What epitomizes the rich?
Golf, yachts, personal chefs, casual weekend trips to Parris, the list goes on. But what is the cherry on top of any ten bedroom, eleven and half bathroom mansion? The shiny black polished lid, the pure white ivory keys, and the glimmering gold petals of a Grand Piano. The Grand piano in the foyer tucked right in the nook of the grandiose double staircases.
The cost of a grand piano is a staggering $50,000-100,000. And the only thing more boujee than owing a grand piano is the ability to tickle the ivories. The average price of music lessons in the United States sum up to an astonishing 80 dollars an hour, while the minimum wage is only $7.25 an hour. Often times lessons include additional fees that are necessary for renting concert halls for recitals and other events. That price does not include your time spent in the lessons, time spent practicing, or the cost of lesson books. Along with the cost of the piano and lessons come the logistic burdens. In my mind, the grand piano is the largest and least portable instrument you can choose. Though this does not cross the mind of the rich because they can simply hire people to deliver the gigantic piece to their new 15 bedroom, 18 bathroom mansion.
Not only is a grand piano itself an indicator of socioeconomic status but it is also a historical representation of the elite upper class. Having the time to go to lessons and practice is an obvious indication that work and other common obligations are not of concern. The ability to learn and play the piano implies that one is already literate, in fact, it takes literacy to a new level because not only can one read and write but he/she can also read and compose music. The ability to read and especially to compose music is a relatively rare and highly revered skill, even in modern society.
You are sitting in a Michelin star restaurant, what kind of music is playing in the background, Today’s Top Hits? No. The full resonant sound of a live grand piano fills the room creating an ambiance of affluence and excess. Imagine the smooth soothing sound of a sonata humming in your ear and a glass of the richest chardonnay by your side to accompany your medium rare filet minion. You slip in a subtle critique of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, as you reach for your glass of wine and take a sip. Now you’re the most elite of the elite.
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