Customer Testimonial - Janet and her new Petrof piano
We just wanted to share Janet Osborne’s story, a cherished client for several years. Janet is an accomplished professional that lived the cosmopolitan lifestyle for many years before settling into a local Washington, DC area community with her charming husband Boyd.
Growing up, Janet accompanied her sister — a cellist — on piano. But like so many of us, her profession and busy lifestyle absorbed all her time and energy, and piano fell by the wayside. More recently, her circumstances allowed for more time to pursue piano. However, her own piano was uninspiring. Janet had inherited her grandmother’s piano, but at more than 70 years old, the piano had significantly deteriorated. It no longer sounded very nice or played very well.
She invested in tuning, voicing, and repairs, but the piano still didn’t inspire her. Janet also has a hearing condition that makes higher frequencies and brighter tones uncomfortable. Despite our voicing work, the hammers were simply too worn to achieve the warmth she needed.
Then one evening, Janet attended a jazz performance featuring a singer, drummer, bassist, and of course, a pianist. The sound of that piano and the group’s performance so inspired her that she texted Andrew at Vaulted Keys Piano: “I need a new piano.”
A few days later, Janet visited our workshop in Alexandria, VA. She spent time playing all of the pianos, but kept coming back to “Ruby,” a beautiful cherry-red Petrof upright. Ruby had recently been refurbished after spending a couple decades in a basement in Potomac, MD. Ruby played beautifully and had a naturally dark, mellow tone that suited Janet’s ears perfectly.
Janet quickly knew Ruby was the one. At her request, we did a bit of additional voicing to further emphasize the darker character in the treble register, tailoring the instrument precisely to her preferences.
Now Janet enjoys playing Ruby every day. Her home now features a unique handcrafted European piano, and she shares in a musical tradition that has adorned homes, concert halls, and institutions for more than 160 years.
We’re looking forward to our next visit soon to see our old friends, Janet and Ruby!