The journals of professional societies are excellent sources of focused professional advice. The library holds printed copies of these and other journals:
Freeing the Caged Bird: Developing Well-coordinated, Injury-preventive Piano Technique by Barbara Lister-Sink
Five books every piano student should know
Giraffes, Black Dragons, and Other Pianos by Edwin M. GoodThis lavishly illustrated book treats the history of the piano from its invention in 1700 to the present in terms of its technology. Looking at the technologies of design, materials, and manufacture, and focusing its description on specific existing pianos, it describes the changes in pianos from the earliest days to contemporary instruments. This revised edition incorporates the results of recent research that increases knowledge of the work of Bartolomeo Cristofori, the inventor of the piano; changes perceptions of how eighteenth-century pianos were made and used; adds to the available information about the important contributions of the Steinway Company; and describes the most recent changes to the piano. The first edition of this book received the Otto Kinkeldey Award of the American Musicological Society as the best musicological book in English published in 1982-83. Reviews of the First Edition "If you have ever looked under the lid of a piano and wondered about the technical how and why of it all, this is the book to sate your curiosity. . . . Good's vigorous prose breathes life into the technology . . . and brings forward the people involved, with humor and sensitivity." —Los Angeles Times "This is a fine book. Accurate technical description, an abundance of photographs and drawings, and a very readable text complement a provocative thesis." —Technology and Culture "Intriguing reading. It turns out that the story of the piano and its evolution . . . is rife with human interest, at least when Good relates the details." —Keyboard
ISBN: 0804745498
Publication Date: 2002
Piano by James BarronSatisfying to the point of sensuousness" (NTTimes Book Review) Like no other instrument, a grand piano melds the magic of engineering with the magic of great music. Alone among the big piano companies, Steinway & Sons still crafts each of its pianos largely by hand, imbuing each one with the promise and burden of its brand.In this captivating narrative, James Barron of The New York Times tells the story of one Steinway piano, from raw lumber to finished instrument. Barron follows that brand-new piano - known by its number, K0862 - on its journey through the factory, where time-honored traditions vie with modern-day efficiency. He also explores the art and science of developing a piano's timbre and character before its debut, when the essential question will be answered: Does K0862 live up to the Steinway legend?From start to finish, Piano will charm and enlighten music and book lovers alike."