> 
> It seems like the Pianomation and other similar systems would be a natural
> for teaching use with midi files of four-hands pieces with only two hands
> recorded and the student playing the "missing" other two hands part, or other
> similar ideas.  Anybody have such files?

I've talked with teacher about this.  She claims that there is a certain 
amount of anticipating, waiting, responding, and the like that happens 
when two people play together.  This makes playing with a machine a 
problem.  That particular aspect of practice doesn't come out.

Perhaps..............

  After the initial few times through the piece, when the participant
knows all the notes, and when to play them, the challenge of trying to
play with the perfect companion is gone.  

Or perhaps...........

  There are times when the participant needs to play solo, and the 
machine needs to wait.  Time being the only link here, the machine could 
start playing again late or early depending on how inaccurate the other 
timing devices (your head, metronome, digital timer, etc.) were.  With 
out sync pulses coming from the machine into the pacemaker of the 
participant, the participant doesn't know how far ahead or behind they are.

Then again mayhaps...

  Some people are intimidated by mechanical piano music and don't feel it 
should be a part of this planet's existence.  Some people are more 
willing to admit this than others.  That translates into some people just 
not jiving with the mechanical beast and not really knowing why.  
Frustration abounds and pianos start flying out the windows.

A nice idea, however, I don't think this generation is quite up to 
speed.  Give it about ten years and I think there'll be some real 
progress in that field.  I just hope the new technology doesn't engineer 
themselves right out of the industry like electronic organs did.

Chow dudes and dudettes.

•--- Larry Fisher RPT, Portland Metro's Authority on PianoDisc Systems
        For more information call (360) 256-2999 in Vancouver, Wa.
                      or email larryf@pacifier.com