Just for Fun

10 Timeless Romantic Solos for Valentine's Day

Posted by Sarah Czarnecki on

10 Timeless Romantic Solos for Valentine's Day

A candle-lit dinner for two and sparkling conversation. Your romantic Valentine's Day evening is complete with a piano solo soundtrack that sweeps you off your feet. Enjoy our curated playlist to set the mood.  

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The Legend and the Legacy of Mozart

Posted by Sarah Czarnecki on

The Legend and the Legacy of Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is, without a doubt, the most famous classical composer of all time. In many people's minds, Mozart and classical music might as well be synonymous. But why? Mozart was born to be a musician. That's not hyperbole -- his father, Leopold Mozart, was an extremely talented musician in his own right and he taught his children everything he knew. His oldest daughter, Nannerl, was quite skilled, but little Wolfgang was so adept that he quickly outshone his father, à la Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus. He went on tour immediately.  As a child prodigy with parents who knew how to turn...

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When pianos went to war

Posted by Sarah Czarnecki on

Battlefield music has played a vital role in military history for as long as there has been both music and war. A vital morale boost for the troops, a signal to get things moving, or just a brief diversion from the horrors of war, we owe much success to the immense power of music.  During WWII, the troops desperately needed this power. With the timely popularity of piano music, the US military was faced with a conundrum. How can we bring a piano into battle? Due to the rationing of metals and other raw materials during WWII, Steinway & Sons found themselves...

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Fun Facts About Pianos

Posted by Sarah Czarnecki on

Fun Facts About Pianos

Is trivia night coming up? Need to brush up on your piano trivia? We've found an octave's worth of fun facts for you.     If you play the piano, you're a percussionist. Yep, you read that right! You thought a piano was a string instrument, didn't you? Nope! Because the action hammers actually strike the strings, pianos are considered percussion instruments right up there with drums and xylophones. We happen to think pianos sound nicer than snares, but that's just us.   Pianos have a lot of parts. Okay maybe that one isn't so surprising, but do you know...

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Presidential Pianos

Posted by Sarah Czarnecki on

Have you ever wondered what the POTUS plays?   Politics aside, the White House has long been home to an amazing array of art, furnishings, and of course pianos! The White House has two official pianos: a gorgeous hand-painted gilded Steinway made in 1903, and an ornately carved eagle leg Steinway installed in 1938. The gilded piano, with its lid delicately painted with the nine muses, is now on display in the Smithsonian Institute. It was replaced by the eagle leg piano (which features gold-leaf images of five quintessentially American dances) and remains in the White House to this day.    Steinway #100000   Steinway #300000...

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