[magasanguis]

So yesterday was my birthday. Starts off as usual. I took the day off from schoolwork and went for a walk. Got forty dollars from my aunt in the mail. Cleaned up the kitchen, did some laundry, and waited for dinner. We had huge king crab legs. A few of them were literally as big as my forearm! I got a shirt that I was told to change into, and while I was in the bathroom, my parents said, "Stay in there!" I was getting a surprise.

My mom told me to close my eyes, and walked me out to the living room. I sat on the couch and waited for them to get the surprise ready. When I opened them, I couldn't believe what was on the table in front of me.

The Yamaha P-140, the $1,000 digital piano I had fallen in love with when I played it at the store months ago. 88 graded hammer action keys, half-damper sustain pedal, and it was mine!

After dealing with a $130 portable keyboard for two years, everyone agreed it was time to step it up. A week ago I had told my parents I was considering quitting piano because I didn't have an adequate instrument. Unbeknownst to me, they had already bought the thing and were hiding it at my dad's office at work!

The sound is beautiful. I can now fully express what's written in the music, or even more. Nothing could have made me happier.

[Fuzzybear]

[Rio_]

That's excellent! I know the feeling, kinda - after having only a basic Yamaha PSR keyboard to play since I was about 10 or 11, about a month ago I managed to find a Kurzweil K2000 on eBay and I love it. Still can't use half the features yet, but I'm learning.

Can it record what you're playing? Maybe you could post some clips! (Only if you want to, mind - no pressure.)

[magasanguis]

That's funny! I had a Yamaha PSR-E303 for two years.
I'm not sure how to get it to record yet, but I can at least tell you what I'm working on. You may recognize it, you may not.
I'm playing a theme and variations piece by Dmitri Kabalevsky, that really annoying Clementi sonata that everyone plays, and a really cool piece with a 7/8 time signature.
Plus a song from Final Fantasy VII. Never got through the game, but I loved Aerith's Theme.

Congrats on the K2000. I'm sort of into synthesizers too, but unfortunately I had to choose between a synth and a digital piano... And I really need the weighted keys.

[jbug]

That is very cool. I got a keyboard for Christmas one year when I took keyboarding at college but it got wet one too many times under the open window during a rain storm The town fump has my keyboard now. I wish I had taken better care of it.

Jbug

[RozG]

that's so wicked

[sarahlilianne]

happy Birthday Mag. I'm so happy that your dream came true! Enjoy it Hun.
Lily

[MyBestKids2]

Oh my gosh, how much fun to be you!!! I know you are going to really dig this new jam and make the most of it.

Congratulations!!!

Dee

P.S. Made me think of my "sweet" sixteen...all I got was 4 wisdom teeth surgically extracted. My my...things certainly have changed

[splitimage]

Wow that's really awesome. I really hope you enjoy the new keyboard.

What a great birthday surprise.

--spltimage

[magasanguis]

Probably my favorite part of this was when my parents were actually sitting on the couch behind me, just listening as I practiced. There were a lot of frustrations even for them I think, listening to this amazing array of really expressive songs... But it sounded like my keyboard was speaking in monotone. Now I crank up the volume and can really ATTACK those notes! They seem to really enjoy listening and I can tell they're proud.

[mandazzle]

That's so cool I wish I could play the piano. My parents would never get me anything like that for my birthday.

[magasanguis]

I really didn't think they would, either. I wasn't expecting a big deal over it, I didn't plan a party or anything, and at most I was expecting a card with $50 inside. Money's always tight in my house, but they said they thought about it and said, "This'll be the only 16th birthday she's going to get, and what better present to get her?"
Plus I think they figured it was cheaper than a car or something.

[Rio_]

That looks a bit like a newer version of my old one - I had a Yamaha PSR-280, I don't think they make them any more.

That's ok. I don't think I've heard any of those! I don't play classical music on the keyboard, though - I mostly play classical music on the violin, so for a change I tend to play rock or pop tunes on the keyboard.

Thanks! That's fair enough about the weighted keys - the K2000 does have velocity sensitive keys, but I guess it's not quite the same. I'm actually finding the keys on this quite hard to get used to - I never played with the "touch" setting on the 280 because it wasn't very good (you really had to bang on the keys to make a sound unless you turned the volume right up), so now I'm used to all notes being at the same pitch regardless of how hard you're hitting the keys.

I got a paino for christmas 2 years ago. I took lessons for a few months but my mom made me quit because it was too time ocnsuming and expensive. So, I am not that great. I wish i was better.

I think it is really cool that your parents bought you such a nice gift for your birthday. They are right, you only tunr 16 once!

[magasanguis]

@Rio, my old keyboard had crappy touch sensitivity, and what you described sounds EXACTLY like what I had.

@Court Knee - I know how expensive piano lessons are... That's why my rich grandparents are funding it.