Smart purchase: Corningware Mugs
It fits a decent (i.e. filling but not fattening) portion of food, vents for the microwave, AND is freezer-, fridge-, microwave-, and oven-safe. We’ve been bringing pasta with cheese on top for lunch and we can get it hot enough to completely melt the cheese while still being able to pick up the mug to eat. Should also be great for stews in the wintertime and even cold foods. I call that a win.
$10 at Amazon, but we found them for $9 at Wegman’s.
Font Love: Lady René
I have never wanted to spend $60 on a font so badly in my life. If only I could split the cost with Vivian…
Review: Yamaha AvantGrand N3
That’s right, I bought a $15,000 instrument. Because that’s how I roll. Here’s a little bit of backstory, some pictures, and my thoughts.
I’ve had a Technics SX-PR303 since 1995 and I still love it. Weighted touch sensitive keys, sounds galore, easy multi-track recording – I’ve used and abused the thing. It’s gone with me to gigs in Virginia Beach, in and out of several apartments in Richmond, and in both of my apartments here in Rochester. It’s dealt with me playing crappy musical numbers, singing while playing, and shoddily realizing figured bass without a word of judgment. But finally, the time had come to replace it. The damper pedal was going in and out and I just couldn’t do the level of practicing that I needed to do on it anymore.
In November, Vivian sent me this Slate article on this “digital hybrid” piano that Yamaha was touting. Besides the fact that it name-checked Donald in Mathmagic Land and compared the Tactile Response System to an N64 Rumble Pak (sure ways to get me excited), I found myself thinking, “why haven’t all digital pianos been like this before?” And you know how it is, when something seems so revolutionary yet totally obvious, it just has to be a good thing.
Fast forward to the Eastman Wind Ensemble’s performance at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. I was fortunate enough to get to go along as a performer, photographer, and student-wrangler (more on that in another post), and lo and behold, there was a Yamaha AvantGrand N3 in the exhibit hall. Admittedly, it was very difficult to hear in that crowded conference room, with everybody else trying all sorts of band instruments, but I fell in love. I dragged everybody over to try it out, and started thinking about how I could justify spending that kind of money on a digital instrument.
Some justification (Adrian’s clarinets are also valued at about $15k, I am still a musician even if I make more money as a web developer/designer), phone calls, and measurements later, I bought it. It was just meant to be. Turns out that, while there were no dealers in the entirety of NYS, the Piano and Organ Warehouse next to my father’s house had one in stock and was willing to sell it to me for $14,495 with no tax because I am no longer a VA resident. My father was unbelievably supportive throughout the whole process and went not once, but THREE separate times to measure the instrument to be absolutely sure that it would fit in his minivan so that I wouldn’t have to rent a truck or pay for movers. He found some friends to help get the piano into the van and let me keep it for a week and half while I recovered enough to make the long drive back down (made even longer by one of the VA snowstorms). Anyway, when I got back up to Rochester, a couple of percussionist friends and Adrian helped me move it upstairs, reattach the legs, and get it into place. So here it sits in our living room, beautiful and loved:
I’ve been doing quite a bit of practicing on it, as I have committed myself to a very musical semester. I’ve been working on: Brahms – E-Flat Clarinet Sonata (finally), Bruch – 8 Pieces for Clarinet, Viola/Cello, and Piano, Schwantner – Percussion Concerto (2 piano reduction), Bach-Busoni – Chaconne, John Adams – Chairman Dances, and a whole host of church music and other smaller things. Basically, I’ve really gotten a feel for this piano and how it helps me learn all sorts of styles of music, in addition to just how great it feels to be able to just practice when the mood strikes and be able to do more last minute learning (happens a lot in church). I wouldn’t call it an acoustic piano killer, but I think it has great potential as a practice instrument and even in places like churches where extended techniques aren’t necessary on the piano. Sadly, I won’t be playing Berg’s Vier Stücke on this thing.
Finally, my (former) professor, Dr. Jean Barr, came over for coffee and a little piano playing a few weeks ago and was very impressed by the touch, feel, and pedaling. And that, my friends, is enough to never make me question this purchase, ever.
The rundown:
Pros:
- Having a grand piano action = constructive practicing
- The tactile feedback and half pedal effects = even more constructive practicing
- The artist bench feels goooooood and gets high enough even for high sitters (such as myself)
- Having a real grand piano action with Ivorite keys and that little snap at the bottom of the key allow me to forget that I’m playing on something digital
- Doesn’t need tuning or regular maintenance
- Volume control or headphones are perfect for apartment or small space living
- Light and small enough to move around without professionals (still hefty, though)
- Full and short stick for the full-weight lid allow for realistic collaborative rehearsals
- 12 speakers definitely make for a surrounding playing experience
- While you don’t get the unique feel of a harpsichord just by changing to its sound (nor would I expect to, digital harpsichords exist as separate entities), the sound is actually eerily accurate, down to the release twang.
