s going to talk about what it takes to get an official appraisal, which is a legal document.

I’d like to introduce Brian Janey, from Allegro Piano Service in Fallbrook, California.

Robert: Welcome, Brian!

Brian: Thank you, Robert, so much for allowing me to be on today. This is really an incredible thing. I’ve been a piano technician for 25 years. I have about 950 clients within 50 miles of Fallbrook. I stay very busy doing four pianos a day, five days a week. And in 2019, I joined the American Society of Appraisers and went through almost 200 hours of training with them to be able to do appraisals in an official capacity. I’ve had many situations where clients have had pianos that have been damaged in fires, in floods and other circumstances. And they were really horrified to realize that their insurance did not appropriately cover the instrument, because it was not scheduled on their insurance policy. You have to have an appraisal done to be able to do that. So it’s an important part of piano ownership.

I love helping people make music as a piano technician. I want the legacy of that music to continue in the home and not have some calamity stop it because it’s not covered by the insurance.

Robert: I’ve run into a lot of people in that circumstance. It can be a real nightmare. A lot of people don’t understand the difference between appraisal and inspection. Just like when you’re buying a home, you have your appraisal, but you also have inspections. These are two distinctly different things. And so it is with pianos. For someone like you, who does both piano work and appraisals, you can assess the condition, which enters into the value of a piano. I understand that you’re able to do this remotely by getting key pictures of the piano. So maybe you can discuss a little bit about these differences and the legal document. I know there’s the USPAP, the Uniform Standard of Professional Appraisal Practice, that enters into all of this. Maybe you can talk a little bit about the difference between appraisals and inspections and what’s really required of someone like yourself to be able to make a document that will hold up in case there’s a claim.

Brian:

The thing that’s necessary to be qualified as an appraiser is to go through an array of training.

I found myself being trained by some of the best personal property appraisers in the country when I hooked up with the American society of Appraisers. It was a real privilege. It is a very eclectic group of people. I found out I’m the only one in the American Society of Appraisers, which has more than a few thousand members, who actually do pianos specifically. So it is a very interesting circumstance to be in. You do get an extensive amount of training in the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, which is something that applies not only to real estate and everything in between, but also to personal property like pianos. It’s been a fascinating journey. I have encountered a lot of very interesting people, folks that appraise everything from fine art to machinery. I even encountered one guy in a class who actually appraised herds of cattle! So it’s a really wide array of people that you find yourself amongst.

Robert:

I think a lot of people confuse appraisals with the value of the piano, because there are so many different values of pianos.

If you walk into the showroom of a piano store, there’s one value. If you look on Craigslist, there’s another value. If you want to trade in a piano, yet another value. The wholesale value is different from retail. And then a state settlement is another value. So appraisals are a whole separate issue that really satisfy not just these kinds of legal disputes and estate settlement and insurance claims, but also sometimes people want to donate a piano to a nonprofit and be able to enjoy a tax deduction for that. And I suppose they also need some sort of official document in order to not get in trouble later on with the authorities. Is that right?

Brian: Yes, there is an appraisal report that is submitted with people’s taxes, whether they’re doing something with an estate or they’re doing something with a tax donation. I’ve got a couple of circumstances right now with people with Steinways. One was donated to a church, another was donated to a college in Pennsylvania. I’m working on those appraisal reports right now. And I also have a circumstance with people getting appraisals for insurance purposes as well. So, yes, it is a legal document when you enter into the realm of calling it an appraisal. I kid with colleagues who are piano technicians that if you ever find yourself being asked to put a value on something and the people that are going to use the information that you’re providing are folks that wear suits, you need to make sure that you have a professional appraisal, because if it’s a an attorney, an insurance adjuster or one of their actuaries, or an accountant, they’re going to be looking for compliance to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. So it’s important to make sure that it is done right, because that is basically a document that people are using to make financial decisions.

Robert: Speaking of legal precedent, maybe you can shed some light on the 1959 case in the U.S. Court of Appeals, Merchants Insurance vs Lattimore. What was that about? What’s the significance of that in regards to appraisals and how does that enters into this whole equation?

Brian: We studied that case extensively in my coursework. The thing with that particular case was that this person had an array of artwork in their home and they decided only to schedule a certain part of it. They didn’t schedule all of it. Well, she had a fire in her home and what ended up happening is the insurance company only agreed to provide coverage and indemnification for the things that were scheduled. She took the insurance company to court to get compensation for the rest of the artwork that was also destroyed, but the court actually ruled in the insurance company’s favor. That’s one of the things that’s super important about people that have nice pianos. I’ve done appraisals even on lesser uprights and some of those could cost up to five figures to replace!

It’s important to make sure that you do get your piano appraised and that you inform your insurance company that you have one, because if you don’t tell them about it, the court precedent puts you in a very bad position if something does happen to it.

Robert: You have a unique perspective now that you’re trained in this whole appraisal business. But maybe you could tell us a little bit about the piano work that you do in your business. Tell us about what your realm of understanding is and how you’re uniquely qualified for this. I assume that there was a lot of thought that went into going into this field. And I’m sure your background as a technician for 25 years entered into it! What sort of things do you do on pianos?

