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Fun Music Activities When You're Stuck at Home

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 15:42:57 GMT

A great time to rekindle your love for music!

The Novel Coronavirus outbreak has much of the country quarantining at home, providing a new gap of free time for a lot of people. With the lack of social opportunity, many people are turning to the arts and hobby development in order to keep their brains sharp and their recreational needs fulfilled. While the housecleaning, video games, and recipe exploration were fun for the first couple of weeks, what role can music play in keeping us both sane and entertained? Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned musician, here are some great ways to pass the time with music while you’re stuck at home:

Dig back into old favorites. Most streaming services offer curated playlists by genre, era, decade, or artist, making the rediscovery of forgotten favorites incredibly easy. While some favorites stick with you for a lifetime, chances are good that you’ve let some “hidden gems” slip from your memory. Dig into a premade station and find those personal chart-toppers!

Explore new instruments. There’s no time like quarantine to expand your horizons! While lessons may be tough to keep up without a coach by your side, you can begin to learn what new instruments or skills in an existing medium you may want to develop while you’re home.

Dedicate time to practicing. While our social pause should be utilized to rest up and enjoy some time without the pressure of productivity, every minute practicing an instrument counts. Setting aside half an hour each day singing, composing, or working on your instrument can have massive benefits both in building good habits and your musicianship. If you get into a good rhythm while you practice you may even find yourself spending more time than you had originally allotted just because you’re enjoying yourself so much.

Play Hangout Karaoke. With your favorite karaoke bars all closed, how else can you get your groove on with friends? Pull up some YouTube karaoke tracks and start up a video call! The microphone’s built in to your camera and you’re not going to risk embarrassment in front of strangers - the perfect karaoke environment. Not only will you get your daily music fix, but you get to share it with people that you love.

Change up your workout. As we all fight the “quarantine fifteen,” home workouts are vital to maintaining your physical and mental health, but can quickly become repetitive. So switch it up! Try some new music to break the feeling of “just another workout,” or switch from your usual routine to some dance-oriented movement. Dancing releases endorphins, stretches the body in ways many other workouts don’t, and encourages the exploration into new styles of music - all of which will help you keep the “stuck at home” blues at bay.

While everything is a little more stressful in the world around us, remember the healing power of music as you look for ways to enjoy your time staying at home. No matter what role music plays in your life, it’s a good one that deserves to be explored - and don’t forget to sing your favorite chorus as you wash your hands!

How to Encourage a Love of Music in Children

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 16:04:56 GMT

Encouraging Music Exploration in Children can Pay a Lifetime of Dividends

It is likely that music has been a vital component of the human experience since prehistory. Whether it be through instrumentation, vocalization, or dance, there is something about rhythm that appears to come from the very fabric of our bodies. No age group better embodies this affinity for music than children, as song and dance is a proven method to encourage learning through the early years of life. How do you encourage children to not only be educated through music, but to enjoy and grow a passion for music through the rest of their lives?

Allow music to be both casual and engaging - While children may be easy to persuade into learning with a catchy rhythm, music should also be a casual experience. Similar to “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”, there is value in not making something so inherently enjoyable as music feel like a brain exercise. With the incredible accessibility of a plethora of music, just having music playing throughout your living environment or engaging in casual dance can keep music at the forefront of a child’s brain without making it educational only.

Go to concerts with your children -Choose performances that you and your children are interested in! That may include going to shows for performers that you may not particularly enjoy, but keeping a child engaged with the music that they enjoy will encourage their passion to grow moving forward through their lives. While many children may not look forward to classic performances, evidence is that exposure to classical music in children increases both their reasoning skills and ability to focus on tasks at hand.

Let the child choose where their musical passion begins - While public schooling will provide some specific tracks for expression in children during the late elementary years, introducing instrumental options at home can help start that passion early. Providing options for styles of dance, instruments, vocal music, and active listening that allows your child to select what sounds interesting will put an inherent track in front of the child that will grow their interest without any guidance beyond encouragement on your part.

Don’t hold passion to a standard of talent - Everyone’s journey into music develops differently. As exciting as it is to see a prodigy grow before your eyes, most music lovers will not fall into the category of prodigy. While some children will watch their love for music grow into immense talent, many won’t; that’s okay! According to an article published by The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2015 , the notion of setting high expectations, when combined with parental involvement, can encourage better results for children. That evidence is contrasted however by the efforts of parents to set exceedingly high goals with their children showing a direct relationship to decreased achievement in children. Walking the line of encouragement to achieve in music and encouragement to enjoy music is an important distinction to maintain when growing a child’s passion.

