so, it's my 70th bday soon. x-posting.

[mopinko]

my next step in project ‘never get old’ is learning to play the piano. i’ve been poking at it occasionally for the last several yrs. partly it’s a case of- mo hates to b totally ignorant at this age. but also- i have very small hands, and a slightly crooked rt arm, and 15 minutes of a lesson and i’m hurting.
i have been on a quest to get a reduced size keyboard. called a ds5.5, it is 7/8th a standard board. they r out there, but boy howdy r they hard to get. and spendy.
this is an insane state of affairs. steinway made 1 for a guy 100 yrs ago. they made 1 for daniel barenboim but made him sign a ‘shut up’ contract. there is no reason this shd b a big deal. but it is.
i‘m on a waiting list for an outrageously priced digital, and this morning talked to the rep to several piano cos, and she’s working on getting me a baby grand piano. she runs this nonprofit.
as someone who can afford to do the thing these companies need ppl to do b4 they will change, write a check, i am planning to buy the 1st new piano i am offered.
this is a political issue. most piano students r female, but most pros r male. women burn out from stress injuries at a far higher rate than men.
when women have to use tools made for men, they get injured at very high rates. when men use tools made for women, NOTHING HAPPENS.
i’m writing a big check, but even a small donation from my friends will bring change. there r plans in the works for a stretto festival in chgo, and other cities. when that happens, expect to hear about it.
or send a donation, and hear it directly from them.

https://www.strettopianoconcerts.org/donate

[niyad]

1. An early Happy Birthday to you, my sister, and fingers crossed for your piano.

Thank you for bringing up the size issue. This is true across many different areas, and is frequently dismissed as irrelevant, but that is not true. We need to discuss thesevissues and how they can be solved!

[mopinko]

2. 1 of my great frustration as a carpenter was gloves and boots that fit.

a bunch of us used to pool our money and send someone to the factory store of 1 of the few manufacturers who made small enough gloves, and buy a gross.
i was in my fave hardware store, where i have bitched many about gloves. they had a pair of kinds bulky gloves that fit, but i told him i wanted a nice pair of kid gloves. he got on his computer, check all his suppliers, and nope. still cant get them.

only a couple of the top bootmakers made small enough work boots, let alone steel toe. i had a pair of redwings. i think timberland had then too. the spendiest boots on the market at the time.
we’re always paying the pink tax.

the cost to retrofit a free piano w 1 of these keyboards is about $10k, w a wait of a yr or more for parts.
i have an $800 yamaha digital. the 1 i am on the list for is $6k, w no delivery date in sight.

these ppl r leaving tons of money on the table. in chgo, free pianos r everywhere. there’s 0 reason to buy a new 1. u can recondition an old 1 for about $2k.
but if they put these in their showrooms, every rich dad w a talented daughter wd b happy to plunk down $50-150k for a new steinway.

the lady who runs this foundation is shaking the trees for me. she got a ping from steinberger, which is the top german maker. she’s also poking yamaha, which did make them for a while when this thing was new, but isnt keen on them now.

it’s a matter of equality. and the magat who is ceo of steinway doesnt like that idea.
le sigh. well, we’re gonna shake them up.

(and they might even let me sing in the chgo festival they’re planning.)

so happy for a cause that does not involve elections or parties.