Brian: I take care of all kinds of pianos. I have clients with pianos that are a little sketchy, a little tough to tune. And then I also have clients with wonderful American and European made pianos. I take care of pianos on a number of stages locally and I find myself working for some pretty famous folks on occasion, which initially was very intimidating. But I kind of got over that and realized I just have a job to do and then I leave. There’s a big local casino where I take care of pianos for shows and so forth. It’s pretty funny because I walk into a casino and I actually always make money! So it’s a neat gig. It’s such a beautiful thing to be in people’s homes and to be able to help them make music.

I think there are so many people that would enjoy this trade and there is actually a need for more piano technicians.

There have been a half dozen guys in my local neck of the woods who have all retired or moved away, which is probably one of the reasons why it’s a little tough right now to get an appointment with me because I’m booked up quite a ways in advance.

Robert: I can tell you when we first moved to Cleveland a couple of years ago, being able to get a team of piano technicians here was an arduous task. It took us a while because everybody was booked up months in advance. It’s actually a great field to go into, you can move pretty much anywhere! It seems like there’s a dearth of qualified piano technicians. And even the piano technicians who are subpar seem to be busy! So even if you’re starting out, it’s a great field because there are a lot of people who are aging out of this profession.

I know you have a couple of websites, but ThePianoAppraiser.com, is that where people should go?

Brian: Yes, that’s the one to go to for the realm of piano appraisal. If you go to that website and you click the contact me form, basically it’ll take you to a place where you put in your information, what kind of piano you have, what sort of appraisal work that it is that you’re interested in talking about, and I’ll be in touch with you.

Robert: Fantastic! And for people who are in the Southern California area around Fallbrook, what is your website for piano work?

Brian: ScheduleMyKeys.com. I service northern San Diego County as well as Southwest Riverside and Temecula Valley area.

Robert: You’re right in that nook over there. I remember it well! You’ve been a real godsend for us with all the pianos we’ve sold in that region over the years. And I’m just so glad you were able to join us, because this is a really important topic. A lot of people never give much thought to this. People spend thousands of dollars on the piano and assume it’s covered. I’m sure a lot of people listening to this are going to check with their insurance agents and contact you to get their piano appraised to make sure it’s covered in the unfortunate possibility that something happens to it. So I want to thank you again for joining us! It’s been a real pleasure, Brian.

Brian: Thank you so very much! I can do appraisals pretty much anywhere in the country just based on photographs and so forth. So I look forward to helping anybody that would like to make contact! Thank you so much for having me.

Robert: You got it!

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

For premium videos and exclusive content, you can join my Living Pianos Patreon channel! www.Patreon.com/RobertEstrin

Contact me if you are interested in private lessons. I have many resources for you! Robert@LivingPianos.com

Debussy – Golliwog’s Cakewalk – Performed by Robert Estrin, Pianist

Golliwog’s Cakewalk, is the final movement of the 6 movement, Children’s Corner Suite. This piece has great significance for me. Some of you may know that I have somewhat small hands. Fortunately, I have a solid octave, and can reach most ninths comfortably. But as a child, my hands were very small, and weak.

When I was 13 years old, I learned and performed the complete Children’s Corner Suite which was a milestone for me. My father had many students who had far more developed technique at the piano than I had at the time. But, I was always able to create a great variety of tonal colors which worked incredibly well for Debussy.

However, at the end of the entire suite, Golliwog’s Cakewalk ends with a crashing lowest B-flat octave on the piano in the left hand, with the right hand adding a third E-flat. The octave was so anemic, my father had me play just two E-flats two octaves apart. Even then, my weak fingers couldn’t produce a suitably big sound to end this epic piece. So he had me use all my fingers curled up together in each hand to get some oomph at the end of this wonderful suite!

A Cakewalk was a popular dance form at the time this piece was written. You may notice a rather strange middle section. There is an interesting story to this! Debussy was one of the great composers of the French Impressionist style of music. This was in great contrast to the late Romantic, German style. There was a rivalry between Debussy and Wagner. The slow, middle section of Golliwog’s Cakewalk pokes fun at the very dramatic Tristan theme from Wagner’s opera, Tristan & Isolda. You can listen for the statement of the theme followed by what sounds like chuckling! Then the music transcends back to the cakewalk. Hope you enjoy this delightful piece!

Thanks for listening!

Faster is Not Louder

Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. The subject today is about how faster isn’t always louder. It may seem obvious that playing faster does not mean playing louder. But you would be surprised at how much of the time when you see a crescendo, you naturally speed up! This can be detrimental to your playing for so many reasons. Let me give you an example from Clementi’s Sonatina in C major Opus 36 no 1. In the second line of the piece, there’s a crescendo. Many pianists struggle with this passage because they tend to speed up during the crescendo, making it even more challenging to play. So, how can you mitigate this problem?

Always trust the metronome.

Work with a metronome to ensure that you maintain a steady tempo throughout the piece. You may find that as soon as you get to the crescendo, the metronome seems to be dragging. Well, drag along with it! The metronome is king. By following the metronome, you will be able to play with more security. When performing the piece, it’s natural to feel a bit excited, which can cause you to speed up during crescendos. To counteract this, you can intentionally slow down slightly when you find yourself playing faster. However, you must also check your work with a metronome to make sure you’re not overcompensating and slowing down too much.

