Moving and the piano

[music_soul]

Within the next year, I am hopefully going to be finding myself moved out of my parents' house (will have graduated from college) and try making it on my own... with hopes of even being a newly-wed, should our plans not change again.... Anyhow, I plan on continuing teaching and taking my baby grand piano wherever my fiance and I settle, but he doesn't think we could find (due to our means of income) a place that could accomodate my first love (the piano!). I think we could find a place, such as a townhouse or house for rent that wouldn't have us living beyond our means and I could teach from our home and practice whenever I desired (which is my life blood; I can't imagine being able to not practice when I wanted to...). So my question here is basically:

How do you teachers do it? What was your place like when you first moved out, if you decided early on a career of piano teaching and knew that your income would be humble and you needed a place for your piano? Am I being irrational in thinking yeah, there's a place out there in which I could live with my piano right away, easing the stress of my would-be husband?

Any stories on your first move and either struggling to live with or without your piano is welcome. If you had to live without your instrument until you could afford a place that would accomodate it, what did you do in the meantime concerning teaching or practicing?

[m1469]

Hi, music_soul.  It sounds like you have a lot going on all at once .  I have to say, there are a lot of factors in your situation, so it's not like a person can just say how everything will work out for you.  However, I believe there are some kind of piano angels in the world ... hee hee ... my life is one demonstration of that after another, it seems.  I think that our desires and intentions with the instrument create their own space, their own way, their own life -- though there is a lot required of us along the way.

Anyway, yes, I do think it's possible to find a place to have your instrument -- it may be tricky, but I think it's possible.  Aside from sheer living space, part of the concern would be shared walls and the noise factor -- if you are not in a house with all of its own walls.  If space is limited and if finding a place that will allow you to actually have an acoustic instrument is difficult, I think a digital would be a very good option.   But, if your fiance is not convinced it's even possible to find a place for your baby grand, you may have to be the one to do the looking and finding for the right place and prove that it is. 

In any event, if you couldn't do any of those things mentioned above, there is always the possibility of renting a studio where you can practice and teach out of.  I obviously have no idea what your area's demographics are/will be, and that will play a role in how things go for you in all of this.  The community you are in will play a role in several things regarding this, even so far as how accepting landlords are toward instruments in their places. 

hmmm... as far as my first place when I moved out.  hee hee... well, which one ?    By the time I had started to teach piano and was going to be graduating from Uni, I was living in a townhouse apartment with an old upright in my living room (which a local church was housing there).  That is what I started teaching on, and that is what I practiced on when I was no longer in school.  Was it great ?  Nope.  But, it was *something* and things built from there, and I was happy and grateful to have a beginning.

If you know what you need, start wherever you can with it -- and be grateful for the start.

[penguinlover]

When we first got married, we didn't have a piano.  I practiced in the practice rooms at the uni.  We lived in a small one bed room apartment, upstairs.  There was a perfect wall for the piano, and I kept turning there several times a day with the urge to play the piano. When I could stand it no more (about three weeks) my parents brought me my piano from home.  I played on that until just recently when we were finally able to purchase a baby grand.  It was many years in coming, and it sits in our living room.  I teach from my living room.  Someday maybe I will have a real piano studio, or at least a piano room.

I nearly had a heart attack as the piano was moved upstairs, it was just a small spinet, but it was mine.  I couldn't watch!  We moved that piano eight times throughout the years!  So, from experience, take your piano wherever you go.  Make room for it.  You will go crazy without it!  Just think, no outlet, no music, no practice, no no no.   

[luv2teach]

Having a grand piano is hard when you are looking for a place to live.   I first moved to a basement suite of a house and just had very little furniture so as to make room for the piano.  When we started looking for an apartment, it was very difficult b/c it would be a choice of dining table or piano since there was no room for both or if there was, we couldn't afford the place.  we ended up finding an old place with a nice layout that would fit both.  something had to give, which was the age of the apt but we renovated it and it worked out very nicely.  in the end, ppl were amazed by the basic renovations (paint and flooring) and how the piano made the place look so big and we ended up selling our apt for a nice profit which helped us buy a house.   

[thaicheow]

Hi,
Sound like my own experience.

I live in Singapore, a relatively small place. As a foreigner working here, it makes the situation much more complicated. As I have to rent a room, carrying the piano with me whenever I move.

Moreover, as my budget goes, I can only settle with a common room, in an apartment. Usually sharing with other housemates/landlords' family. The piano practice has pretty much makes me an unwelcome figure.

Initially I rent studios for practicing, but it is usually costly. Studios with cheaper rent usually provide you with pretty lousy piano. But to rent studios with a grand can easily cost S$50/hr. So, after having enough saving, I bought my 1st piano: a 2nd handed Kawai upright.

I teach by travelling to my student's house, so usually I practice in the morning, starting working from afternoon til nite, and this is usually on weekdays. I have been causing much dispute with my last housemates, as there was once I practice pretty frequently in preparing my on diploma exam. (I usually start at 9am, though sometimes my housemates still sleeping at this time, at the same time, neither can I start too late, as I have work in the afternoon.)

So, I make the move to another apartment, renting a single room, staying with the landslords' family.

Currently, the landlord has asked me to move out, because of some dispute. I suppose the piano, at the same time, has made me pretty vulnerable, as landlords and others know that it is inconvenient for me to move (imagine currently I am living on level 3, with no lift), they start making unreasonable demand, like increasing the rental fee, etc.

I am currently searching new places to stay, preferably somewhere further away from city. And, gosh, how the property market has rised in recent singapore! I have been thinking of selling my piano, but not sure I am able to do so. After all, this piano has accompanied for quite awhile. My friend has been helping me out, but I am not sure I can bring the piano with me this time.

But anyway, though facing all these odds, I still have hopes. Hopefully like somebody put it, my angel will help me this time. This is the path that I have chosen, and if there is a will, there should be a way.

[amelialw]

hey, i'm from singapore.
I have an idea that would probably work for you.
You could find one of those studios in a flat anywhere and rent one. Studio meaning 1 room and 1 bath, that's it. but it could work for you. And you should be able to fit your piano in.

[bench warmer]

...............Or, keep the Grand at your parents' house until you are ready to move into a "house -of-your-own" that is not a newly-wed starting-out apartment or thin-walled townhouse.

..............And use some of the wedding present money to buy a digital piano which you could use to practice on and give lessons using earphones so neighbors don't get crotchety. This will also keep your Grand from wear and tear from having people play their lessons on it.  (It sounded like you use the Grand for giving lessons also.)

.........Then, when you're ready, move the Grand to Your House! Moving a Grand Piano is a bit nerve-wracking and not so cheap. You don't want to move it more than necessary.

Just thought I'd offer another possible solution to consider.

Good Luck with whatever you decide.