UPDATED – June 1, 2011 – I am a musician, piano – keyboard – organ – & guitar teacher, composer, arranger, and have worked in large music & piano companies for over 35 years as a general manager, store manager product specialist, and music teacher. I gave (and still give) consultations & workshops to consumers about music and pianos and have played and sold many types of instruments in my long career incl acoustic & digital pianos, home & pro keyboards, guitars of all types, acoustic & digital drums, and other related music equipment. Music is not just a hobby for me, it has been my career and my passion. I teach people of all ages incl 1 yr old babies (above left)! All 4 of my children play musical instruments and 2 of those “kids” (they are in their 20’s now) are piano teachers and have been playing since they were 5 years old. You’ll notice my younger daughter Arianna teaching one of her students (above). Arianna is a professional pianist and accompanies large school and church choirs as well as doing weddings and other events. She loves music as do all my children and I believe it’s important to instill a love of playing music in kids whenever possible.
I have played (and still do play) various instruments in bands and in solo gigs for weddings, church, clubs, and other venues. In fact, years ago a musician friend and I who were playing music together in the LA area (where I lived at the time) performed at a famous nightclub in LA called the Troubadour (left). This is the place where many famous artists got their start nationally or performed for the 1st time in LA including Elton John, Carly Simon, Don McLean, James Taylor, Billy Joel, Pointer Sisters, Joni Mitchell, Hall & Oates, and many others. So I was in good company especially since I was also a long haired “hippie” so to speak. I’m glad those days are over, at least for me. Looking at me now you’d never know I was a part of that scene:) I never went on in live performance music in a big way because I was more interested in doing other things (like getting a good job), although I still have many good (famous) pro musician friends I hang out with from time to time who play all over the world.
At this point I have played, worked with, advised on, and sold just about every keyboard and digital piano there is including pro keyboards from Sequential Circuits, Oberheim, Ensoniq, Alesis, Emu, Kurzweil, Roland (Juno’s D50’s, Fantoms, etc), Korg (M1’s, Tritons, etc), Yamaha (DX7’s, Motif’s, etc), Moog synths, and even obscure brands like General Music & Ketron. And when it comes to acoustic pianos, I have played most of them from Fazioli, to Bosendorfer, Petrof to Steinway, and of course all the mainstream brands such as Yamaha, Kawai, Baldwin, Mason & Hamlin, Young Chang, Samick, and many others.
And when it comes to organs, I have played (and still play) and teach those too. From Hammond B3’s to Farfisa’s, as well as the full theatre organs from Lowrey, Gulbransen, and Wurlitzer, I have done it all.
As far as digital pianos go, there are a few different classifications: portable pro pianos, portable home pianos, & home cabinet digital pianos. In the old days, pro digital pianos used to consist of things like Fender Rhodes & Wurlitzers. But now we have so much more from Yamaha, Casio, Roland, Kawai, and others.
When you’re looking for a digital piano, especially for your home, church, recording studio, or other venue, it’s not so much what the “specs” say on the factory web site as how the piano actually looks, performs, and sounds. Although performance, looks, sound, and functions are somewhat subjective, there are certain pianos that simply do a better job and certain pianos that are inferior and I have written articles about them extensively in my blog. In fact, there are a few “bad pianos” around that shouldn’t even be made as far as I’m concerned and I have written about some of those too. After all my years of experience with these instruments including what’s out today, I know what I like simply by playing it and using the functions. And when I do that, I know for sure whether that instrument is worth owning and playing and makes me say “WOW, I love this piano.”
Oh and one more thing; with regard to regular acoustic upright and grand pianos, I do like them and own them and enjoy the playing experience on these instruments. But for most beginner and intermediate piano students, I recommend digital pianos because many of them sound and play great, cost less, can speed up the learning process, are great fun, and are family friendly:). There are some regular acoustic pianos that have popular names and therefore have much better resale values like Kawai, Yamaha, and Steinway. And there are some acoustic pianos with names that few people have ever heard of and for that reason generally have much lower resale values like Hardman, Heintzman, and Palatino. So if you do want a regular piano, especially a Grand…be sure you do your homework and you can always ask for my help:)
If you need some advice or help in making the right piano buying decision as well as being sure you’re getting the most for your money at a low discount price, then read the various piano reviews on my blog so you will become more informed. Please take a look at them when you have time and contact me with specific questions.
The articles are listed by dates on the upper right side of this page or you can search using the search bar. I have reviewed many different brands & models of current pianos and I believe you’ll find them informative. Deciding on which piano is absolutely right for you is not a perfect science. Eventually you will just have to get one and start playing. And after all, playing music and enjoying the experience is the name of the game. So the sooner you get started, the quicker you’ll start to have that enjoyment. That’s why I do it, because it gives me something that nothing else can…a way to move your soul and your feelings. It’s all about the music and you being able to make it happen and connect with it. But be sure you do it on a good piano and please contact me direct if you have questions as I will be happy to help.
