My job is to arrange what are known as 'backline rentals'.  Whenever an
artist comes to town we hope they rent all their musical equipment from
us.  We furnish drums, guitar amps, guitars, many different electronic
keyboards, music stands, lights, grand pianos and about any instrument
that is used on the stage.

My opinion about the most requested grand piano is still number one
choice Yamaha.  We have done the Miss Universe pageant and arranged a
nine-foot Yamaha for Randy Newman,  Marvin Hamlish Yamaha,  Little
Richard Yamaha, this weekend Jerry Lee Lewis Yamaha, Jack Jones and
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Yamaha, and so on.  Steinway is number two and
very few ask for Baldwin.

Most artist riders list several choices and, believe it or not, Yamaha
has been the first choice on every rider for the past two years.  In
doing these riders the biggest surprise for me was how many artists
wanted the Yamaha Midi Grand.  The stage volume is unreal and often as
loud as the main public-address amplifier.

Don Teach
Shreveport Music Co
1610 E. Bert Kouns
Shreveport,  LA  71105
dat-smc@juno.com

 [ Editor's note:
 [
 [ I think that 'rider', as used herein, means a condition specified in
 [ the performer's contract, or an attachment or amendment which "rides
 [ along" with the contract.
 [
 [ When I performed at the Los Angeles Classic Jazz Festival last year
 [ I was surprised that the pianos were furnished by Baldwin instead of
 [ Yamaha.  Rather unusual, since the Yamaha artist pianos come from
 [ Buena Park, CA, only 40 miles distant, but the Baldwins are shipped
 [ across the country from their "artist stables" in the East.
 [
 [ All the performing pianists enjoyed the Baldwins; I fell in love with
 [ a 7-1/2-foot gem, but was told that New York jazz-pianist Dick Hyman
 [ got there before me!
 [
 [ Later the festival producer said that the Baldwin was chosen because
 [ their price was much lower than Yamaha's fee. ... Such is the world
 [ of marketing and music.
 [
 [ Robbie Rhodes