Here’s another song from the Eclecticity album.

Brazilian Nights

Since I have been playing piano, and live in the northeastern USA, I always have had the experience of having my piano serviced (before I could, obviously!!!) in the fall or early winter, which is a great time to get a visit by your tuner/technician. In most of the country, as the weather changes, the environment where your piano is located will change accordingly. So, unless you are fortunate enough to have your piano in a completely climate controlled room where humidity and temperature are always the same, it is best to have your piano serviced by a technician who knows what to look for in the body of the piano, and what areas to examine for any indications of potential trouble. Because air gets dryer in the winter, your piano will react to the dryness by having the wood constrict, glue joints losing some effectiveness and other problems, such as potential cracks in the wood. This, of course, has been addressed in the past by the installation of a Dampp-Chaser System.

With todays economic environment, not everyone has the necessary funds to install a Dampp-Chaser system, so things that can be done in the environment without the system, are very important to your pianos survival.

1.- Make sure that your piano is not directly next to a heater vent, especially with forced air heat. If it is, try to relocate your piano into another area of the room. If you can’t, try to get a baffle made to put near the heater vent to drive the hot air away from the piano. This one step could help not only save your piano from early destruction, but will also help the tuning remain a little more stable by not having dry air being directed at its’ body.
2.- If you don’t have a humidity system in your home (which most of us don’t), you can also get a room humidifier with digital controls that give you the option to keep humidity to approximately 45%. These systems are available on e-commerce sites and can be priced by going to various web services that help you to compare pricing and features.
3.- If you are not able to place a humidifier near your piano, then the next best thing is to keep a small container of water (about 2 quarts) under the piano to allow some mild humidity to escape into the body of the piano. Of course, you want to change the water on a weekly basis minimum to make sure you do not build algae in your water container.

All of these solutions for keeping the piano in the winter will be ineffectual if the piano is not serviced by your technician. In order to protect the integrity of the piano, regular care is the single most important item that you can have completed.

If you have any concerns about your individual piano, feel free to use the Feedback page to express your concerns, and we will do our best to get you an answer as quickly as possible.

Thinking about music for over 50 years and how I could bring some joy to others with music I created, or, arranged other great tunes to my style, finally my first release is coming out this summer (2011). The album, available digitally and on CD format, is entitled “Eclecticity“. The name came from a suggestion by my beautiful wife and love, telling me that my taste in music has always been so “eclectic” since she’s known me. So, due to my tastes in music, I named my first entry into public music a word that I have never seen before  and think I invented (not to say it wasn’t around before).

The music is centered on Easy Listening, New Age, Lite Jazz, Latin and light rock. Some on piano, some with orchestra via my iMac and Logic Pro 8, and all performed and arranged by Rich Goldberg. Notable, are the piano selections, recorded in a wonderful studio, AP Music, in New Jersey, and engineered and produced by the wonderful Joe Vulpis, a dear friend and fabulous musician, writer, producer and sound engineer.

In doing my recordings, stories are told through the notes and expressions with the aid of feeling from the heart and a sense of past happenings in my life. The fun with “Let Me Take You on a Ride” was meant for the motorcycle (Harley Davidson specifically) crowd, the rhythm of “Brazilian Nights” and Latin #1.09 were meant for partying, and the others meant to listen and enjoy.  I am most proud to dedicate to my loving wife, “From Me to You (A Song for Barbara)”, as it was her belief in me and strength that has helped me to this point in my life.  With all the things we have seen and done in the 28 + years together, I would like to have done more to date, but I do know that the music will be there for many years.

All the other tunes have meaning to me, an explanation will be coming in the album.  There will also be 3 other tunes on the album that are not originals, and once the proper legal things are completed, the album will be issued in full for sale digitally and/or CD format.

To go to the music site on ReverbNation, click here.

Please feel free to sample a tune or two, and if you like, tell your friends and family about this “new” artist on the map.

Thanks, and may the lord be kind to you all.

Rich

In September, 1996, RGPT started as a small operation primarily involved in piano tuning, pitch raising or lowering (as needed) and small repairs to piano actions. Since then we have grown to handle many other items in the world of piano tuning and technical work as well as accessories and supplies.

On a day in late 1996 when I met with an advertising publication, they asked me if I had any sort of saying or motto. As I stood there, having been around pianos since 1956 led me to come up with – “Pianos express feelings, too.” The advertising person asked me what it means. I explained there are 2 specific meanings.

First, when playing piano, I tend to find myself lost in the music and the creativity, as most of my selections are my own arrangements, many of which are from several Broadway shows, prior hits from the 60s, 70s and beyond and my own original compositions. I also have entertained in bands as well as a single, performing for small to large audiences. In my mind, when playing a selection, I find I perform with feelings in my heart and think of how the selection could be made better. Constantly, I slightly sway as I go through the piece of music. One day, a friend told me, “you play with a so much emotion!” That solidified my idea of the phrase”pianos express feelings too.” My friend was saying that she felt my emotions through my playing, as the piano was able to convey my own feelings to someone else.

When the piano was invented in 1700 by Bartolomei Cristofori, the original name was in Italian: “piano-forte” ,which simply translates to “soft-loud”. Because of the wide range of notes available and the expressions players can bring forth, the piano truly does express the musicians feelings through the instrument.

And second, as a piano is played that has not been maintained correctly, and the selection is not sounding as it should (out of tune or other annoying sounds), the piano is saying to its owner, “Please get me fixed. I can’t sound good if I don’t have my piano tuner/technician visit on a regular basis. I need to be taken care of for me to stay happy.”

What all this means is a piano must have regular service visits in order to be maintained correctly as well as possibly stopping problems before they become large problems. If pianos are not tuned a minimum of once a year, the piano owner is leaving open the possibilities of major mechanical problems with potentially large bills awaiting. Proper maintenance, tuning a minimum of twice yearly, checking over action parts, strings, damper pads, pedals and many other parts will help keep the piano to be more stable in its tunings as well as give the tuner/technician a chance to diagnose and prevent any potentially expensive repairs.

If you think of your piano as an investment (no matter what the amount), you would want to treat it with care so it can hold up and give you many years of enjoyment. Just like your car or truck, you need it for specific use, so you periodically get the oil and filter changed, engine tuned up, brakes inspected and changed when needed, tires taken care of, etc. If you don’t perform any of the basic maintenance items, eventually you won’t have your transportation because it can’t work if it’s broken. The piano is the same thing – take care of it and you will have many years of use. Don’t take care, and … oh, you know what comes next!

So, make sure you keep piano care on your calendar, just as you do other important reminders.

Happy playing, and hoping your piano can express your feelings too! Happy Holidays.

Rich Goldberg

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Next issue will be on care and maintenance in the heart of the winter!

Feel free to ask for any information you need, and RGPT will help.