February Meeting: (3rd Monday)
Date: Monday, February 18, 2019
(President’s Day)
Time: 6:00 pm - Light Dinner
7:00 pm - Meeting
Location: Keyboard Concepts
5539 Van Nuys Blvd.,
Sherman Oaks, CA 91401
January got off to a great start. Many enjoyed the NAMM Show. There's everything under the sun to do with music and the people watching never gets old. Our friends from the Home Office were there to greet us. Several technicians, who came out from all over the country, including Canada & Germany, joined us on Monday for the multi-chapter meeting.
After NAMM, as promised, we had a very special event at the Colburn School in DTLA. Steingraeber and Sohne brought two of their beautiful grand pianos – a concert grand and a 7' grand to Thayer Hall. Udo Steingraeber has often visited NAMM in the past, but this year he sent the next (7th) generation, Fanny & Alban, to meet everyone. They have grown up around amazing pianos and pianists that have graced their Steingraeber Haus. They are both young and enthusiastic about their special place in the history of piano making.
Alex Kerstan, Production Manager and Head Technical Director presented two programs, one geared for technicians and one for the students and faculty members. He has been with the company even before the 7th generation were born. His lecture highlighted many of the innovations and explained some of their distinctive design features. In the second half of the program, one of the Colburn Conservatory pianists who spent quite a bit of time in Bayreuth at the factory, gave us a demonstration of the Sordino pedal. The Sordino pedal had been noted in music of Schubert and Beethoven (con sordino, senza sordino) but I never understood the direction in the music notation until seeing the sordino in action. It's like the mute rail we find in an upright but the felt is thinner and produces that soft and dream-like sound. The presentation was excellent, and we hope he will be invited to teach at the 2020 PTG National Convention in Orlando. Steingraeber & Sohne is one of the top 10 pianos being made in the world today.
This month the speaker will be Mark Greisen, serial piano tuner, player piano monopolist and borderline genius. He will present "How to gain and increase certainty in aural tuning." You will get workable tools to increase your skills whether you have been tuning two days or two hundred years.
We were sorry to learn that Paul Monroe, former Orange County Chapter President and Western Regional Vice President, passed away. Memorial services will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, February 11. See the Orange County Chapter section for more information.