Piano Restorer
This maxim/guide/ context/mission statement is the simplest thing; I would venture to guess that it’s understood by nearly everyone, all 6 or 7 billion of us, but it’s apparently a supreme challenge for us to actually live that way. I’ve chosen to try, and I’ve decided I’ll work, live and hang out as much as possible with people that are trying to live the Golden Rule as well. For me, it’s not based on philosophy, or religion, or dogma of any sort–it’s common sense, brilliantly simple, and feels good.
TRUST YOUR OWN EARS
I could say this a thousand times and it wouldn’t be enough. There are many things that conspire to create a belief that we can’t really hear, or that we need some kind of backup to prove that we hear and perceive what we think we hear and perceive.
Something I’ve heard hundreds of times from good, sincere people: “Oh, I can’t hear like you guys can; my ears aren’t that good.” That, or some variant of it.
I always say—always—that that’s ridiculous, that they can hear as well, as intently, as I canand then I show them how they can hear very subtle nuances of tone and pitch; I describe a change I make very clearly, and ask them it they can hear what I describe. In most instances, the light that comes into their faces as they hear what they hear, as they realize, in some small way, that the belief their ears are not capable of fine musical/tonal perception is just that, a belief, and not a reality, makes my day.
FALL IN LOVE
If you don’t love the piano, don’t buy it. If you don’t have a feeling, an emotional connection, pass. For a passionate piano lover/player to buy an instrument they will have forever based on money or name or case appearance has always seemed insane to me.