Pianists Robert Palmer and Ray Kilburn flew to Steinway and Sons' factory Nov. 4 to purchase seven grand pianos: Two Steinway D concert grands and five Steinway B grands.

Buying a single piano — let alone seven — is a grueling process for musicians who demand instruments that produce perfect sound and feel. The duo sat in a room full of pianos, playing and replaying each one until the list has been whittled down, a process that took an entire day.

"It's exhausting and will certainly be physically and mentally demanding," Palmer said. "We'll eliminate a few right away, but we will be wrestling and grappling to select the final ‘chosen ones.'"

Palmer played the same piece of music ad nauseam with Kilburn listening and then the two switched places. Performing the same piece of music is akin to bringing along a favorite CD while shopping for stereo equipment. An intimate understanding of a single piece of music gives the musicians a strong sense of how it should sound and how the piano's action should feel.

"It's like buying a car, and Steinway is the Cadillac of pianos," Palmer said. "But they must be tested because not every one is uniformly great, capable of producing the exact tone and action you are looking for."

The professors were not just shopping to satisfy themselves. They were searching for pianos that will be played by other faculty members, students and visiting musicians in the new Music Instruction Building (MIB). The pianos must satisfy a wide range of tastes.

"For the two grands, we will be looking for contrasting sound," Palmer said. "We may pick one with stiff action and lighter sound or color while the other may have light action with darker sound."

While Steinway D and B grand pianos can command prices of $100,000 and $65,000, respectively, Ball State is buying them at a discount, receiving price reductions for volume and for being an educational institution. The pianos will be paid for by private funds and university assistance.

The MIB, a $21-million, 73,000-square foot state-of-the-art music facility, will have a 600-seat performance hall, classrooms, studios and office space for the School of Music. The building will open next fall.

(Note to Editors: For more information, contact Palmer at (765) 285-5420 or rpalmer@bsu.edu.)