Our Projects
A Short History
In 1996 Linda Gould was the first to purchase a DS Keyboard. Her video “My Piano Has a Secret” powerfully describes the crying need for alternative keyboards to be adopted in the world of the piano.
In 2000 Dr. Carol Leone at SMU Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas was the first to study the practicality of using alternative size keyboards in a university setting. Please listen to her beautifully gentle recounting of our history.
Universities such as Texas Tech University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have collectively purchased many DS Keyboards, but today there no longer is a piano faculty member, the university’s “champion,” to study them. Lionel Yu’s video “Piano’s Darkest Secret” describes some of the problems confronting adoption.
Loans of DS Keyboards
Universities and music schools are invited to apply to the DS Standard Foundation to borrow a DS Keyboard for up to 12 months and have the option to purchase the DS Keyboard at any time. The Foundation will give priority to institutions where there is support from the piano faculty, administrators, and the piano technician.
The DS Standard Foundation supports these institution in developing programs of activities which make use of their DS Keyboards, including demonstrations, seminars and recitals. For details of these (and other events related to narrow keys) see here.
Many institutions have purchased keyboards from the Foundation (previously Steinbuhler & Company) in the past. For a complete list of where these keyboards are located see here.
Universities and Schools who have purchased DS Keyboards and are actively working with and promoting them.
SMU Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas – – – – – Carol Leone – Chair and Professor of Piano
University of North Texas, Denton – – – – – Pamela Mia Paul – Professor of Piano
University of Wisconsin-Madison – – – – – Jessica Johnson – Professor of Piano
Salem College – – – – – Barbara Lister-Sink – Professor of Piano
St. Olaf College, Northfield – – – – – Kathryn Ananda-Owens – Chair of the Music Department
San Diego Sate University – – – – – Tina Chong – Assistant Professor of Piano
Ohio University, Athens – – – – – Chris Purdy RPT – Head Technician
Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts, Dallas – – – – – Leonardo Zuno Fernandez
Appalachian State University, Boone – – – – – Catherine Garner – Keyboard Area Coordinator and Director of Collaborative Piano
University of Memphis – – – – – Artina McCain – Associate Professor of Piano
Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute, Baltimore – – – – – Kris Chesky – Chair Performing Arts & Health
Universities and Schools who currently have DS Keyboards on loan and are actively studying them.
University of Montreal – – – – – Justine Pelletier – guest Professor of Piano
University of Colorado Boulder – – – – – Jennifer Hayghe – Chair and Associate Professor of Piano
Eastman School of Music, Rochester – – – – – Alan Chow – Chair of Piano
Musical Arts Center of San Antonio – – – – – Ken Thompson – Advanced Piano Coach
Stanford University – – – – – Elizabeth Schumann – Assistant Professor of Piano
Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction – – – – – Kathryn Mientka – guest Professor of Piano – providing the loan of her piano
Universities who have supported Students doing research projects and thesis papers on loaned DS Keyboards.
University of Auckland – – – – – Camila de Oliveira
Shenandoah Conservatory, Winchester – – – – – Sarah Morris
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor – – – – – Ceren Su Sahin
University of Cape Town – – – – – Leah Williams
“Since the life-changing moment I started practicing and performing on an alternatively-sized piano keyboard, I experienced a whole new level of artistic and technical freedom.”
“The use of DS Standard® piano keyboards has opened up new artistic realms for my students with smaller hand-spans, including expanded repertoire, enhanced musical possibilities, greater physical ease, and even recovery from pain and injury.”
“The DS Standard® keyboards offer all musicians, regardless of hand-span, the opportunity to focus on what matters most: making music with ease, imagination and joy.”
Dr. Jessica Johnson, Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Supporting Competitions That Provide Keyboard Choice
The DS Standard Foundation will consider supporting any competition that allows contestants to compete on DS Standard® sized keyboards.
From 2014 to 2016 the Foundation supported the Dallas International Piano Competition by contributing to keyboard preparation. This competition was the first in the world to provide DS5.0® and DS6.0® keyboards for the contestants.
In March of 2015 Anna R. Arazi arrived at the Dallas International Piano Competition on a Wednesday. Anna’s hands are small and she suffers from pain in her forearms when playing conventional keyboards. She was eager to participate in this particular competition because it offered pianists the opportunity to compete using the smaller DS Standard® keyboards. She had never played on a smaller keyboard before, but immediately took to the DS6.0® size. On Thursday she advanced to the semifinals, on Friday she advanced to the finals, and on Saturday she gave the performance, shown here, where she won the 3rd place prize. The amazing fact is that by the end of the competition the pain in Anna’s arms had completely disappeared!
Anna R. Arazi – performing in the finals
Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 1
2015 Dallas International Piano Competition
Showcasing DS Keyboards
The Foundation has supported the promotion of Dr Carol Leone’s CD: Change of Keys: One piano, three keyboards through MSR Claassics. As a result the CD received much media exposure and airplay.
Pianodrome is a Scottish company that builds amphitheaters as small entertainment venues. Their “Royal Pianodrome” provides the opportunity for pianists to experience DS Keyboards. For a blog post about their DS6.0® keyboard now installed in a Brasted upright see here.
