| Our six year old daughter decided that she was | | | | I learned that pianos are like automobiles. They value is |
| interested in delving into the world of music, and | | | | never appreciated with time. The piano has in the |
| specifically the Piano. Hey! wait a minute.... rewind, it | | | | excess of seven thousand friction points, that wear |
| was my wife's and my decision. Much to our | | | | with time and if humidity is not kept in check the |
| daughter's delight yet disappointment at being plucked | | | | elements play havoc on its innards. So in reality antique |
| out of twinkle toeing at ballet classes and plunked into | | | | pianos are never like a piece of antique furniture. You |
| the world of the black and ivory, our little darling just | | | | must never forget that they have a mechanism within |
| loves the piano now. | | | | them that has to be regularly maintained or else they |
| Well the first step to the process was finding a piano | | | | prove to be just white elephants in the home. |
| instructor. For our own personal reasons we decided | | | | Subsequent research on the topic of used pianos |
| against private tutorial and opted for the school instead. | | | | posed this question to me. Would you buy an old beat |
| The next step was to shop around for a Piano. For | | | | up vehicle for your teen and expect him/her to learn |
| this I turned to my guru, Google. Yes the internet is the | | | | the basics of driving without contending with safety |
| final frontier for sound advice. Tips from how to make | | | | issues of the jalopy at the same time? Would that be |
| an elephant sneeze to how to bake carrot muffins, | | | | fair? How then can we expect our five or six year old |
| there is a plethora of information to be had. However | | | | to excel in a new skill if we placed before them a |
| not for the faint hearted as you can be inundated with | | | | piano that has seen better days? |
| information, that will confuse you. Discernment is the | | | | I am certainly not advocating against the acquisition of |
| key. | | | | used pianos, there are definitely scores of them out |
| Used or New? These were the questions I put out. | | | | there if regularly kept up could no doubt prove to be |
| Turns out that there are almost daily postings on sites | | | | stunning instruments. But if you are faced with the |
| like Kijiji for used pianos. Because of our limited | | | | challenge of deciding on a piano for a young learner, |
| knowledge in Pianos, I spent hours on debating with | | | | then and if it is financially feasible for you then please |
| myself. | | | | choose one that has not so much mileage.... if you get |
| Amid the mass of pianos offered by their somewhat | | | | my drift. Your young musician will thank you in the long |
| sentimental owners, there are many great looking used | | | | run. |
| pianos out there, but the question is would they live up | | | | Good luck the musical aspirations of your child. |
| to the expectations of their new owners. | | | | |