Hello, I'm new to the forum and I felt I needed to share how frustrating it is for a piano student that doesn't have a piano and to get any advice or support on my current situation.
Let me start with some background details.
I have been playing piano for nearly eight years now. I'm currently preparing for my last grade before my certificate examination (so 2 exams left).
I'm 17 years old at the moment. Piano lessons for me cost in the region of $600 a year + exam fees. I do quite well at school and my exam results are good. I'm not a troublesome teen, I don't go out spending money on booze every Friday night.
Did a sort of timeline below as it was the easiest way to spread out what's happened and so you can get the best idea as to how many of times we could of afforded a piano. I know how my parents spend their money is their choice and that they can't always give into my demands, but just try and imagine yourself in my place; I could be a fantastic pianist, but I'm just mediocre because I dont have a piano.
Late 2004
Started piano lessons. Used a very old and damaged keyboard. With some minor saving, we could of had enough money to buy a Steinway. We were constantly taking hotel breaks, taking holidays, expensive lunches every Sunday. We also bought two new cars around then.
2005 - upgraded (or downgraded, I can't remember!) to a crappy 66 keyed non weighted Casio keyboard that cost $100. Still had loads of money. Still no piano.
2006-2008
Still doing well in piano exams. This however did still not make my parents buy a piano. Just ignored the problem. We still had money because this was pre-recession/economic collapse times. Piano teacher told mum and me it was time to invest in a piano. Notice how my piano teacher said 'invest'?
2009-2011 (effects of recession start to sink in)
constantly annoying my parents to buy a piano. Mum kept promising that we would get one. Dad eventually told me one day when I asked him that we weren't getting one. These years were during the recesson remember so money was the excuse used. Dad was on a paycut but Mum started to work a few hours a week. Yet we still had money for holidays costing $4000+, although the extravagant Sunday lunches stopped completely. I found piano lessons extremely difficult. 30 minutes spent on a piano would be more beneficial than three hours on my keyboard. Me and my two sisters had to stop a few extra ciricular activities to help offset the increased taxes and rising oil, electricity prices etc.
2012 - a lot has happened this year.
January - mum wins a reasonably large sum of money and a holiday for two people to somewhere in the world I won't say so I can't be identified. I was ready to buy a stage piano that week but held off due to the large win and mum promising she would buy me a proper piano. About a month later the cheque arrives. There can absolutely be no excuses now why we can't buy a piano, right? Think again. The holiday was booked along with three extra seats for me and my two sisters which we went in last month (July). We also booked a second, week long, holiday for October.
I had a complete breakdown one week in March. Why? My mum had the money. She promised she would buy a piano. I had spent some of the money that I saved because I thought mum was buying a piano. And my piano exam was in two months and we still had that crappy keyboard. It took me four hours those nights trying to get to sleep. I eventually went to my mum, ready to burst out. After a bit of arguing because mum kept avoiding answering my questions, I discovered that my mum wasn't what was holding us from getting a piano, it was my dad. I was stunned when mum said this. She had wanted to buy a piano, dad wouldn't allow it. And that large sum of money that we won, it was mums.
I went to my piano teacher who was very understanding. She had told me to buy a piano ages ago. I told her we hadn't got one and that my parents aren't going to buy one and that I'll hopefully get it sorted over the summer. She very kindly let me use the piano in her house to practise for two hours a week for the weeks leading up to the exam. The practising there greatly helped and my piano teacher saw a difference in my playing. I had my exam last month and I did quite well and was much more confident. My mum also had to drive me out and collect me from my piano teachers house those extra two days a week. Dad was at work the whole time so I don't think he realised the inconvenience not having a piano was causing mum, me and my piano teacher.
Now, the current predicament.
I still need a piano. But the cost of tuning it is too much and I can't see my parents paying that. I'm not even sure if my dad would allow me to buy a piano.
I was going to buy a m-audio prokeys sono 88 but after researching it sound as if a Yamaha p95 would do a lot better. I currently do not have enough money to get one. I'm about $250 away. Now the problem I have is how I get money.
As the whole economy is pretty effed up, getting a job is just too hard. And I have appplied to places in town. The furthest I got was an unsuccessful interview.
My dad can give me a job as he is in a senior position where he works, but for reasons I don't know why and that he won't tell me, he won't.
Which leaves my only possible sources of income to....birthday money.....selling stuff.......doing jobs for people.
I was expecting to paid a large amount for something recently, but that never came through and it won't.
My birthday was two weeks ago and I got about $100 for that. My sister who is about 3 years younger than me is a brat and will pay nothing for a piano. She's doing exams herself. She expects me to buy it and let her to use it for free. This same sister has given up only one activity outside school and is costing my parents the most money. My other younger sister would happily pay money towards it. She is dying to learn piano but because of money issues she doesn't go to lessons. Ive thought her the basics and she knows the benefits of getting a proper keyboard. She said she would contribute towards it, and give me a loan provided I have her lessons once a week. I'm a few weeks away from going back to school, and that means back to piano lessons. I'm about $250 away from being able to buy a p95.
One other thing I forgot to mention. I won an iPad back in May. I've held on to it. I was tempted to sell it. If I don't get enough money, I can always resort to selling it, but I do use it very regularly and it helps me immensely with everything as our computer at home is horrifically slow and none of us have money to buy a new one. It hopefully will not be something I'll have to do, but if I do, I can imagine my mum would be livid. She would be even more upset about the whole situation and that she would of partly caused me to sell something that I worked very hard for and won.
I am just so angry by the whole situation. There were so many opportunities where we could have bought a piano but didn't. For example, If we cut out just one Sunday lunch a month during the years 2005 - 2007 We would have saved nearly $2000. I can't help but wonder if there's another reason. Sorry for the long post and thanks for taking your time tothis for reading, its much appreciated. I just want to hear other people's opinions on it and to give an insight to piano teachers with students who's parents just won't by them a piano.
Please don't jump to any bad conclusions about me. If you have any questions, or think I could have done something better, just reply with a constructive comment. I will reply kindly!
Another thing I would like to add is that I have offered to pay most of the cost of a piano if my parents payed a small amount (circa $150). They still refused
Topic: Awaiting the day I'll finally own a piano