Los Angeles Chapter
June Meeting: (3rd Monday)
Date: Monday, June 15, 2020
Sign into Zoom:
6:45 pm -7:00 pm
Meeting Time: 7:00pm
Guest Speakers: Dale and Jacob
Erwin
To attend the meeting, please e-mail laptg901@gmail.com by June 14 to receive a link to the online session.
Those who were able to attend Alan Eder's expansive and newly revised program, "The Evolution of the Piano: A Collaboration Across Space and Time," were treated to an 'epic journey' that went far above and beyond just pianos and music. Some of us may be familiar with this program as Alan has presented it to our local chapters and at regional and national conferences. But at its root, the presentation came to fruition at the request of a CalArts music history teacher who had the brilliant idea to ask the school's piano technician to prepare a lecture on the history of the piano. Little did they know where this was going! In Alan's own words:
"The Evolution of the Piano" traces an epic journey beginning with the origins of our planet, continuing through the progression of human technology, including the piano, and culminating with a look ahead to the ongoing development of the piano into the 21st Century and beyond. If it sounds cosmic, that's because it is!
With the help of an all-star team, Alan navigated the awkwardness of a Zoom meeting (attended by as many 60 people!), played musical examples, showed us pictures and videos, and engaged his virtual audience throughout the combined 3 hour lecture. Typically a very interactive live presentation, a somewhat shy Zoom audience did pipe up when prompted and stayed as active and engaged as you could ask for. Alan's energy and enthusiasm made for an entertaining and highly educational time. To quote Alan again:
"Source materials are drawn from an extensive bibliography of texts on piano history; documentaries about nature, human evolution, mythology, weapons and pianos, TED talks, movies, poetry, and video games. Eder's own efforts have been magnified by the contributions of legions of pianists, piano technicians, students of music history, and other workshop participants over the past decade."
Keep your eyes and ears peeled. It just might happen again... and it will be cosmic.
This month Dale and Jacob Erwin will present their class, "All Things Piano Hammers. " They will discuss how to go about replacing hammers including selection, preparation and how hammers are different. They will share the story of reintroduction of Weickert felt and will also discuss David Stanwood's protocols when choosing new hammers.
General Zoom meeting instructions are available on the Advertisers / Announcements page of this newsletter.