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UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

  • 1.  UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-17-2017 16:46
    This appears to be a fairly major initiative at $6.5 Mil!

    http://music.utexas.edu/allsteinway

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    John Minor
    University of Illinois
    jminor@illinois.edu
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  • 2.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-17-2017 17:53
    Wasn't UT Austin a S&S school already?

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    Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
    Mililani, HI 96789
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  • 3.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-18-2017 01:01
    Yeah, I think they are going for DOUBLE All-Steinway School. : ) Joking. Most of the larger state music schools don't seem to be too keen on the All-Steinway School designation. Might have to do with the hefty price tag of buying hundreds of new Steinways. At Illinois our last rough estimate for new Steinways was nearly $10 mil for approximately 170 new pianos. Needless to say, it does not seem to attract much interest from the upper admins.

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    John Minor
    University of Illinois
    jminor@illinois.edu
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  • 4.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-18-2017 02:48
    John, and maybe some other tech at all S&S schools.

    Have you felt, heard, or seen a difference in the students who attend your school?  Have you heard students say they came to UI because it was an all Steinway School?  In other words, is being an all Steinway School all it is hyped up to be?

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    Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
    Mililani, HI 96789
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  • 5.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Posted 08-18-2017 07:52
    It seems to me when an institution goes all in for one brand, .... their ignorance is bliss. :-(

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    Garret Traylor
    Trinity NC
    336-887-4266
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  • 6.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-18-2017 12:47
    Garrett

    That sentiment has been expressed before. But the question remains. does being an all Steinway school increase enrollment, and/or attract better students? Again, are the pianos, whether they are Steinways or not, or the conditions of the pianos, a determining factor when students choose a particular school?

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    Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
    Mililani, HI 96789
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  • 7.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-18-2017 13:28
    Wim & all, Well there are several big factors that come into play that CAN be difficult to express in writing/etc. The particular dynamics of our faculty for example (and even more so, our piano faculty) has played a much larger role in our decicion processes over the past several piano purchases/decisions/piano donations, etc.--than I would have expected it. Many techs are super passionate on both sides of the asile on this topic. 
    The best real life story I can think of is a convesation I had with the Staff Tech at Baylor Univ, just before I moved to Texas Tech in 2009. We were discussing their piano inventory at that time (tons of just absolutly crappy beater pianos out of their 250 pianos). He said Kevin at the end of the day we just GOT TO HAVE SOME BETTER PIANOS! And ASAP!!!)
    If private donors and a "program"can help make that happen then SO BE IT! 
    I am personally glad we did not go All Steinway here at Tech--and it DID COME UP a few years ago (and a couple of times in the past it has been seriously considered!). But I COLPETLY understand school who take this route.

    Wim, I'm not sure I can prove the enrollment numbers you ask about, but I think perhaps the "moral factor" just might be much more important than trying to prove numbers. Although I am convinced bad inventenory is not good for enrollment and will definitely effect it. 
    Our private donors gave us 23 new Yamaha U1s, 4 Steinway Os and two Steinway As two years ago--and they remodelled our pratice rooms, rescuing us from DECADES of lack on funding from the state. Gave nearly 3/4 of a million to our school of music. Not that many school have this kind of private help. Kevin

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    [Kevin] [Fortenberry] [RPT]
    [Staff Techician]
    [Texas Tech Univ]
    [Lubbock] [TX]
    [8067783962]
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  • 8.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-18-2017 14:50
    Hi all-