When encouraging a child to love music, they will often reciprocate by growing your love for music as well. The innate desire to create art through movement and sound is something everyone deserves to explore, especially the children of the world.

A Brief History of Pump Organs

Sat, 14 Mar 2020 12:10:47 GMT

Pump Organs are Interesting Musical Instruments

Human beings have always been interested in creating a culture wherever they ended up settling, and we see that this isn’t limited to a particular region or part of the world. Of course, they came up with their own instruments and unique instruments, as well. Many people might not be familiar with the pump organ, but it has quite a rich history that can’t be denied.

One of the reasons that pump organs gained popularity centuries ago is because they were often times more portable than pipe organs. It became a staple of many affluent homes, and some churches ended up adopting pump organs rather than pipe organs, as well. A pump organ is also called a “harmonium.”

About The Pump Organ

The pump organ ended up being replaced by the electric organ, but it had several decades of popularity. You can still find it being used by certain musicians, but you are not as likely to hear a harmonium in modern times. However, it is still used in Indian music and Pakistani music.

The pump organ works by pushing air past a piece of thin metal (called a “reed”). It should be noted that while a pump organ can sound incredible, it is somewhat limited in tone. The pump organ was most popular between 1850 and 1930. You can hear the pump organ in the work of many classic artists, from Debussy, to Bach, to Franz Liszt.

Height Of Pump Organ Popularity

Mark Twain is one of the most revered writers in history, and his writing alludes to pump organs several times. This is because the pump organ was extremely popular around the early 1900s, because of its increased portability. Many churches found pump organs more convenient than pipe organs.

The first individual to invent a reed-free organ was Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein, who was not only an inventor. He was a doctor, physicist, and engineer, as well. In fact, Kratzenstein is most remembered for his contributions to the role of electricity in medicine. He also wrote the first experimental physics textbook for Denmark-Norway uin

The pump organ was eventually replaced by the electric organ in the 1930s, and that essentially affected the pump organ’s popularity ever since. The pump organ is still widely used in Indian music, interestingly enough. It is incorporated in many Hindu and Sikh songs, in particular. There were even several decades where the instrument was banned from All India Radio. All India Radio is the largest public radio network in the world, and reaches 92% of India.

Pump Organs In Pop Culture

Some of the most famous musicians in the world are famous for incorporating different instruments and styles into their music. The Beatles have used a pump organ in their music, as proven by songs such as “We Can Work It Out.”

Nico, a famous singer in Germany, worked with the pump organ for her entire career. Nico was not just a singer, either. She was also an activist, model, songwriter, and more. She toured the world extensively in the 1980s before passing away in 1988.

Everyday Care and Maintenance of Your Home Piano or Organ

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 16:43:37 GMT

Help you instrument play better and maintain its value with everyday care

Many people, all around the world, enjoy the fact that they have purchased a piano or organ so that they can play anytime that they want. Some might play the piano professionally. Of course, there are many individuals that simply enjoy playing their piano as a hobby, or appreciate the organ as part of their home decor. How can you make sure that your piano is properly maintained?

You might think that you only have to check on your piano or organ every couple of months. However, it might be a better idea to take a closer look. After all, a little bit of maintenance goes a long way towards making sure that your piano holds up well for years - or even decades.

No Drinks On The Piano

There’s nothing wrong with throwing parties and inviting guests over to your home. However, you should make it clear that the piano is not a place for cocktails to be placed. You might not believe that this is a big deal, but the truth is that liquids can damage your piano/organ significantly. Many might understand that you should not keep food on your piano - but you also shouldn’t even be placing coffee, water, or cocktails on it.

In fact, you might even need to consult with a piano technician if liquid seeps in between the keys. If you are very serious about your piano - don’t limit this rule simply to liquids or drinks. You might want to consider implementing a general rule of not treating a piano like a shelf of any kind.

Regulate The Variables

One of the truths about pianos is that they can be affected by the elements, such as sunlight, temperature, humidity, and more. You should make sure that this is regulated as much as possible. It’s important to remember that this often includes thinking about the particular room where you keep your piano - how much direct sunlight does this room receive? The ideal temperature for pianos is in the low 70s.

Are there windows in your piano room? If the windows are ever left open, condensation can adversely affect your piano significantly. Also, you might even consider investing in products to make sure that the humidity levels remain somewhere around 40%. If you can afford a humidifier (or dehumidifier), you might want to consider this purchase if you are serious about piano maintenance.

Dusting/Covering Your Piano or Organ

Your piano will need to be dusted. If you play the piano daily, you may want to consider dusting every week. Otherwise, you should at least dust your piano once every two weeks. It’s also important to remember that you also may want to leave the piano lid open from time to time to prevent any mold growth. Dusting isn’t that complicated - all it takes is a damp cloth and some soap (remember not to dust INSIDE your piano, though).

