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Or maybe they view it as a top-tier musical instrument and significant financial investment, and not a toy for random kids to come in and bang away on.

Which is probably why she purchased a Steinway and NOT a Pearl River. :rolleyes:

Question for BDB: why do you say a lock is more likely to cause damage than prevent it?

I do not know how to do quotes plus my answers. I hope the quote below can be understood for Boxer's notes and my reply which I will ***

You made my point. Approaching the piano as a luxury item rather then a musical instrument. I cannot fathom comparing a car or "fine automobile") to a piano in any way.(except sales tactics). Their purposes are totally different.

Reminds of the guy who comes into the store. Plucks down $3000 for a PRS guitar. Then won't play it for fear of getting a nick in it. Its not a guitar to him its a work of art. A collectible. Which is ok.

Should he let his kids mess with it? A guitar is not considered something for the "family as is a huge selling point of a piano." But he should provide one they can play if they have interest rather then keep them away from it.

In the case of a piano it is usually considered and sold as "family" furniture. Teach them respect for it and let them go at it.

When parents come into the store with little kids the kids run to the pianos and they keep their kids from playing on them. I encourage them to let the kids go to town. It's something they don't see often and can make a long lasting impression.

I started piano lessons when I was 4 years old, but what sparked my initial interest? Being told that I'm too young to play. My older sister started taking lessons and I was a little irritated that she got to play, but I wasn't old enough.

One day I quietly sat there and watched her practicing for her next lesson. I visually memorized each note and how she played it. I said, "I bet I can play that song, too." They finally decided to humor me and allowed me to sit down at the piano. I played it perfectly, and twice as fast - just to make it absolutely clear how I felt about being underestimated because of my age. A few months later I played piano on a local TV show, and was participating in recitals at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

If the piano wasn't forbidden fruit, I may not have had that initial interest in playing. Your results may vary, but that reverse psychology is what worked for me, even if it wasn't intentional.

I'll bet your sister was REALLY pleased with you.

What Boxer said....

IMO you are under no reasonable obligation to allow the neighborhood rascals to bang away on your new Steinway....The mere idea is unconscionable....train your own children to keep them away and intervene if necessary...designate the piano as a "no touch" zone for visiting little people. Use yellow police tape if necessary...Easily done...no regrets.....You're in charge.

We get along just fine now as adults, many years later.

The important thing is that it is her decision and if she chooses to not allow it, it's perfectly normal and if she does allow it then that's fine too (as long as she's not sorry later).

This ironically has a very conservative vs. liberal feel to it, doesn't it?

The conservatives say it's your (rather expensive) private property and you should make no apologies about making it available or not available to the world (or an area of more concern - visiting 7-year old children).

That said, it doesn't mean that you don't support the idea of the encouragement of music to young people as the liberals might jump to conclude. In fact, you may choose to support that very thing in some other way. One that doesn't put your $50K brand new pride and joy on the line. Once that ding is in it, it ain't coming out. Then the kids are forbidden, but it's too late.

Meanwhile, the liberals feel some obligation to be the ambassadors of music lessons for the world and want you to be taught about it even if you don't know you're interested in it. But hey, piano IS rewarding, isn't it? The world should know!

I'm out of politics now, so don't try to pin either of these positions on me. My solution is to pick up an old $400 upright from a garage sale, and then let them play with that! Save everyone a lot of trouble. What's $400 more after you're down $50K already? The kids get to play, and you aren't doing your part to diminish the future of piano playing in the world while doing what may be necessary to keep your very expensive, beautiful, brand new, living breathing, instrument safe. I kept a 50s Wurltizter console that I bought for $40 (not $400) and it plays nicely and is perfect for a youngster to begin to learn to play and respect. It's just waiting for my nephews who will NOT be allowed to touch my grand until they prove they can play and more importantly respect the other instrument.

I now cover my head.

Duplicate post, sorry.

How did conservatives and liberals get into this thread? I must be missing something

I have no idea either....

I wonder though.....I do lean to the right....

Yeah, that was the theory. Wonder how many that say she should not let the kids touch the piano are right leaners and how many that say let the kids play are left leaners.

Sorry, but I offered my solution which I thought was good. Didn't mean to derail the thread.

And see, Apostle leans right and he votes keep the varmits away!

TLuvva, what an interesting observation. I'm a conservative and I don't feel obligated to risk my piano for the sake of promoting piano playing.

I want to see more young people get involved with music and the piano, and I think there are other ways to encourage that (and I do try). I've seen how destructive some children can be. Many parents don't discipline their kids or teach them to respect property. Why should an expensive piano be jeopardized because of someone else's poor parenting?

Some children are respectful and do have enough maturity to be trusted with such a thing, but some shouldn't be let anywhere near a nice piano, in my opinion.

I cannot imagine not letting my kids and now my grand kids play my piano. I have very fond memories of playing 'Chopsticks' Heart and Soul, and the one you can play with rolled fists on the black keys.. Probably drove my parents crazy but they never stopped us. We now play and love it. Would we have the same love anyway? Who knows!

Certainly they need supervision but I would never put it off limits. Of course, I would never buy a piano or anything else that I thought was too 'special' to let my children touch it. We don't have an all white, off limits living room either.

Just our style, everyone has their own.

Been fartin' tofu lately, Roger? Just kidding. Really I am. But you're a lefty, aren't you?

It should be noted that the children in question on this thread are NOT the children of the piano owner but are the neighbor's children. You'd have to deal with your own children differently because they could start hiding crayons in the cabinet and otherwise sabotaging your instrument including blackmailing you for better toys come Christmas, etc.

I'd teach my own children to respect it. When your own children break things it's one thing, in fact it may even be cute (somehow). But when the yard ape down the street who's teaching your kid bad words comes in and pokes a hole in your artist's bench with the sling shot in his back pocket - that's when you velcro him to the wall and use his own weapon against him.

So far, the theory holds!

I do love how people on this thread are taking the question of not letting random neighborhood children play on the piano, and turning that into being an anal-retentive monster that won't even let you OWN kids play.

God, I can't stand tofu. What the heck is that stuff anyway?

Left or right? Heck, I don't know. I'm none too happy with either side. We need some kind of a new approach and I don't see that happening.

I just cruise along and try to have a good time. I vote on election day and forget it all in between cause I can't fix anything. I get one shot at life and I'm not going to waste it worrying about 'stuff' I can't change.

Again, just me!

Incidentally, the 'kids and grand kids' include their friends too.

Hate to burst your bubble, dude, but I'm about as far left as you can get, and I don't want kids randomly messin' with my pianos.

You can't help it, you live in NYC. That cancels out all theories! Hey, I'm ready to move up though. Love the place. I'm getting a little old though.