GAIL WHITE For this pianist, a Steinway is the only way
When I first heard of Joe Augustine, I learned that he was a pianist who would only play a Steinway -- and a certain kind of Steinway at that. His concerts are booked by a New York agent. And, before a concert, he requires that his Steinway be tuned by a certain piano technician.
As I prepared to interview this man, I felt nervous and uneasy. I wasn't so sure I would measure up to his prim-and-proper manner.
When I met Joe, it took only a moment to realize that there is not a prim bone in his body. He is one of the coolest, hippest guys I have met.
Let there be no mistake: Joe truly has cause to be prim or even snooty. He is one of 1,280 Steinway Artists in the world.
"Eighty-five percent of them are classical artists," Joe said. He is one of the 120 jazz artists. (The snap of his fingers and shake of his hips give him away.)
Chosen by Steinway: A further accomplishment, he is one of 10 Steinway Artists chosen and endorsed by Steinway to do "Evening with the Artist" concerts.
Though he travels a great deal, when he is home he is the house pianist for the Avalon Inn. He has been there 31 years.
"It all started when I was 15," Joe said. An injury while playing football sidelined him.
One day, walking past the band room, he heard someone playing the piano. "I always liked the sound of the piano," he said.
"I sat watching with big eyes." Then, he asked Sam DeAngelo if he could try.
Joe played exactly what Sam had played.
Sam knew he had just encountered genius.
Joe knew that he was hooked.
"You could just slide through this," Joe recalled Sam telling him. Joe could play what he heard, but Sam knew he would never reach his full potential without formal training.
Lesson: Joe remembers his first lesson. "It took me 24 hours to play three scales," he said, laughing.
Looking back, he knows every scale was worth it. His studies and training made him one of the most accomplished pianists in the world.
As he perfected his talent, a dream was growing inside of him.
Ever since the first time he had played on a full-size concert grand piano, a "Big D" as he calls it, Joe's dream was to one day own one.
In 1995, it was time to make his dream come true. For years, he had followed the advice of Gene Rush, one of his instructors. "You hear things," Gene had told him. "Don't fight what you hear."
"I was hearing things that I could not play," Joe explained. "I had outgrown my piano."
It was time for a "Big D."
As he walked into Steinway Hall in New York, five "Big D" pianos stood waiting for him. He sat and played each one -- pure "Joe heaven."
He chose the fourth. "It spoke to me in terms that only I could understand," he said.
Still in euphoria over finding the perfect piano, Joe was greeted by a tall man wearing a bow tie. It was Henry Steinway.
"We would be honored to have you in the Steinway Artist Family," he said.
"A dream times two," I interjected.
Savors the memory: Joe is wistful, savoring the remembrance of the moment. "It was a dream squared," he replied.
In his living room sits the "Big D," autographed by Henry Steinway.
On his walls are the dozens of CDs that he has recorded.
His datebook is filled with concerts and engagements.
For Joe, these are the by-products of a talent he has been given; a path he was created to take.
Perhaps that is what makes his music so captivating. There is no air of self importance; no prim-and-proper attitude.
With every touch of the ivory, he is compelled to reveal a message, a bit of himself that he has no other way to express.
"It is a gift," Joe said. "Wherever I go, I meet people and pass this gift to them. It was what I was put here to do."
XTo learn more about Joe Augustine go to www.joeaugustine.com