Gifts that Keep on Giving:
 An Inspirational Story

Posted on Aug 25, 2011 in Academic & Health Benefits, News & Events, Piano Blog | 0 comments

When a child is born into the family, we always wonder what he or she might become one day. Perhaps a gifted singer or actress? A famous scientist, businessman, or engineer?

It might soon occur to us that what a child will be is partly just up to her 
or him. Indeed, some part of us is programmed by genetics (about 40-60%). That’s the old nature/nurture battle. 

It is now being recognized that early exposure to language, music, art, kinetics, and so on, has a profound influence on the young, developing child. 
It is also becoming clear that “the younger the better” for this exposure.

I remember being in the Houston Piano Company one day when a gentleman came in wanting to purchase a piano for his grandchild. He wanted him to be exposed to music and learn to play a piano early, like he had done, leading him to be a professional musician for many years. (more…)

Baby Starling Gets Rescued!

Posted on Jul 2, 2011 in News & Events | 4 comments

On May 20th the owners of Houston Piano Company, Sue and Steve Merrill, brought in a baby bird that appeared to have fallen out of his nest onto the store parking lot; his eyes were still unopened and he did not have much hair/feathers on his body. The Merrills placed the bird into a paper bowl lined with paper towels. Being the extreme animal lovers that we are, we decided to rush the bird to the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center on 7007 Katy Rd. (Houston TX, 77024), courtesy of Dave Smith who is one of our sales representatives. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center gladly took the bird in and informed us that they would give us periodic updates on the bird’s condition.

After the bird was dropped off, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center determined that the bird is a baby starling. They were able to fully rehabilitate the young starling, which is now in a pre-release cage and almost ready to fly on his own!

Here at Houston Piano Company, we are devoted to our community and support any and all efforts to encourage organizations such as the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. We were tremendously impressed about how the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center took the time and the dedication to care for the displaced baby starling as well as to contact us for updates.

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is in partnership with the Houston SPCA. Please visit their website at http://wrande.org/ to make a donation and/or to learn more about this organization.

Keep The Keyboard Clean: Piano Care Tip #12

Posted on Jun 14, 2011 in Piano Care Tips | 0 comments

The keyboard should be wiped periodically with a soft, dry cloth. Never use cleaners containing alcohol as the keys will become cracked. If the keyboard is very dirty, wipe it with a cloth moistened in a solution of soap and water. The same cloth should not be used for cleaning the surface of the piano, however. A good habit to cultivate is never to play the piano with dirty hands. That way the keyboard will stay clean for a long time.

Make sure to visit HoustonPianoCompany.com

Tuning and Adjustment: Piano Care Tip #11

Posted on Jun 6, 2011 in Piano Care Tips | 0 comments

Pianos are delicate instruments which need professional attention periodically. Basically there are two types of professional piano care: tuning and adjustment. Tuning means correcting the pitch of every note by re-tightening the strings. Each piano string is normally stretched to a pressure of about 90 kilograms (198 ½ pounds), but eventually it will stretch further with use and lose some of its tension, causing the piano to lose its correct pitch.

The strings need to be tuned once or twice a year to restore them to their proper tension. Adjustment involves the entire piano action, keyboard, and pedal movements. Proper adjustment is especially important for grand pianos. Whether the piano will perform properly or not depends on how accurately the adjustment is made. Tuning and adjustment should only be done by an expert. When your piano requires either one, call a specialist.

Don’t forget to visit HoustonPianoCompany.com

Do not place objects on top of the piano: Piano Care Tip #10

Posted on May 26, 2011 in Piano Care Tips | 0 comments

Do not place objects on top of the piano

A heavy object may cause poor tone or noisy vibration if placed on the piano. A vase of flowers may look attractive on the piano, but if it should spill water and enter the piano, serious damage can result. Water will rust the metal parts of the piano and damage the hammer and action. Avoid costly accidents and never place anything except sheet music and/or a metronome on the piano.

Don’t forget to visit us at HoustonPianoCompany.com

Avoid Sudden Temperature Changes: Piano Care Tip #8

Posted on May 16, 2011 in Piano Care Tips | 0 comments

When a cold room is warmed suddenly, moisture will condense on the piano strings and other metal parts, causing them to rust. Felt parts will absorb moisture, dulling their action and resulting in unclean sound. Be especially careful about sudden temperature changes when moving your piano into a room in a cold northern climate or into an airtight room in a concrete building.

Don’t forget to visit HoustonPianoCompany.com for everything piano!

Beware of Excessive Dryness: Piano Care Tip #7

Posted on May 12, 2011 in Piano Care Tips | 0 comments

Just as Piano Care Tip #6 says to be careful about excessive moisture, excessive dryness can also cause problems, and reek havoc on your pianos!

Too much humidity is a problem, but excessive dryness is an even more serious one, especially where heating or cooling systems are used to create artificially dehumidified rooms. Used in naturally dry climates, the piano has enough natural moisture to prevent excessive drying. However, if the air becomes too dry, the wooden and felt components will shrink. In extreme cases, the soundboard, joints, and other laminated sections may even come apart, even though they have been glued together carefully. Slight distortion of the parts may cause noise, and the tuning pins may work loose, making it difficult to keep the piano in tune. To avoid excessive dryness, it is best to keep some kind of leafy plant or a humidifier in the piano room.

Don’t forget to get your piano fix at the HoustonPianoCo YouTube Channel, and visit HoustonPianoCompany.com for everything else piano you need!

How to Protect Against Excessive Moisture: Piano Care Tip #6

Posted on May 11, 2011 in Piano Care Tips | 0 comments

Here are a few general tips for proper care:

On cloudy or rainy days, close all windows in the piano room. Also, be sure to close the top board each time after playing. The piano’s thick cloth cover absorbs moisture in damp or rainy weather and should be taken off and dried on clear days. Be especially careful about excessive moisture if you live in one of the following places:

• Along the coast or in a rainy or humid region.
• In a valley, in a house facing hills, or in an area with poor drainage.
• In a concrete building not more than one or two years old
• In an area where air exhaust are directed into a room or in a dark, dank room facing north.

Don’t forget to get your piano fix at the HoustonPianoCo YouTube Channel, and visit HoustonPianoCompany.com for everything else piano you need!

How Humidity Affects A Piano: Piano Care Tip #5

Posted on May 10, 2011 in Piano Care Tips | 0 comments

Felt, cloth, leather, and the precision wood parts – some of them machined to tolerances as fine as 1/100mm – used in such critical parts of the piano as the action, are extremely sensitive to humidity. Too much humidity will result in dull hammer action, unclean tones, rusting of internal parts, and sticking keys. Before this happens the piano should be repaired.

Don’t forget to visit HoustonPianoCompany.com for more fun piano information –See why we were voted Top Piano Company in Texas 2010!

Proper Conditions Mean Better Sound: Piano Care Tip #4

Posted on May 9, 2011 in Piano Care Tips | 0 comments

Proper ventilation is also important. Generally speaking, a relative humidity of between 50 and 60 percent is ideal for pianos. The use of materials such as wood, felt, and cloth in piano construction means that many parts are quite delicate. If not properly cared for, they can be damaged easily.

Don’t forget to visit HoustonPianoCompany.com for more helpful piano information!