06/03/2026
One of the most fascinating things we continue to witness every single day at A.M.O. Pianos—at the Tennessee State Fair and Wilson County Fair—is how quickly both children and adults become completely glued to a properly calibrated piano.
What surprised us most wasn't that people enjoyed playing them.
What surprised us was how difficult it became to get them to stop.
At the Tennessee State Fair, we watched countless children lose all interest in the rides, games, and attractions around them because they simply wanted to keep playing the pianos. More than a few parents had to physically pull their kids away because it was time to move on to the next activity. Some even cried because they weren't ready to leave. (True story. 😄)
This observation has taught us something important.
Many parents assume a child isn't interested in music when the reality may be that they've never had the opportunity to experience a piano that is actually functioning the way it was designed to.
Just because a piano makes sound doesn't mean it's performing properly.
Just because a pair of scissors opens and closes doesn't mean it's sharp.
A sharp pair of scissors glides through paper effortlessly. But after years of use, that same pair of scissors may become so dull that cutting even tissue paper becomes frustrating.
Pianos are no different.
A piano that hasn't been serviced, regulated, or calibrated in 20, 30, or even 40 years will still make noise when the keys are pressed. But the touch, responsiveness, control, repetition, and musical experience can be dramatically reduced.
Unfortunately, we see this every day.
Many of the free marketplace pianos people call us to tune are simply worn beyond practical use. We often have to recommend recycling them because they can no longer provide a meaningful musical experience.
The tragedy is that children are frequently introduced to music through these worn-out instruments. They never get a fair chance to discover what a properly functioning piano actually feels like.
Then everyone concludes:
"Maybe they just aren't interested."
But what if they were?
What if the instrument was the problem?
Parents, teachers, and students understanding this may be more important today than ever before.
If you're curious, come visit Alexandra and Matthew at A.M.O. Pianos.
We'll let you experience a fully calibrated piano for yourself.
Then we'll show you the difference between a properly maintained instrument and one that has been neglected for decades.
You may discover that the biggest obstacle wasn't the student at all.
It was the tool.