At the same time, your piano cannot always have its lid open. If you have pets, for example, pet hair may begin to accumulate between the keys.

Do you have additional questions? We LOVE to help. Please feel welcome to contact us .

Questions To Ask Your Prospective Music Teacher

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 16:58:25 GMT

The right music teacher will provide the right answers to these questions

It doesn’t matter your age or background, there’s a good chance that you might have a deep appreciation for music. However, music fans often don’t just listen to various artists and genres - they often want to create music for themselves. However, they might lack the skills to do so, because they have never been properly trained.

If you have children, you might be interested in your child learning the piano. There is evidence that suggests that learning the piano might improve their understanding of math , for example. Of course, this isn’t the only benefit. Your child might also become more disciplined and patient as a result. However, how do you know whether you are hiring the right music teacher? Here are some questions that you might want to ask your next prospective music teacher.

What Kinds Of Music Do You Teach?

One of the great things about music is that there are so many different artists throughout history that offer various perspectives. However, there are some music teachers that might focus on one or two artists, and there’s a good chance that this might eventually get boring.

You might want to ask them about what material they teach, how often they switch the learning material up, and more. At the end of the day, learning about music should be fun and inspire creativity.

What Are Your Qualifications?

This might seem like an obvious question, but it might separate one incredible music teacher from another. There are some people who are simply teaching music lessons for extra cash, while others have a proven track record of getting their students excited about music in a real tangible way. You will want to make sure to ask their professional AND academic background when it comes to music.

You might also find that the music teacher is capable, but has no experience teaching children in a certain age group. This might be the kind of realization that helps you weed out certain candidates from others.

How Do You Charge?

There are different music teachers that charge in different ways - some might charge by the lesson, and others might charge by the month. You will want to get this question out of the way so you can plan financially.

How Is Progress Evaluated?

There’s nothing wrong with having fun during music lessons, but how do you know whether your child is actually progressing in a meaningful way? Does the teacher have any sort of tests or evaluations? How many lessons happen before the next “evaluation”?

There are some students that really take to certain instruments. Will your music teacher be able to adapt to quick learners? Similarly, if it is taking a long time for a student to learn an instrument, will a teacher be able to help make things easier somehow? How do they go about doing this? If you have an understanding about how a music teacher thinks about progress, it will certainly give you some insight into their teaching process.

3 Questions to Ask Your Piano Repair Person Before They Go to Work

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 17:54:30 GMT

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As with most things, pianos endure a lot over the years in which they sit in our creative spaces. There are plenty of ways to keep our keyboards in good shape, but normal wear and tear will take an inevitable toll; in order to properly maintain your instrument, a maintenance professional is vital. While pianos should be tuned at least once a year, there is likely to be other cause to call for professional help.

In some situations you will know what’s causing the issue with your instrument, in others you will not. No matter your knowledge of your piano, there is always more that you can learn from the professional who comes to help. Here are 3 questions we recommend asking your keyboard professional before they get to work on your instrument.

How much should the repair cost? While it seems to be commonplace to request a quote before the work of any professional begins, it is incredibly important to know what you’re expected to invest in the instrument before the maintenance begins. It is important to remember what keyboards of all sorts are intricate and require specialized attention. Some professionals will offer discounts on recurring services such as tunings and keyweight management, but depending on the level of damage that requires service, prices can vary between repair professionals. Be sure to also check with your technician about what factors may play into higher or lower final costs!
What can you do to prevent recurring damage from affecting your instrument further? - Many piano owners want to get as much use as possible out of their instruments, but are unprepared to handle environmental factors that can distort or otherwise damage them. Piano specialists also want longevity to be a goal for keyboard owners, so inquire with them about what your piano placement may have to do with the wear and tear the instrument is enduring. Repair professionals are likely to also know the best preventative maintenance measures that you can take without needing any specialized knowledge. These measures help assure that your piano will require less maintenance over its lifetime without requiring the attention of a professional.
What can you do for your technician? While most body-based repairs on keyboard instruments require little environmental modification, tunings and regulations require specific sound environments to be carried out efficiently. While this is generally just a quiet environment, specialists may have their own set of standards for their work environments. While you may not be able to provide them with anything but a glass of water, every professional appreciates having a comfortable work environment.

While you can prepare for a repair by requesting some information before the piano repair technician arrives to make the repair, it is always recommended to ask these basics before the repair begins. Learning the above factors helps assure that you’re prepared for the entire repair process, while establishing a healthy rapport with the technician carrying out the work on your instrument.

