Teacher expands his reach

Music instructor and partners open a new piano store

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Piano instructor Jie Bu often was disappointed that he couldn't be with his students when they were ready to purchase a piano, but there is now a solution for that.

Now Bu's students can buy their pianos from their teacher at the newly opened Piano Gallery of America, 4245 S. Grand Canyon Drive, Suite 105.

"About six years ago I opened a school and the students were very advanced," Bu said. "But they were buying the wrong pianos, either their fingers weren't strong enough, or other things. So I always said, 'I wish I can pick your piano for you,' and now I can."

The school Bu opened in 2000 was Music & Arts of Las Vegas, a music academy that generally has about 200 students enrolled and 20 instructors. And while Bu is happy teaching, he wanted to realize his dream of opening a piano gallery and retail showcase.

Bu, president of Piano Gallery of America, knew that before he could open a store of his own he would need two business partners. One needed to be a piano technician and the other had to have business and accounting skills. He found his two missing links in Alan Meyer, vice president and chief operating officer, and Aillii Quan, vice president and chief financial officer.

"As a musician, I don't have good organizing skills, and I'm not a piano technician either," Bu said.

The 4,300-square-foot gallery, which has a unique design of a piano keyboard in the floor, carries four manufacturing brands: Sauter, Petrof, Nordiska and Bachmann. Bu and Meyer worked together to choose piano brands based on the richness of sound, affordability and craftsmanship.

The four manufacturers presented in the store also can be broken down into separate customer lines and price ranges. The character line is represented by Sauter, the most expensive line, the value line by Petrof, the benefit line by Nordiska and the economy line by Bachmann, the least expensive. Pianos in the gallery range from $2,000 to more than $100,000.

Bu, 43, has been playing the piano since he was 6-years-old, and has been teaching for about 15 years. However, when he began playing as a child in China, he had to be careful of what he played.

"There were many political situations," Bu said. "Western music was bad, we had to play all Chinese music. We couldn't play Beethoven because he wrote music for kings, but then a few years later they changed their minds and we could play Beethoven because he went against kings," he laughed.

Bu noted that his parents -- his mother was a middle school teacher and his father was a college professor -- often spent evenings out discussing the political climate, so he and his brother turned to the piano to stay out of trouble.

"My father would tell me to practice and practice and that I would understand when I got older," he said.

Bu's father was encouraging his children to form some sort of special talent, because, as Bu explained, if a child had no special talents they would be sent to live on a farm for two years to learn how to farm and become a productive member of society.

"They called it practical education, but I was lucky, I played piano so I went to a music company after middle school. We became entertainers, sometimes we played for the farmers. It was pretty fun and they provided classes and private tutors."

Bu continued his musical education earning his bachelor's degree in music from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and later came to the states in 1990 to earn his master's degree in music from UNLV.

"Some of my students have gotten into some very good schools," Bu said. "Some to Yale, Berkeley and Stanford."

Andrew Chang, a former student of Bu's, took lessons from Bu for five years. And although he is not currently taking lessons the 19-year-old Yale University sophomore continues to play for his personal pleasure.

"Jie completely changed my perspective on playing," he said in a telephone interview from Connecticut. "He really changed the way I look at playing the piano. He helped me understand it in a symbolic form, a larger art form and to not only see yourself as a piano player, but to also think of yourself as an artist. And on top of that, he's just amazing."

When Chang returns to Las Vegas he always makes sure to schedule at least one meeting with his mentor, he said.

"Every break we get together and just talk music over dinner," Chang said.

Chang also noted that Bu made sure his students formed a bond and participated in peer reviews to keep the students from being competitive with one another in an unhealthy manner.

"He taught us how to network with each other," Chang said. "He really creates a community for young pianists. I really respect him because of that, he goes out of his way to get students together on a friendly level."

Bu continues to teach, and now will be offering lessons at the new gallery.

More information on the Piano Gallery of America can be found by visiting www.pianogalleryofamerica.com.