Entry #100: Let me introduce you to the Steinway

At UAH, where I'm studying music, there are three pianos. The first is an electronic Yamaha P-140, which is utilitarian but still, being newly purchased to replace a similar keyboard where some of the key keys didn't come back up after being struck, is very, very good. That is the piano that I use when the "varsity" big band is rehearsing while we (the "junior varsity" big band) are, which is every Monday and Wednesday. Then there is a Yamaha grand, which generally sits in the practice room but is often moved on stage for the varsity big band's rehearsal. I get to use that one when our combo practices (Wednesday after big band). The third piano is a Steinway grand, which is only used for recitals and concerts. It is stored in a room behind the main stage. I'd only ever seen it once.

Until last night.

A cold snap here in north Alabama forced the music department to move the Steinway out of storage, due to it being in the northwest corner of the building, in an unheated storage area of an unheated recital hall. (And we all know that extreme temperatures, cold or hot, wreak havoc on pianos.) So, the varsity big band pianist got to play the Steinway during their practice, while I finally got to use the Yamaha for our junior varsity practice. But after that, our jazz combo moved into the recital hall and I got to fiddle on the Steinway.

Which was nice.

It felt about the same, but the response seemed a little sharper than the Yamaha. I didn't like the sustain pedal, because it sat up pretty high and was a little stiff to press down on. Plus, I couldn't really tell what kind of response I was getting. The strings were impressive to look at, and the sound was decidedly fuller, which made me regret that I can't play the piano very well. I would have liked to have been able to do something on it other than my meager hack moves. It was sort of like driving a Ferrari three blocks to the grocery store: Yeah, it was fun, but it could have been so much more. Still, I can console myself with that thought that not every pianist ever even gets to play a Steinway, but I not only got to rehearse on one, I will get to perform on it next week as well.

So, February 11 is the big day. In the combo (which will probably lead off the concert), we'll be doing "Ruby, My Dear", and in the big band (which should play third after the other combo), we'll be doing "My Funny Valentine" and a commissioned original, "I Hung the Moon Up There Just For You". I'm going to have to really practice hard this weekend to get everything up to speed, but I'm pretty close already, so, it shouldn't be a problem.

For those of you in the neighborhood, I hope to see you there.