    I think it's clear the standards and expectations of equipment in general have steadily grown for secondary education the past couple decades.  What was acceptable in my generation of students would never fly today. This is true for the whole spectrum of equipment, including pianos.  Granted there are some people who may be wooed by the affiliation of a prominent manufacturer, but what matters most is the condition of the actual instruments. The excitement and press that comes with buying a new fleet of expensive instruments wanes pretty quickly if the school doesn't maintain proper staff to keep them in top shape. I won't give examples, but we know that happens.  We opted not for the fore-mentioned designation, but discussed it at length also. In any case, I think there isn't one best solution here, either can work nicely, provided the instruments are a joy to play.  Prospective students do care about that, even if they aren't advanced enough yet to judge for themselves they will pick up on the energy, investment and pride a department has in their inventory. We have all seen restored instruments that can hold their own against anything brand new- but there will always be a place for new stock and obviously we need to support that. It's mutually beneficial in the end.  

    regards,

    Dennis Johnson






  • 9.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-18-2017 17:55
    Dennis Johnson wrote:
    "...what matters most is the condition of the actual instruments. The excitement and press that comes with buying a new fleet of expensive instruments wanes pretty quickly if the school doesn't maintain proper staff to keep them in top shape. I won't give examples, but we know that happens."

    Yes, yes and yes!

    Alan

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    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
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  • 10.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Posted 08-18-2017 14:53
    Wim, you are missing the point.
    See the Steinway-produced advertisement linked above.
    Wealthy donors will give big money because they believe in the prestige value of Steinway without question.
    This "program" has been one of Steinway's greatest cash attracting creations.
    I understand  the "Steinway product" pianos may include Bostons and Essexes.

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    Ed Sutton
    ed440@me.com
    (980) 254-7413
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  • 11.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-19-2017 02:02
    Ed

    The point I'm asking is not what Steinway can make from the sale, or how much money a school can generate form their alumni, but what effect having an All Steinway school has on the level of students who attend the school. Will the better piano students, and even other music students, give greater consideration to a university if there are Steinway products in all the practice room and teaching studios? Or do students go to the school that gives the best scholarships, or is closest to home, or the overall all quality of the professors, which might not have anything to do with the quality of the pianos. 

    When I first got to Alabama, the department chairman, a piano professor, brought up the idea of becoming an all Steinway School, now that I was on board.  Most of the professors had no opinion. Some liked it. But one, the clarinet instructor, complained that instead of spending money on pianos, the school should offer more scholarships. 

    I agree with Dennis, that the quality of the pianos, not the brand, has to be important. But is even just that a deciding factor for students?

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    Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
    Mililani, HI 96789
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  • 12.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Posted 08-18-2017 15:10
    Wimmm
    IMHO, Being an all "Whatever Brand"  school is only a braggarts marketing ploy; it means more expensive tuition and profit for the school and stricter enrollment due to financial ability to pay. Generally a school that caters to  the rich excludes people who cannot afford to be at such an institution. As to the "smartness" of the student, I would point out that: The University nearest me, the faculty pretty much must graduate all students ... cuz daddy $$$ can pay the bills.

    As far as learning, the condition of the piano will matter if the faculty is capable to impart the knowledge and there is capable technical staff to keep the pianos in proper condition.

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    Garret Traylor
    Trinity NC
    336-887-4266
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  • 13.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-19-2017 08:18
    I suspect that it will be hard to get the answers Wim is looking for. What school would want to get that information out if it is negative? The answers received will probably not be backed up with precise facts and figures. More anecdotal I believe.  

    Dennis said it best so far. I would just add the word "budget" to the discussion. It does not matter how nice a new inventory is when new. If it is not maintained the students and faculty will be unhappy. The word will spread. I have seen this in my years working on the CAUT committee. Of course, a proper staffing according to the CAUT Guidelines is essential.

    Some years ago the sales team from Steinway visited Ithaca and treated IC and Cornell faculty, admins and piano techs to a nice dinner and presentation. I will never forget theses words from the sales pitch: "If you do not have the budget to maintain the pianos, don't buy them." I don't know if they still give that advise but I hope so. I know it has not always been followed.