Does your keyboard need maintenance? We would love to help! Request a quote or begin the repair process with us now -- West of Corning, New York - 607-324-7059, East of Corning, New York - 607-732-9629.

The Magic of Encouraging Music in Your Family

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 12:10:20 GMT

The mental and physical benefits are wonderful!

Music is something that seems to come to humankind as a piece of the very soul that makes us human. Whether it be a catchy beat or an intense melody, many people truly feel music, beyond just hearing it. While many people do opt into developing a musical skill through their education, the introduction to the natural magic of music can begin at home.

Encouraging musicality at home provides many benefits to your family members. Many people are bashful about introducing music to their household due to a lack of familiarity with music in a formal setting. Although that is a reasonable concern, music is something that can be shared without a traditional education in the topic.

The benefits of having music playing while your family is spending time together can help to improve the mood of the room. Whether it be because of a little dance that the music encourages, or just the lighthearted lilt of a good bop, music often makes people happy: especially in social situations.

In more intensive applications of music, such as learning an instrument or singing together, can encourage more healthy cognitive functioning in the people involved. While practicing music, blood flow to the brain increases. The cognitive benefits of introducing musicianship to family members include:

decreasing the risk of dementia and Alzheimer
reduced prevalence of anxiety and depression
increased ability to process language and speech patterns.

In a addition to increased blood flow in the moment of performing music, a long lasting relationship with music is shown to actually change the structure of the brain. The presence of gray matter (which aids in memory retention) is notably more prevalent in people with musical training. Another major change is a building of the nerve fibers that bind each hemisphere of the brain together, which results in improved memory, enhanced motor skills, and better thought formation.

All of those benefits see the highest prevalence in children who begin learning music from an early age. Children not only learn pick up the skill faster, but also see the most drastic change to their cognition. Spending as little as a year learning to play an instrument can help build language and motor skills in pre-adolescents.

No matter your age or musical experience, introducing music to your family can benefit your household. The joys of having music playing throughout a home begins with lifting your mood and can end with increased cognitive function through your golden years.

If you or a loved one would like to begin an exploration into the magic of having music become a staple of your family life, we would love to help you take the first step. Keyboard instruments are some of the most popular family instruments the world over - To get in contact with us for a consultation please reach out to us at 607-324-7059 if you are west of Corning NY, or 607-732-9629 if you are east of Corning NY.

Buying a Family Piano - What to Consider

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 12:15:48 GMT

A Family Piano is a investment in an important family hierloom

Many households form traditions around the family piano. A staple in many childhoods, the addition of a piano to the living space gives an aura of elegance, as well as providing a space for members of the household to develop a new skill, but what kind of piano would be the best fit for your home? How do you decide which type of piano feels right for you? The following factors should play a role in deciding which keyboard is best for your family.

Know what kind of space you have for the instrument. Not every home has space for a full grand piano, and that’s okay. There is nothing wrong with investing in beautiful upright piano, which are generally cheaper, and noticeably more compact than their grand piano cousins. An upright piano takes up less space in terms of depth because the cords that give the piano it’s well known sound run vertically through the body of the instrument, instead of horizontally through the body as in the case of a grand.

Another factor that plays into the size of a piano is the amount of keys that makeup the keyboard itself. A standard, concert-ready piano will feature 88 keys, but models with fewer keys are available for household use. Electing to take in a piano with fewer than 88 keys will reduce the width of the floor space that your instrument will take up.

Know what you want to invest in your piano. While purchasing a brand new instrument can be enticing, used models are a worthwhile consideration. Especially when purchasing from a refurbishing shop, a used piano can provide the same quality of sound as a piano that is brand new. Much like when in the market for a new vehicle, the biggest risk of buying used is the degree of wear and tear that the body of the instrument has been put through. If the body of the instrument has been dented, scraped, or otherwise damaged, the sound quality will likely be diminished when compared to the same model purchased new from the manufacturer.

Remember that upkeep is a piece of the financial factor. Like with any instrument, pianos need attention on a regular basis in order to assure that everything is in working order. In contrast to other common family instruments, pianos need professional attention for many issues faced with the instrument. Should you choose to invest in a brand new piano, your first year of service will require four visits for tuning alone. If you’re purchasing an instrument used, after an initial inspection and servicing, you will likely only need one maintenance appointment per year. The strings of the piano will settle over time, decreasing the need for regular tuning, however the general use of the piano will incur a higher need for service to the action of the keys and the pedals of your instrument.