Sometimes, getting faster during crescendos can be called for.

This is especially true in 19th-century music where rubato is used to create a sense of ebb and flow. Sometimes it can actually work, so long as then the pendulum swings the other way as it gets softer. Rubato can be effective in that respect. However, you must be careful not to lose or gain time on the beat. Practicing with a metronome is essential for ensuring that you stay on track.

Fingering is of vital importance.

Good fingering is fundamental. One of the best ways to discover good fingering is by playing in chords. By playing in chords, your fingers naturally fall on the right keys. You will know what fingering is going to be most effective by working in groups of notes played together in chords whenever possible in your music. It also gives you an opportunity to understand the harmonic underpinnings of your music. You can practice in different rhythms, accents, or in groups of notes. Each of these techniques will help you to assimilate your music. I hope this has been helpful for you! Thanks again for joining me, Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

For premium videos and exclusive content, you can join my Living Pianos Patreon channel! www.Patreon.com/RobertEstrin

Contact me if you are interested in private lessons. I have many resources for you! Robert@LivingPianos.com

How to Take Your Phrases Further in Music

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. Today’s topic is about how to take your musical phrases further. One of the biggest challenges when playing lyrical music is controlling the ends of phrases to achieve a nice diminuendo, such as in the second movement of Clementi’s Sonatina in C major Opus 36, no. 1.

I like to play simple, effective trills that can be negotiated easily.

You don’t have to be distracted by highly ornamented trills. It’s not necessary to get the beauty of this music. Trills are left up to you. If you want to play more notes, go ahead. But don’t spend an inordinate amount of time on playing fast trills. Instead, concentrate on the beauty of the music and creating a singing line. Of course, the challenge of this movement, like so much other music, is twofold. You want to have melody above accompaniment throughout, and you also want to have the rise and fall of each phrase.

The secret to being able to control phrase endings to make them quiet is to peak later in your music.

Remember to start softly so you can grow in the middle of the phrase. You can keep growing further than the middle of the phrase. If you peak in the middle, instead of later in the phrase, it is very difficult to end the phrase quietly. Not only is it hard to control, but it also loses intensity and support. It sounds like a singer who doesn’t have enough air at the end of a phrase. Once again, it’s all about utilizing arm weight. You can look at some of my previous videos to understand what I’m talking about.

You can give the music more life by supporting the phrase further than the middle.

When you do this, the phrase endings have a nice taper. You won’t struggle to end the phrase without notes dropping out. Peak your phrases later so that the phrase endings can be beautifully controlled. You can make life so much easier for yourself while creating a longer musical line that projects all the way to the end of the phrase. You won’t have to worry about notes dropping out. So that’s the tip for today! I hope this has been helpful for you! Thanks again for joining me, Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

Living in the Comfort Zone in Your Piano Playing

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. The subject today is about living in the comfort zone in your piano playing. Have you ever had a fast piece that you’re struggling to play fast? You have tension, but you want a beautiful, relaxed quality to your playing. You want to play with fluidity. You might wonder how to achieve this. If you keep struggling to play just a little bit faster than you are able to play with comfort and relaxation, you’ll never be able to achieve that kind of relaxed fluidity in your playing.

The secret is slow practice.

Find the speed at which you can play completely relaxed. It might surprise you how slowly you have to go in order to achieve that. The metronome is such an invaluable tool! Finding the speed at which you can play in a relaxed manner is the first step. You should have the score in front of you when you’re doing this kind of work. You may find that when you slow things down, you will realize you don’t know it as well as you thought you did. That’s why having the score in front of you and setting a metronome at a speed you can play your piece with absolute solidity is a great way to live in that comfort zone. Once you can play it at a slow tempo with total relaxation and accuracy, then you finally have the capability of speeding up your performance.

Slow practice is invaluable, but sometimes it’s hard to translate that slow playing to performance speed.

Another thing you can do is take small note groups and use extreme repetition to solidify the small section. You can take even just one or two notes! Keep playing them until you can play with complete relaxation. Then add other tiny note groups in the same relaxed manner. You can continue working this way through a passage or section of music.

These are two ways of approaching relaxation. Remember to go slowly enough that you can play with complete relaxation. Have the score in front of you so you can check your work. You’ll be surprised to learn what you know, and more importantly, what needs clarification in your playing. You can either play very slowly or you can take very small groups of notes and piece them together.

You’re working on two fronts!

One is to get a feel for what it’s going to be like when it’s up to tempo, even if you’re just playing small groups of notes that you string together. And the other one is to play at a slow tempo with complete security and relaxation. You live at that slow tempo! Live in the slow zone, in the comfort zone, and you’ll be rewarded with relaxation in your playing when you finally get things up to speed. I hope this has been helpful for you! Thanks again for joining me, Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

For premium videos and exclusive content, you can join my Living Pianos Patreon channel! www.Patreon.com/RobertEstrin

Contact me if you are interested in private lessons. I have many resources for you! Robert@LivingPianos.com