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Have You Seen This? Can you hear the difference of a cheap piano and an expensive piano?
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Can you hear the difference between a $600 piano and a $363,000 piano? My guess is you can. - photo by John Clyde
John Clyde
KSL.com
Published: Feb 7, 2018, 10:49 AM


THE PIANO STORE Personally, I think the piano is one of the most beautiful instruments on the planet.

The sound and emotion it can evoke are powerful and memorable. Some of my fondest memories as a child are of my siblings and I dancing around our living room as our father played the piano.

In hopes of me following in his footsteps, I took piano lessons for nearly five years with aspirations of playing like a maestro. As it turned out, I was a lazy child and never practiced and all of my lessons culminated with a rousing rendition of "I've Been Working on the Railroad," filled with halted stops and missed notes.

I don't know if I'd call my lack of focus while learning piano a great regret as much as a sincere annoyance.

Even though my musical skills rival that of a dying turtle, I do appreciate music and specifically the piano. This video asks if we can hear the difference between an expensive piano and a cheap one. When I started watching the video I thought it may be tough, but it wasn't at all. In fact, it was easier than learning how to play "I've Been Working on the Railroad."

"Clair de lune" is always beautiful in the hands of a professional and it was true with the $600 piano. But then he plays progressively more expensive pianos and the sound gets increasingly beautiful and culminates in the crisp tones of a $363,000 piano.

So if you want a really incredible and pristine sound from a piano you have one decision to make: do you want a piano or a house?
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Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
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Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot
Martha Ostergar
KSL.com
Updated: Dec 30, 2018, 5:00 PM
Published: Dec 29, 2018, 1:57 PM

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
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