by Anyway, I spoke briefly with a truly nice older man (he didn't have the usual "salesman niceness" about him; he was just a well-tempered guy), told him that I had a Yamaha once but switched to Steinway--he grumbled temporarily there but I mollified his potential discomfort by explaining that my old teacher had a beautiful C7 at her house, which was my first large piano to play on, and I gave him a line about wanting to try a new one in the store cos "I hadn't played one for a while". Mind you, Yamahas aren't my favourite of instruments, but my teacher's was particularly well-maintained and even now I remember it's rounded--not sharp--sound and superlative touch.
Well, he showed me to a C7 and told me he wouldn't mind if I played a little; I had already reconned the store and no one was doing much of anything...just a few salespeople milling around, chatting people up on the phone and whatnot, so I just assumed that, if anything, they would enjoy a little background music. Truth is, I just had this insatiable urge to perform for people outside my family, because I haven't been on a concert stage of any kind since last July (and, really, that wasn't much--February was my last "important" recital). Well, anyway, I made myself comfortable and started doing my usual warm-up improvisation, keeping the volume down like a pianist might be expected to do in a fancy restaraunt (I was minding the phonecalls), and it wasn't long before I realised how horrible the instrument was that I played. It was nothing like my old teacher's instrument--the sound was stereotypically tinny, sharp, recalcitrant, and the touch seemed uneven and spongy. I resolved to play anyway, telling myself that the BEST reason to play in piano stores is to get a feel for playing on random instruments because you never know what you're going to get...anyway, after getting "used" to it, my improv started to pick up a little steam and, since no one seemed to be on the phone anymore, I thought it'd be nice to attempt to entertain them, even in the slightest.
Well, no such luck. The old man I talked to came over and told me calmly that there were some serious customers waiting for his assistance, and I really shouldn't play while they decide on their piano. I understood immediately, because, afterall, that's what would be expected at any piano store, even Forshey's downtown, where the salesman knows me very well and usually lets me play at will in the backroom D's. Anyway, the old man generously showed me to a small recital hall in the back of the store with a C3 in it; he told me that I could play whatever I wanted to without any worries and then left to attend to his clients. Well, I quickly replaced the bench with a more acceptable chair from the 30 or so situated around the piano, and this time sat down and started playing the 6th Hungarian Rhapsody. Unfortunately, the instrument was horribly prepped and had an even worse sound than the C7, taking into account that the C3 is smaller. But I was just trying to have some fun and imagine myself giving a recital to a packed room (the fantasies...lol).
It couldn't have been a minute later when another salesman, this one younger, taller, skinnier, and appropriately "salesman-y" (fake smile, greased hair, arrogant attitude), burst into the room and waved his hand to get my attention. I stopped and reluctantly allotted my attention to the irritating man, expecting the worst. "Sorry to have to say this," he said, "but it's a little unconvenient"--yes, he said UNconvenient...I had to pause and ask myself if he really said it--"to be teaching a lesson when someone is pounding away on a piano through the walls." Here, I glanced up at him to see if he was actually serious, and since he seemed to be, I hopped up from the chair, my mind swamped with things I WANTED to say which I refrained from saying, if you know what I mean. He'd stopped me in the middle of the octaves section of the rhapsody, which I had been doing a *damn fine* job of playing, if I don't say so myself, despite having a crummy instrument, and then referred to my performance as "pounding away," which clearly distracted from a more important "lesson" through the walls. I wondered if the guy had even heard of Liszt before, and if so, I wondered if he'd ever played any Liszt. I think the answer might well have been negative on both accounts...
I somehow managed to contain myself after hopping off the bench and, in a quite pleasant voice (which I'm good at feigning), told him I understood entirely, even though I thought he should consult with the more down-to-earth man in the other room, who explicitly told me that I could play whatever I wanted in the recital hall. I furthered my appearance of being kind and mild-mannered by asking him about the Bechsteins they allegedly carried, and he was quick to hustle me out of the room to show me the Bechstein 190 on the showroom, which ironically had been situated right next to the C7 I'd played earlier (I hadn't had time before to look around much). I stared at it, hoping he might be willing to let me play a few measures of the Rhapsody again to see what it sounded like on a REAL instrument (though, heaven knows the piano was probably prepped in a similarly disasterous manner as the others...the thought makes me shudder), but again, no dice. He "apologised" once more, and told me to come back in the morning, when they *might* not have to tell me to stop playing. I smiled at him and then told him, in my controlled and affable tone, that "although the offer does seem appetizing, I might instead attempt to drive into Houston and treat myself to an actual piano store, rather than falsely satisfy myself by running willy-nilly to these furniture shops." And before he could reply, I had smiled once more at him, turned around, and exitted through the door immediately behind the Bechstein.
Now, certainly some of you are wondering why I felt so bothered by the whole "lessons" thing. I might add, then, that on my way out I caught sight of his student, who had been placed on a Yamaha digital that was off to the side but STILL ON THE SHOWROOM. He also played with no headphones...in other words, anyone could listen to him and he could listen to anyone in the room. That means that even the "serious customers" who were bothering the first salesman I talked to would 1) interrupt the student if they expected to try out the piano before buying it (which is apparently RIDICULOUS in the minds of the salespeople, I guess) and 2) the student would reduce the quality of the customer's trial runs by interjecting his elementary jazz and new age in between their own pieces. My point is, having lessons on the show room floor is completely ludicrous. Does anyone agree with me here? Or am I completely off base?
Secondly, it'd be nice if their recital hall were actually *soundproof* which apparently it isn't....not like anything in the store was of particularly high quality.....
Thirdly, salespeople should treat people in their store with respect, especially if they are obvious serious and semi well-trained pianists, like myself. I'm certainly not good by most of our standards, but I'd reckon that at the time I was the best in the store, and that means something coming from my self-degrading and pessimistic mouth! I've been shocked time and again with regards to the general ignorance--in some cases--that Ph.D.'s in the field exhibit, but salespeople at these stores.......eurgh! Do they know ANYTHING?? It's so bloody frustrating. All they're there to do, in their minds, is sell furniture to people who want a "nice piece of furniture", etc. (either that or they have a "prodigy" for a child and need to buy the best piano they have, and fast, because the kid is SO great they don't have a minute to spare....)
I'm sorry to say, I was highly disappointed. It was the first time I've been in such a store for many years (instead, I've visited the two exemplary stores downtown, specialising in Steinways, Bosendorfers, Solers, Foresters, Schimmels, Petrofs, Estonias, etc's---and most of the time I could have sat and practiced in the store for hours) and I didn't spend more than ten minutes in it before I was moved and then kicked out. I didn't even get the impression that the salespeople were educated in much of anything about pianos (their training might have been "tell them that it's black, it looks good, and then say it has a "bold, round tone and butter-smooth keys that match the finest concert grands in the world"---that'll impress them!!") and it seemed like not only did they insult my intelligence but also insult my playing ability, if in subtle ways.
It's ridiculous. It's first time I've been in such a store for a long time, and it's going to be another extended period before I even think about going back to such a store.
Mind you, I don't mean to offend anyone who has bought a piano from H&H or Brook Mays or...any store "like that". I know the people on this forum are all good pianists who know their stuff, and clearly don't fall into the typical line of customers which I described above. My opinions here are based mostly on generalisations gathered from past experiences.
The fellow told me that it was a long time since he had heard a Boston played as beautifully as I did. Now 