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Something that I never really gave thought to prior to reading a post by Ori about piano hammers; they are made from animal parts - sheep wool - felt. And I belive that there are some leather parts in a pianos action as well. Then, in older pianos - Ivory on the keys.

Sheering wool from a sheep does not necessarily end with the sheeps demise. Procuring leather however would probably do in a cow. Ivory from elephant might not extinguish the animal IF you could get the tusk off without a battle - but that seems unlikely.

Come to think of a good bit of a pianos parts were once living if you include the trees used to make the wooden elements.

It's Sunday - these sort of thoughts rumble through my noggen on Sundays.

Have a good day. Appreciate what gave its life for your piano.

Mike

Trees are alive too!

Don`t forget the bacon sandwich the craftsman had for his lunch, his leather shoes, the vast tracts of habitat covered in Tarmac to deliver it to your door, etcetera... Destruction is built into our very shape as humans - it`s best not to think about it :-)

Best to buy a triangle...

Chances are some workers have died on the job while building pianos.

Think of all the wildlife that used to roam and feed on that land before they built the piano factory.

You know what the bumper sticker says:
"Save the Planet - Kill Yourself"

This could become depressing! Oh, well; at least the "Sheep May Safely Graze"!

[Sigh!]

Then there is all that plastic and polyester made from oil.

Think of all the children (and adults) killed in wars for oil.

Most of the leather in pianos is actually buckskin, i.e. comming from deer. (Bambi!)

Personally, I am happy that a piano is made from organic post-living parts.

It makes it 'alive' for me. Something most treasured that will live on.

"I" will not.

Gestalt. A sum worth more than its parts.

And I thank all the past living creatures for supplying me with my treasure.

LL

a new market perhaps.. vegetarian pianos

apple that is cruel and heartless to vegetables everywhere.

Has anybody here ever been at a buckskin factory or seen how it is prepared? You won't eat for three days afterward.

Heck, I haven't had a bite of the stuff in MONTHS!

It was on Dirty Jobs recently.

I went on a tour of a tannery when I was young. It has been remodeled as trendy shops now. It did not smell as bad as the whaling station.

i worked (for a sociologist studying blue collar labor) and went to work at various factories including a rendering plant.

i lasted 5 hrs. the first day and 5 minutes the second, i couldn't go back.

You people are sickos!!

Love,
Mike

I'm all for a soy-based piano.

Seriously, I think Steingraeber will make a piano with more environmentally friendly materials for an extra fee.

I for one am not sorry for using the wonderful resources of our beautiful planet.

Of course, we should not waste. Many resources, such as oil and coal, are not renewable (mathematically, that is, because the required time-line is too long). So it should be our first responsibility to not waste.

However, I see our natural resources as a life-giving gift to us, with which we can make things of varying degrees of necessity or even beauty. Not just objects. I think music and art are far more than simple sounds and images made on mere baubles.

Go Bif! I, for one, agree with you.