How Pianos are Made

When I was visiting Michael Lipnicki's Fine Pianos in the spring, I learned that pianists know the least about their instrument. I'd have to agree. Some things, you learn with years of lessons and performing, but with over 12,000 parts - there's a lot to know! The very first session I attended at the 2013 CFMTA Music Inspires Convention was The Physical Piano by Katharina Normandeau. That was only the tip of the iceberg.

Earlier this week, I attended a session at Steinway Pianos of Calgary. What I loved is that we got to stick our hands in and (gently) check out some of those 12,000 parts.

Interesting tidbits I learned:

• the inside of the grand piano must sustain over 20 tonnes of pressure from the strings (some sources say 30).

• the piano rims have to cure for months

• wood grain does affect tone

• the piano contains 10,000 moving parts

• the piano construction has to take into account the dynamic nature of steel (which changes with temperature fluctuations) and wood (which changes with humidity fluctuations).

• double escapement looks really cool close up

You can check out my Look Inside the Piano photo album here.

Another area of interest is piano construction, especially, outside-in versus inside-out construction. Does it make a difference? I think this is something people will debate about.

Instead, I will share with you some interesting videos for you to check out. Try not to mind the marketing slant. They all do things a little differently, so they are trying to maximize their competitive edge:

Making of the C. Bechstein Piano (12-part series):

Making of a Steinway Piano:

Yamaha Factory Tour

If you can, schedule some time (or ask your piano teacher to organize and event) at your local piano dealer. It's one thing to see a video but it's much better to see this up close.

Actually, if you have the time and the inkling, visit more than one piano dealer. I will be taking my students to visit the other showrooms as well.

"Why?" you ask? Each piano is unique. Each dealer, like teachers, is unique. Pianos are a huge investment, so you want to find the right fit for you and your family.

And, if you're blessed to be in a city that has a piano factory - book a tour! I know that when I finally make it to Japan, I will ask my contacts with Yamaha, Steinway (which also produce the Boston and Essex pianos) and Roland to book factory tours.Thankfully, they're all in the same area - Hamamatsu.

On Music and Technology, Teaching Awards and Future Collaborations

Last month, I was named the Tech Teacher of the Year. Last week, I got to pick up the hardware on the other side of the country:

The Tech Teacher of the Year Award is the brainchild of Roland Canada, Music for Young Children and Conservatory Canada. It is the first time that this award has been given out. The representatives involved decided to present the award at the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Associations (CFMTA) national convention in Halfiax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

The magnitude of the award didn't hit me until I stepped into the ballroom at the World Trade and Convention Centre. The mere thought of standing in front of music teachers from all over North America, many of whom have been teaching for far longer than I, was overwhelming. The realization that I had to come up with a decent acceptance speech was frightening.

Thanks to my previous "lives" - arts marketing and fund development, special events and communications - experience and Divine inspiration kicked in. Ergo, I am familiar with the "lead sheet" of an acceptance speech. All that was left was to decide upon a few salient points while my shaking hands tried to direct my meal into my mouth.

Now I can't remember everything I said. I do remember thanking the sponsors for coming up with the idea and for paying my transportation and accommodation to the convention. I vaguely remember mentioning how difficult it was to put the submission together (my first take was over 10 minutes long!). As well, I mentioned how my students are equally fascinated with old technology, tasking me with finding an old magnetic tape recorder.

My last point is one that I've made several times here: technology doesn't have to be scary. It took me years to get my studio to where it is today. Even then, it wasn't until my involvement with Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir last year that I upped my game on the music and technology front.

Roland Canada hosted a dinner for the participants who were in attendance at the convention. It was inspirational to just meet and chat with this bright individuals and to express the desire to work together.

When I was able to tell the world that I had won the award, I shared my news on Eric Whitacre's Facebook Wall. I know I shouldn't be surprised that he replied. After all, Eric has nurtured a great relationship with his fans and members of Virtual Choir - to the point that he drops into the odd Virtual Choir Google Hangout and has dinner with 10 VC members who decide to go to Vancouver to catch him in concert:

However, knowing how busy he must be, it's still a bit shocking to get a reply from him.

What's next on the horizon? Who knows? I just know that now that I'm back from Halifax, I have to fight the urge to incorporate all the neat ideas I picked up - all at once.

Rhona-Mae Arca Named Tech Teacher of the Year

It's official, I've been named Tech Teacher of the Year by Roland Canada, Conservatory Canada and Music for Young Children. Click here for the official press release.

Applicants had to submit a three-minute clip describing how digital technology is used in their music studio, as well as how digital technology impacts their students as well as themselves. Here is my submission:

This announcement comes on the heels of my latest music and technology project. Last week, my students and I prepared, recorded and submitted videos for Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir 4.0 - Bliss. A record number of over 8,200 videos from nearly 6,000 singers and 100 countries were submitted. Some of my students and I even helped out on  tech support during the final days prior to the submission deadline.

Thank you so much to the sponsors: Roland Canada, Conservatory Canada and Music for Young Children for this opportunity. Hats off to my fellow teachers who also made a submission as they are also leaders in working technology into music education.

See you all in Halifax!