text: The end of the year, 2014 is approaching. The weather in Duluth is fabulous, once again. Waking up to -6 Fahrenheit, clear skies, "lake smoke" and the smell of bacon. Today we plan to hang the first of the mirrors that will enhance the store's walls. I plan to hang dampers on the Ludwig action, polish up some springs, and return the 3 new hammer shanks, that I stained to match the older ones. Paul will reinstall those soon. The humidifier in the store will have worked hard in the night, and will need to be refilled. Although the store is closed for business, there is plenty to do, especially in preparation for the Grand Opening in a couple of weeks. There is reason for celebration in a couple of days, but no room for complacency. Another year-end approaches.......
  
  Here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas from Paul and John, Esther and Alice! Check here for store hours over the Holidays, or call John or Paul for an appointment. Someone will be around almost all the time! And we will be holding store hours at most of the regular times.
  
  Boy, have I ever had trouble with the internet and computer in the store. It seems I have spent hours fooling around with getting the printer to talk to the computer, then getting the internet to work, then getting the computer to work. It is rather frustrating, and has remarkably little to do with what I would rather be doing, namely tuning up our pianos! There have been some pianistic goings-on here, though.
  
  Our Grand Opening Week is starting to take shape. The first real event in the store will be on January 9th, 2014. That evening we will be open for Art Walk in Duluth. Our own Esther Piszczek will be showcasing her work, as well as﻿Ladona Tornabene, Ph.D. It should be a stunning opening for the store.
  
  The following week is going to be full of pianistic pleasures. On Wed. Jan. 14th in the evening there will be Showcase featuring Craig Knudson, a Yamaha specialist, showing off all the amazing things our digital pianos can do. For over twenty years, Craig Knudsen has been YAMAHA's premier concert artist and has been featured on hundreds of local and national television shows demonstrating his musical prowess, software creations and musical innovations. Among other things, Knudsen was Musical Director for Universal Studios Florida's Grand Opening Ceremonies featuring Steven Spielberg, Michael J. Fox, Jimmy Stewart and Bill Cosby.
  
  The following morning, Craig will lead a seminar, demonstrating how technology can enhance teaching. All are welcome.
  
  Thursday evening's special event is still a secret. Friday's will be fantastic, and Saturday, Jan. 17th, there will be a Grand Opening Party, with a special guest pianist, refreshments, and good cheer. Stay tuned, for the latest.
  
  And they saw that it was good. Paul and I spent several hours yesterday, Sunday, the longest, darkest day of the year, rearranging our store. We ended up moving and repositioning almost every piano in the place, as well as a couple of tables, and then refocused the track lighting. Now things are starting to sparkle!
  
  I was particularly happy to have the 1901 Ludwig cabinet put back together for the first time since I had refinished it, to see the complete effect. It is a stunning piece of furniture. Soon it will also be a stunning instrument as well, ringing out with sounds it has held inside for many years. It will be difficult to part with it when it finally leaves the store. So, in this space in the very near future there should be a photo of all of this work.
  
  Imagine our joy when we successfully assembled the Disklavier, and it worked! We stood there and giggled as it played away virtuosically, even pedaling, as if a ghost was sitting in front of it. We were like little kids again!
  
  One of the joys of our business is meeting new people, particularly those who share our enthusiasm for music and music-making. We look forward to the continuing adventure!
  
  Our doors will be open for business at 10am today. There will be lot going on in the store. We still have 2 big babies to unpack. After that, there will be some rearranging. One good thing about new pianos is that they roll around on flat floors pretty well.
  
  We will then have a lot of tuning to do, and Paul will be regulating the new acoustics. Then we have a lot of cardboard to schlep out of the building. It will all be recycled, but some of it will be re-purposed by Esther in doing her art. And some of it will go into storage for future moves. All of the wrapping will suffer the same fate.
  
  The wrapping is all either made from recycled material, or is easily recyclable. It is encouraging to both Paul and I, that Yamaha is so committed to a 'green' product and business. None of the pianos made today use formaldehyde in their production. That is only true of Yamaha.
  
  Enough shameless self-promotion. Back to the store....We will also be entertaining customers, so we will want to be on our best behavior! I still have a little work to do in the yellow studio, but it is really starting to look inviting.
  
  We have a commitment from one piano teacher to inhabit that space in January! Angela is a member of the Duluth Music Teachers Association (DMTA). Check them out at dmta.org. We want to see a constant stream of students coming and going, and are making our space look very attractive for anyone who is interested. Give me a call!
  
  ﻿We have a few pianos, a Clavinova, and the NU1 up and running. They look and sound amazing! I love the U1, our premium upright. A great sound, all through the range. And the NU1 is a wonder. You will all just have to try it, and then you might understand. We are still in the learning stages with this business, but we both like our products so far, and we haven't even opened the big babies! It's Christmas in December! Wait....Christmas is always in December. Come on down and share some of the fun!﻿
  
  ﻿Just in boxes now, but soon to be opened, like early Christmas presents, our first order has arrived! During the height of rush-hour in Duluth, MN, our first semi-truck-full of pianos, Clavinovas, and 2 Hybrid pianos was delivered safely by Keyboard Carriage. The sure hand of the experienced driver guided us through the process, and Esther took photos and videos, which will soon appear here. Now the fun begins! Come on down and check it out!﻿
  
  So, I got the call, and the pianos should be in tomorrow! At least the first installment. Before long, we can start posting pictures here of the store. The "Coming Soon" is going to disappear, and we will open for business!
  
  This is the place to find out what's new at Pierce and Piszczek!Our first order from Yamaha is underway! We hope to have pianos, clavinovas and a Disklavier baby grand in the store before Christmas! Maybe even a week before! Be sure to check back in here to find out what we have, and when it arrives.
  
  The store is taking shape. Soon, there will be a new window installed. And very soon we will have 2 vintage pianos ready to show you. The Brooks and Evans pictured above is almost ready. Just a little polish here and there, and its beautiful sound will start filling our wonderful space! Our 1901 Ludwig upright grand is also getting close to completion. The action is going back together, and then it will be installed into its newly refinished cabinet. Paul and I are pretty excited to hear the result of our handiwork. We are both in awe of the magic that is a 100+ year old piano that will soon be reborn.
  
  Our studio will soon be ready, as another storage space will open up for much of our behind the scenes work. We have already had some inquiries from potential teachers. One step at a time. And a lot of help from many people, including the parking commission of the city of Duluth, who have approved a loading zone across the street from our soon-to-be-opened store! Check back here for the latest!