Cons:
- Some notes are suspect in terms of tuning and can’t be individually changed (as far as I know)
- Sometimes will run into the boundary of the max polyphony (256 voices) – rare, but annoying when it does happen
- Soft pedal does not shift the keyboard, I guess because it doesn’t need to (but considering the rest of the details, I’d like to have seen that one)
- Not useful for new music involving interaction of dampened strings with other sounds (other notes/instruments) or prepared piano
- Setting options is not at all intuitive – could use a better display than just 2 calculator-style blocks, especially given the price
If you want more details about the instrument (including more talk about how it looks and all that, since I clearly didn’t end up writing a whole lot in that arena), here are a few links:
- Official Yamaha AvantGrand site
- N3 detailed specs
- Quality time with the AvantGrand (Keyboard Mag)
- Yamaha’s Digital Grand Piano (Popular Science)
Birthday presents for my siblings
I have two half-siblings – a sister on my mom’s side and a brother on my dad’s. Angela turned 10 on June 1 and Kevin will be turning 2 on June 6. Here are pictures of them because I can’t express how adorable and lovey they are:
Angela and Adrian on the cruise
Kevin and Adrian at Thanksgiving
So anyway, here’s what I bought for Kevin:
Imaginarium Train Table
It’s a table with a storage drawer and a reversible playtop, AND it has train tracks, trains, a crane, a car, a truck, a helicopter, cargo, people, and so on and so forth. It’s amazing! I saw it at Toys R Us and knew I would have to buy it. And here’s what I’m hoping will come to fruition this summer so that I can buy it for Angela before they come to visit. It’s especially appropriate because she’s a rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. Apparently it will even have changeable clothes!!
Mobiblu Miffy MP3 Player and Dock
Ah, Gizmodo. You even serve my cute needs.
Lego Beach House
Lego Beach House
After spending a lot of time reminiscing about Legos and building a wishlist on Brickset.com, I finally went ahead and bought a Lego Creator set and built it. I love it and I fear I may have become re-addicted to Legos. Perhaps the Green Grocer is next…? Well, I should probably see if Daddy still has our 20 gallon bucket of Legos at home somewhere first.
Package day, part 2 (books)
Bought the following from Amazon, after a long period of adherence to my “no more books” policy:
Package day, part 1 (purple shoes!)
So, I bought the purples shoes late last night and Zappos.com, being amazing, upgraded me to free overnight shipping. Magically, the package left their facilities around 2AM and arrived here today to make it onto the truck that comes around 5:30, so I got the shoes the same day I ordered them! Awesome! Here’s a picture of my modified outfit of the day:
Purple shoes
For being 5″ heels, they are actually surprisingly comfortable, thanks to the covered platform. Love them! Might even buy the red ones the next time I get an extra gig.
Yes, that is how I justify buying non-crucial items. These new shoes brought to you by: 3 hymns @ $38 each.
Purple shoes
I am actually not a big shopper – I tend to think of a specific item that I want (a certain cut of skirt, a color of shirt) and then look online for ideas. Then I’ll either buy it online or hit up a store or three in hopes that they’ll have what I’m looking for.
ANYWAY, backstory aside, my current goal is a hot pair of purple pumps. Here is an amazing but unrealistic pair:
Stuart Weitzman Puente - $355 at zappos.com
Reasons why I wouldn’t buy them: a) They are suede – it is dirty here and it rains a lot. Since I only live 3 blocks from work, I don’t do the whole “change into work shoes” thing. Pointless, especially because I don’t own crappy shoes for that purpose to begin with. b) I don’t buy shoes over $100… yet. Give me another few years to get there. c) They don’t have them in my size, anyway!
Here is a more realistic pair, which I may even buy in red as well:
rsvp Kaiya - $80 at zappos.com
Patent = raincoat for feet! Just worried about how the satin bit feels/looks/will hold up.
The wonders of an unexpected package
Yesterday we arrived home to a package notice in our mailbox. I could not think what it could be and was pleasantly surprised to find the Brahms Piano Quintet score that I had won on eBay and promptly forgotten about. Excitement! Don’t you love getting a surprise package?
If you don’t know the glory that is the Brahms Piano Quintet, you should check it out. I particularly love Ashkenazy with the Cleveland Orchestra String Quartet, but I believe that recording is long out of print (see it at Amazon). Here is a YouTube video of the last movement with Zukerman, Ida Kavafian, Paul Neubauer, Gary Hoffman, and David Golub:
If nothing else, watch the last 2-3 minutes or so. Pure magic. Also, in self-loving news, Gary Hoffman once told me that I was a great accompanist.
Spirograph!
While walking around Newbury St. in Boston on Saturday, we stopped in an Urban Outfitters to take a look. In addition to some cute picture frames, I picked up this little tin of awesome:
Hypotrochoid Art Set
You might better remember this as a Spirograph. I had the travel one as a kid and loved the football shaped gear the best.
Travel Spirograph
I’m totally watching some old school sets on eBay now. Score.