Musicians Tell Their Stories:
The Quick Help Desk for Exams
In recent months, piano students have had the opportunity to quickly obtain a temporary, high-quality practice piano for their homes through the Musical Instrument Fund. This allowed them to continue their studies while the conservatories were closed for an extended period. We’d like to share a few responses from keyboard students who took advantage of this “Keyboard Fast Track” program.
Why This Urgent Campaign?
In order to help as many musicians in our target group as possible, we have launched an emergency initiative in collaboration with David Kuyken (Instrument Committee), the shipping company Griffioen, and piano technician Frank Bonarius to assist as many piano students as possible who did not have access to an instrument of their own. As a result, 12 grand pianos, one fortepiano, and one harpsichord were quickly prepared for play from storage and delivered to the students’ homes (at no cost to them). (Read more here.)
From keyboard to concert grand piano
Unfortunately, there is still no end in sight for these measures. We asked a number of keyboardists how they are doing now. What does this temporary instrument mean to them?
Pianostudenten rekenen doorgaans op de toetsinstrumenten die de conservatoria ter beschikking stellen. Toen deze moesten sluiten, betekende dit voor velen dus dat ze niet meer konden studeren, wat hun opleiding in gevaar kan brengen. Zo zegt Miki Kawashima: “The biggest problem I had was that due to the sudden closure of the conservatory, where I was doing my piano practice, I suddenly did not have an acoustic instrument to practice on. After a few months without touching a real instrument, I completely adapted my playing to the digital piano, which is very different from the real instrument, and I felt like I couldn’t play piano anymore.” Ze laat weten enorm geholpen te zijn met de actie: “However, after receiving help, I find myself in an even better situation for practice; having the instrument in my possession full time. I cannot be more thankful for the Foundation and the donors.”
“It saved my year." ~ Miki Kawashima
Jelle Willems, too, only had a keyboard at home: “I had a 49-key MIDI keyboard without a pedal, which I used only to transcribe music at home in the evenings, for example. Through my major instructor, I was told there might be an opportunity to temporarily borrow a grand piano. I never expected that it would mean I’ve been able to practice at home without restrictions and at no extra cost over the past few months.”
“Now that the conservatory has reopened on a limited basis, I’ve realized that I really appreciate the freedom this instrument gives me at home.” ~ Jelle Willems
Katie Morgan also finds it difficult to book practice rooms now that the conservatory has partially reopened: “I was very grateful when the Foundation lent me the grand piano. It’s such a privilege to have this beautiful instrument in my home, and because of the COVID-19 situation, it’s now even harder to book rooms at the conservatory. But since having the piano at home, I can practice whenever I want.”
“Having a piano at home means that I can record things easily (especially now that everything is on digital platforms, it’s even more necessary to use recordings).” ~ Katie Morgan
The grand pianos belonging to these three musicians have been donated to the Musical Instrument Fund by private individuals in recent years. If you own a grand piano or another instrument that is no longer being played, you have the option to add the instrument to the collection. Read more on this page.