Sherman Clay Piano Testimonials
The purity of the music drew me into the Sherman Clay store on what seemed at the time just a momentary whim . I already had a Steinway 1098 at home, and I was perfectly content with it. Little did I know the joy that awaited me! Even the rests seemed so much more alive in faithful anticipation of the next pure sound… I went to the store almost weekly for the next five months just to experience what I could produce through this Steinway B. I finally purchased my B with full confidence and a renewed yearning for musical growth. This instrument has been a vehicle for pure contentment in learning, listening, teaching and loving music. I realize now that what seemed a fanciful whim was rather a very purposeful grace note in my life! Thank you
L. Clutter
Liisan Piano Studio
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When I first thought of buying a piano and start taking piano lessons, I was thinking of an upright, which is decent. Steinway? Yes I have heard about it but in my mind it's mainly for concert halls and pianists.
Then I called a musician friend and wanted some help on how to pick a piano and she mentioned the name Sherman Clay and said that they were quite reputable. So I went to the store in Walnut Creek to check it out.
I cannot describe my feelings when I heard the Steinway. I knew I fell in love with it immediately but the fact that I did not even play piano and the price tags dragged me back to reality: it's like every poor girl dreams of becoming the bride of a handsome prince charming. but there is no prince charming and even if there is, he is definitely not for you. Furthermore, 'live happily ever after' only happens in fairy tales.
So we decided on a nice grand Boston, which is already way too good for me.
Then we went to get our Boston. When I got there, I told the salesperson that I would like to listen to the Boston and if possible, the Steinway one more time. The Boston was nice. But the steinway was stunning. I just could not leave.
After the music stopped, my husband told me, he had never seen me love something this much, "let's get the Steinway", he said, "we will be OK without the extra 40k+ in our savings account. But this will become a warm and sweet memory for us when we become old."
I was speechless. So we got the Steinway.
It took me a while before I finally started my piano lessons. With a full-time job, a long commute that takes almost three hours per day, and a young kid, I am never a good student and never seem to have enough time to practice. However, every time I sit in front of my Steinway, my heart is filled with joy even with a simple chord progression. Often times, my 3-yr old girl would say that she wants to play "her own music", and starts to strike the keys to play her "impromptu". I enjoy her music and our moments as well.
My Steinway has brought me lots of enjoyment and happy memories. It is my way of stress relief as well. I love my steinway and I am spoiled by my Steinway. It is part of my life that I cannot miss now.
Xu Zhang
San Ramon, Ca
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It is hard to express the passion and love a Steinway can bring, each being unique in their own way. Being a classical musician all my life, I hardly thought I could ever play or even afford such a magnificent instrument. For the majority of my life I never experienced playing on a Steinway but, after experiencing the sound a Steinway can produce I never looked back to any other brand.
I am very pleased and honored to have met Justin Levitt at the Sherman Clay in Walnut Creek, which guided me to the best instrument I could afford, but also fit in my home. I am thankful for the personal attention in taking me to several different stores around the bay area and trying more than a dozen different Model A’s and O’s.
I thought, how am ever going to find that one piano. I mean, I enjoyed the majority of the pianos I played on. Then they got this one Model A in at the Walnut Creek store. One of the Lang Lang signed pianos. It was truly amazing. So warm and unique in its sound and had that Steinway sound I was looking for. I was heartbroken as I was leaving the store that I could not buy it that minute. At that time, I was unemployed and was waiting for a hard offer of employment. It was July 2009. A week and a half later I got the offer, and called up Justin. “Is that Model A still at your store?” When I found out that it was still there, I told Justin “Get me that piano!”. Moments later, it was mine. I knew this piano was meant for me.
I was truly mesmerized when it arrived at my home and I sat down to it the first time. It was a spiritual experience. Now after owning for nearly 1 year I can say that it only gets better as it is played. The sound is richer, the action is perfection, it is truly has become integral part of my life.
Anyone that says, how can someone spend so much on a piano? Has never played a Steinway or can appreciate the hours of enjoyment it brings.
Bruce M.
San Ramon, Ca
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We are delighted with our new Steinway Model O piano. We have had several prior pianos from other manufacturers. None matched the sound of the Steinway. The keyboard action is very smooth and consistent. It is truly a joy to play. We both play, and love to listen to the other.
Shopping for the piano, and working with Justin on the selection, which we did over an extended period of time, was a very pleasant experience. He was very patient, informative and his joy of the Steinway came across in our every meeting, yet he was never pushy. He wanted to be sure we purchased a piano we truly wanted; one that was right for us.
Nick and Phyllis W.
Orinda, CA
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It is with great pleasure that I write this to tell everyone about our wonderful experience buying a piano. My husband and I decided to surprise our 6 year old daughter with a piano. She had taken quite an interest and would play wherever she found one. We started her with piano lessons and then quickly realized that, without a piano to practice, she was not realizing the true benefit from the teachings. Justin Levitt was recommended to us by her piano teacher and some very good friends of ours. We spoke on the phone and through subsequent emails. We went down to the store in Walnut Creek to meet him and were very impressed. He was terrific! He listened to exactly what we were looking for and what we wanted to spend and found us the perfect piano. It is that simple. We love our piano and love waking up to music every morning, throughout the day and right before bedtime. What a gift to our family and home!
Jill N.
Alamo, CA
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During the past 10 years, the students and faculty of the City of Walnut Creek’s Civic Arts Education music program have enjoyed and appreciated the free long term loan of quality Henry Miller pianos from Sherman Clay. During the year over 300 students and faculty are served by the city’s Community Music School. Faculty use these pianos as part of teaching individual and group lessons, orchestra concerts, jazz ensemble performances, recitals, musical theater classes and shows and other ensemble concerts. Sherman Clay has worked with the non-profit Friends of Civic Arts Education Foundation to raise donations to help purchase these instruments through fundraising concerts held at the Walnut Creek Sherman Clay store and elsewhere. Through a successful “Practice-A-Thon” held in January, young music students found donors to contribute for every hour practiced and the Foundation was able to raise enough to purchase the final spinet to have a piano in each practice room. Foundation funding also makes scholarships available for financially needy students for music lessons.
Civic Arts Education cello and piano teacher, Stephen Evans, writes, “That’s really exciting news about the pianos! Congratulations on that, since I know it wasn’t easy to get that accomplished. And, it’ll make such a big difference for all the students. I actually recently got a referral and they were amazed that they didn’t have to bring their own piano to the first lesson. Evidently they were taking lessons some place where that was the way it worked – the students had to bring in their own keyboards. So they were very impressed when they came to the first lesson and saw the quality piano! “
The City of Walnut Creek’s Civic Arts Education program is grateful to Sherman Clay for this generous and ongoing support to quality music education!