Things I do not like.

[rebeccmeister]

Well, I'll actually start with things I like. Yesterday evening, after a full day of bike advocacy-related matters, I went to the early part of a benefit show for Radio Phoenix. I had to get home in time to go to bed for rowing, so I only stayed for the first band (I think...or second band?), whose name I don't remember, but which played some pretty awesome songs and was fun to watch. I haven't gone to a ton of shows recently, but I've been enjoying the occasional small-ish show of local music, especially when it's good.

Anyway. Listening to the band made me want to play the piano, so I've brought a couple of books with me to campus with the intention of heading over to the music building for a lunchtime jaunt. But I'm suddenly realizing that I probably won't go over because I have an awkward complex about practice rooms on campuses. I just don't want to be overheard or watched as I stumble through things, plus I have no idea how crowded the practice rooms will be and I always feel bad for taking up a room if someone else is waiting and I'm not paying for lessons or anything.

Really, I should suck it up, save up a bit of spending money, and buy one. But then we run into the same set of problems as with buying anything: I don't think I'd be happy with the resonant qualities of most compact upright pianos (and don't think that electric keyboards are an adequate substitute--in my experience, they are not), and can I really justify the expense? On the other hand, if I'm lax about my standards, I could potentially find a piano for fairly cheap. But that's a project for another day.

Comments

[elmocho.livejournal.com]

I had two semesters of piano at Glendale Community College. We had these lousy electronic keyboards: full size console pianos, but with no guts inside them. They would play with or without a headphone jack-- which we used in the classroom-- but they had no touch.

In the choir room, however, they had a Steinway Concert Grand. I played that for about a week straight before they decided to lock the doors. I've always wondered if someone with an office on the other side of the choir room got sick of endless harmonic minor scales-- which I can't play now!-- and asked that they lock up.

[rebeccmeister.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I totally would've played the Steinway. I should really just suck it up and go over there.

[elmocho.livejournal.com]

I was a little miffed they locked the doors! It was a summer schedule, and I had the place all to myself.

[(Anonymous)]

Don't let perfection stand in the way of practice. If you don't keep up your skills, you won't be able to justify the purchase of a nice piano when you have the means. Get to the practice rooms or find yourself a tinny old upright.

DM

[sytharin.livejournal.com]

I don't know if this is true in Tempe, but when I was watching Craigslist obsessively back in the summer I noticed a lot of people seem to give away their pianos (or virtually) because they're moving. Of course it probably entails taking it home yourself, but I'm sure you've got the tinkering skills to make yourself a piano-trailer... right?

[trifold-flame.livejournal.com]

Your current home would be perfect for a piano, I have to say.... and it's unfortunate that Illinois is so very far from Arizona, because my folks are sadly looking to get rid of our family piano before they move. It's about a hundred years old, some kind of unusual upright with identical internal structure to a grand. Every time we have a piano turner in they get all hyper looking at it.

But regardless. And regarding practice rooms- I would bet at least five dollars that there are people there worse than you. And another ten dollars that everybody involved is too busy obsessing about their own performance to care about anyone else's :-)