The piano–wood and wire conspiring to rouse the head and heart–is down but far from out. No longer the musical center of the universe, the piano has transitioned into a combination of educational tool and status symbol.

In other words, a lot of people buying pianos these days aren’t necessarily playing them.

“Forty‑eight percent of the instruments we sell have player systems attached,” says Peter Becker, who manages Steinway of Phoenix on North Scottsdale Road.

A player system is an attachment to the piano that produces real, live piano sound waves, directed by MIDI files, as recorded by some artist.

The popularity of this latter‑day player‑piano device seems to indicate that nearly half the buyers at Steinway just want to kick back and listen to the piano rather than learn to tell middle‑C from chopped liver. Many buyers just like the image of a shiny black piece of music‑making furniture in their home.

“People are using their wealth in different ways. It’s gotten away from culture and arts, and become a matter of the toys you own,” Becker says.

“Frankly, many Steinways are being purchased as symbols of wealth.”

It wasn’t always like this. Becker offers historical perspective:

“If you go back to the 1870s and 80s and 90s, people were interested in classical music. They went to concerts of symphony orchestras and string quartets. To bring that concert music home, they had to have a piano to replicate what they heard.”

The piano had to be the instrument because only it had the capability of producing the many voices of an orchestra or a chamber ensemble. In the absence of radio and phonographs, people had to be musicians, playing the music in their homes in order to enjoy it. Music was an interactive art form, and playing it was at least as satisfying as the listening.

“If you didn’t have a piano back then, you were thought of as the             equivalent of someone today not having an iPod or a Playstation 2 or 3 or whatever they’re up to now,” Becker notes.

“Then radio came in, the record player came in, symphony orchestras were replaced by big bands and the piano became more of a percussive rhythmic instrument.”

Fast‑forward to the 1960s and beyond, and the piano has morphed into a cherished relic whose musical aspects are the province of virtuosos only. Do people still take piano lessons? Of course they do. But they are no longer a cultural necessity. You can own a piano and not play a note.

Becker cites a dramatic instance of the piano‑as‑icon:

“A new client from another state paid $40,000 for a piano and $6,000 for the player attachment and asked for it to be plugged into his SurroundSound system. The reason was that Kenny G was playing in his town and staying with him as a guest.”

What’s significant is that the agent who brought this client to Steinway of Phoenix was ... an interior designer.

The price of a good piano may have kicked it into the status symbol category permanently. Kenny G’s friend paid something mid‑range for a grand–the price can soar into the six figures.

If you think that’s a lot of money for a piano, you’re right. But to put things in perspective, Becker adds that in Florida three years ago, someone paid $1.2 million for a refurbished historical instrument, replete with gold leaf. At that level, it may not be long before some pianos are affordable only by the Pentagon.

Most families choose uprights or less expensive grands (in the range of $7,000 to $12,000) for their children who take lessons. Ironically, it’s these monetarily less valuable instruments that actually get played. Teachers find students where families are most central to daily life.

“Out here on the northeast side, I would say that some of our studios need more students,” Becker says.

“But on the west side more families are taking lessons. The students there need more studios.”

Among professionals, while business people often buy for status, Becker says physicians usually buy for musical reasons.

“A great number of doctors have pianos. They are the highest percentage of piano buyers. They have both the means and an affinity with music.”

Anyone want to speculate on a connection between music and good health?