Hi John, et al:

This decline has been happening for quite some time. Our piano did not make the move from Nashville... and I was almost as glad to see it go (heavy lifting) as the day we sold my daughter's horse. (Guess who eventually got to feed and water old Diamente Gold?)

I'm hoping the rise of a plethora of different kinds of keyboards will end up being a boon to piano teachers if they can overcome the loss of fixed pedals near the floor... LOL! IMHO, a keyboard, whether afixed to a real piano or a plastic case filled with electronics, etc. will still allow those nimble little fingers an opportunity to learn.

I know, it isn't the same and those delicious chords soaring from the sound box and an open lid are such a delight. The key weight and feel thing is another factor most keyboards cannot emulate... but there are a few.

When visiting my daughter in the Austin area... there were several big box piano stores in that city a few years ago and the trend John has brought up is evident by their ever-shrinking number. I'm sad to know that pianos, like me, are becoming "dinosaurs."

A trip to Fort Worth and the Van Cliburn Competition will surely reinforce the fact that, although in decline, the piano will be around until WWIII and beyond.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Dave