    Don McKechnie, RPT
    Piano Technician
    Home: 607.277.7112
    Cell: 607.339.8679

    Sent from my iPad





  • 14.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-19-2017 13:06

     

    Some years ago the sales team from Steinway visited Ithaca and treated IC and Cornell faculty, admins and piano techs to a nice dinner and presentation. I will never forget theses words from the sales pitch: "If you do not have the budget to maintain the pianos, don't buy them." I don't know if they still give that advise but I hope so. I know it has not always been followed.


    This is where I would hope Steinway would be more pro-active. Instead of "if you don't have the budget", they should say, "you should have competent technicians to maintain these instruments".

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    Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
    Mililani, HI 96789
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  • 15.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-19-2017 13:14
    Both an adequate budget and technical competency in sufficient quantity are needed to maintain any fleet of pianos.

    Alan

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    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
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  • 16.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-19-2017 13:53
    Hi, all,

    Last time I saw the list of requirements to be named an “All-Steinway School”, it included that all pianos be from the Steinway family except possibly up to 10% (which would allow schools to keep, for example, pianos donated by important friends of the department), a list of shop requirements including tools and supplies, and that a recommended schedule of upkeep be maintained. In some cases that schedule could not be accomplished unless more staff time was added. The work schedule could be compared to the CAUT recommendations; I’m not sure how closely they match.

    I have no idea whether or how much they follow up on those requirements, but it leaves open the possibility, I think, that the official designation, with its advertising and logo benefits, could be revoked if the pianos were allowed to deteriorate. No company, of any brand, wishes to see their instruments badly represented.

    On donors: I heard a senior person in a university development office say, when hearing about the All-Steinway School designation for the first time, “Well, that’s a sexy idea! I can sell that to donors.” He was a mercurial man and soon went on instead to develop donors for opera, but he (temporarily) made his point. Donors can sometimes be attracted to different things: like maybe being associated with any well-known brand, or maybe having their names connected to items that will last for years, you never know. Donors can also have their own favorite brand of piano, especially if they play, and they can help support in many ways. I know of one school (only one!) for which a donor endowed a million-dollar account strictly for piano maintenance. Not purchases, not pianos, only maintenance! Every year it throws off enough income to pay a handsome piano tech salary with benefits, with money left over for parts, rebuilding, refinishing, contract tuners, etc. Wouldn’t it be amazing if more people recognized that need?

    One anecdotal story about a hidden Super-Donor was this: a local lady was interested in taking piano lessons, and contacted the university. The head of piano faculty took an interest in her and was giving her lessons. On seeing the pianos in the school, she said, “What do you need?” She turned out, through personal interest in the school and faculty, to donate the whole package. Who knew?

    It’s clear that we’re all in agreement that any fleet of pianos in service at any school, of any brand, should be well-maintained. It’s interesting how many different paths exist to chase down that goal.

    Kathy




  • 17.  RE: UT Austin All-Steinway Inititative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-19-2017 22:52
    Kathy got it right! My school is NOT an all-Steinway school and has an aging fleet of pianos in desperate need of replacement. The state has NO money to buy new pianos, so the only possible option is to attract DONORS to buy new pianos. It would NOT come out of the university budget. It really is a dream package for development people, as the name is easily recognizable to donors. Development folks have large lists of donors, who specify their personal interests, and the university works to find projects that they are happy to support, as long as they have made new pianos a priority. 

    The university takes potential donors for a tour of the Steinway factory in Long Island, letting them see the amazing piano building process that happens there. Most everyone comes away VERY impressed with this tradition of 150 years of turning wood into pianos. To the layperson it is inspiring, AND, they are made in the USA! Of course, WE know the pianos are far from perfect, and know that WE will be left with the task of putting them in good order. I would be fine having a sampling of top piano brands, but there is just not the incentive to simply buy pianos. There *is* a program in place to attract donors to purchase Steinways! 

    This is not snobbish, or uppity. it is simply the ONLY way some schools can attract private money to fund public music schools with better pianos.


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    John Minor
    University of Illinois
    jminor@illinois.edu
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