He may wear ripped jeans and Keds, but Peter Baartmans is one of the world's foremost piano demonstrators.  A European fixture on the music scene for many years, Baartmans has introduced thousands of people to the sounds and capabilities of Yamaha digital pianos. Since 1981, the "Yamaha keys virtuoso", has traveled the globe entertaining music lovers with his impressive array of musical talents as well as the sounds, features and capabilities of Yamaha pianos.  And we're very proud to announce that Peter Baartmans will be performing at two of our Samuel Music store locations.  On Monday, September 13th he will perform in Effingham, and on Tuesday, he'll head North to Champaign.  Both performances are at 7 p.m. 
 
The Dutch-born Baartmans began playing at the age of 6, attended the Music School of Bergen, and later, studied at the Conservatory of Music in Tilburg, Netherlands.   While in school he was a jazz musician in several jazz-combo's and was pianist in a popular Big Band. In 1978 he was the keyboardist for well known Dutch artists. In 1980, he came to the attention of Yamaha when he participated in the Yamaha Electone Festival and won the national and European finals.
 
This led to his joining Yamaha in 1981, first as a local demonstrator for Electone in Holland.  He played concerts for Yamaha all over the world. U.S.A., Australia,
Latin-America, South-Africa, and almost all European countries.  In 1994 he began working, and developed his love for digital keyboards and digital pianos for Yamaha in Japan.
 
All the songs he performs, plays, and records are his very own unique arrangements. His music, a mixture of classical, jazz, pop and modern pieces, has become his hallmark today. He elicits beautiful melodies from the instruments with a lightness and virtuosity that is surpassed by few.  With all his experience, his style of presenting and the expression of his music on Yamaha musical instruments has become unique and unmistakable.  To date, he has recorded three albums and 10 compact discs.
 
According to Baartmans, making music is an integral part of his life :"Music is not just my profession, music is my passion".  Many of Baartmans videos can be found on You Tube as well as Yamaha and other music sites.

Monday, September 13, 7 PM Effingham
Tuesday, September 14, 7 PM Champaign

Call Kevin in Champaign at 217-352-2466 or Adam in Effingham at 217-342-9221 to reserve your spot.

 

Sometimes it takes an accountant to really understand the ins and outs of financing.  And fortunately, at SMC, we have one that enjoys working on all of this for us. One of his projects this year was taking a good hard look at Band & Orchestra rentals, and figuring out how we could better accommodate our students and parents. And what we found out was that we already have the best deal going! But we did tweak it to make it even better!

As you know, you can rent from Samuel Music at a low monthly price while learning to play and care for the instrument.  And you can also purchase a Samuel Music student instrument for as much as 30% off of MSRP. But if you're not quite ready to take that plunge and you'd still like to purchase, our NEW INSTALLMENT PLANS allow you to do just that - make more manageable monthly payments while playing your new instrument now!
 
With our competitive pricing, the installment plan allows you to start with the same discounted price as if you were purchasing today.
And during your Installment Plan term, you can exchange your instrument if you would like to upgrade to an intermediate or professional instrument, and we'll apply the principal that you've already paid to your new instrument purchase.

Not yet ready to purchase that clarinet? Not a problem. By renting with us, you remain eligible for an additional 10% OFF instrument discount, and when you're ready to purchase, you can still save $100's compared to other plans.
 
As an added bonus, since you're an SMC student, we'll give you an extra 10% off of all necessary supplies. Stands, sheet music, whatever you need. If you have an SMC rental, you get 10% off! Add in great financing rates and easy-pay-options with our new Installment Plan, and you'll see why Samuel Music Company has a Lease to Learn program that just can't be beat. Come in and we'll show you the accountant's spreadsheet to prove why our program is better!

Artist Ken Unsworth's Flying Pianos

Well, not literally.  But we're sure you'll see us moving a lot of them out, as we're having a huge piano blow-out sale all month long.  It's time to clear last year's models out, so here's an opportunity for you to get a great deal on Pearl River and Ritmuller pianos!

The fastest growing piano company in the U.S. and Canada, Pearl River Pianos can also claim the world's largest piano factory.  Starting in 1956 with a production of four upgright pianos per month, Pearl River is now capable of producing more than 100,000 pianos per year, and ships to over 80-countries worldwide.  This spectacular growth is due to the exquisite craftsmanship, precise engineering and consistent high quality found in these beautiful instruments. 

Ritmuller is another brand of Pearl River.  This celebrated German name traces back more than 200 years to 1795, when the company was launched by Wilhelm Ritmuller.  Long recognized not only in Germany but also abroad for their prominent tone and sound, Ritmuller  has been re-engineered to reflect a new commitment to a classic heritage and standard of excellence.

Priced extremely competitively, Pearl River pianos are crafted  to ensure a blend of both technical superiority and artistic excellence. They produce beautifully resonant and even sound quality with a great dynamic range.  Their long history is testament to the beauty of the instrument. And now, with pricing on all in-stock models at 40 - 50% off of retail pricing, they're at a price that just can't be beat.  So stop waiting, come on in to any of our locations and see what we have in stock.  Plus with our extremely competitive finance rates, the time to buy is now!

is an awesome thing!  On Saturday, August 21, we had a fabulous experience at the Downtown Festival of the Arts. 

From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., we gave hundreds of kids their first shot at making music!  From guitars to clarinets, saxophones to trumpets, kids of all ages, shapes and sizes were making beautiful music!   We had kids lined up to try instruments for almost 8 straight hours. Both kids and parents not only stopped to play music, but to explore music, discuss music, and of course, listen!  We had a great time and we think a lot of other people did too!  This is a wonderful event for the city of Champaign and anyone who loves and appreciates the visual and performing arts.  We can't wait until next year! Thanks to all of those who came out to support the arts!