Even with every consideration given its due, choosing the perfect piano for your home can be a challenge. We would love to help you make the decision for which instrument best suits you! For help in consulting, feel free to fill out the contact form below, or to give us a call at 607-324-7059 (west of Corning NY) or 607-732-9629 (east of Corning NY).

3 Tips for Determining the Value of Your Piano

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 15:55:18 GMT

Thinking of selling or insuring your family piano? We'll help determine its value.

The family piano: coveted through generations and kept safe in each household that homes it. Every so-often you may find yourself asking “I wonder how much this old thing is worth.” While they are often timeless and always priceless, finding out that you have a hidden gem sitting in your home always feels good. So how do you determine the cash worth of a piano? While there are many determinants that factor into establishing the value of a piano, below are three factors that you can use to estimate just what your hidden gem may be worth.

Type of piano - You likely know the classic grand piano. How it looks, how it sounds, maybe even what it’s worth, but what other types of pianos are there? Grand, upright, and electric, each of which has subsets under which a piano may fall. Discounting electric pianos, as their value is easily determined, most pianos found in homes will be a type of upright piano, as they save space and produce a sound that is reliable. If you have a grand piano in your possession it is likely to be a petite or baby grand, as they produce quality sound while requiring less space than a standard grand piano. The key difference between these subsets: size, and by extension, the amount of keys contained in the keyboard of the piano. In essence, the more keys, the higher the value. The only catch is that with age, pianos with more keys are likely to have broken keys, which will lower the value upon resale. Another factor that plays into the “type” category for pianos is the maker of the instrument, which is often displayed above the keyboard, or just inside the body of the piano, each brand comes with an inherent value on top of the style of the piano at which you’re looking.
Action of the keys - Understanding that it is common for pianos to lose action over time without regular maintenance, there is value in exploring what a loss of action many look like. Pianos are technically percussion instruments. The act of pressing down on the keys of a keyboard drops a hammer inside the body of the instrument, striking a high-tension wire, and producing a tone. The mechanism by which the piano gets its sound is a complex machine and can lose its responsiveness, or action, in many ways. The easiest way to determine if action has been lost in your piano is to compare how quickly the keys return to their resting positions after being depressed: the slower the time, the lower the action. Other signs of a loss of action include a lowered dynamic range, keys sticking completely, and keys rising unevenly. All of these symptoms require specific and sometimes intensive regulation, which will lower the initial value of the instrument.
Depreciation - As with all things, wear and tear is the natural enemy of the piano. Even if you were able to maintain regular maintenance with the internal components of the piano, chances are good that surface damage will occur to any instrument over time. While damage to the body of the piano is fairly easy to spot, it can be challenging to recover the instrument’s original condition with repairs. Additionally, some keys will likely have worn with use, as will the pedals under the keyboard itself. These aesthetic flaws may be simple to replace or refinish, but are expensive for the restoration process, dropping the value for buyback. General cleanliness will also play a factor, as dust will collect inside the body of the piano, caking up and creating potential issues in the tuning and regulation processes.

Need help appraising your piano? We can help with that! Fill out the contact form below, or feel free to give us a call at 607-324-7059 (west of Corning NY) or 607-732-9629 (east of Corning NY).

Our Piano Customers Often Ask the Following Questions

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 17:43:01 GMT

Why Does My Piano Go Out of Tune?

Piano strings are under a great deal of tension, which is supported by the frame, plate, pinblock, tuning pins, bridges and soundboard. Anything which effects the position of these parts will cause a change in the tension and make the piano go out of tune.

Why Do My Keys Stay Down?

Push down on he back end of the key, near the capstan. If both ends of the key go down at once the key is broken. If the back end of the key will not go down, a foreign object, like a crayon has fallen under it. If the back-end of the key goes down and the front comes up, determine if the key or action is sticking. Hold the key down in the back with one hand, raise the whippen with the other hand and release the whippen. If the whippen drops to its resting position properly the key is stuck. If the whippen stays up the trouble is in the action.

If the front of a white key binds on the keyslip, remove the keyslip and insert shims made of paper or business card stock in the appropriate places so that the shims will hold the keyslip away from the front end of the keys.

Why are My Keys Sluggish?

If the piano key plays the action properly, but is slow in coming back up, remove the key and ease both the front & balance rail bushings, or sand spots which bind to the adjacent key.

What Should I do About Broken Hammer Shanks?

Hammers usually break in the middle. To repair, first remove the butt or flange in a grand piano, in an upright piano use a flange screwdriver. Remember, do not apply excessive pressure to the jack. Apply glue, align the parts and press them together. Remove excessive glue and wrap the joint with heavy thread. The thread may be removed and the shank sanded and cleaned after the glue has dried.