CatLady, it's my pleasure to announce you as this month's spotlight member. To get things rolling let's hear about your most memorable piano sale (good or bad).

I'd like to know how the jewelry making business is doing? You make beautiful pieces. Do you have a website up for them? How many cats do you have now? I still remember that cut that you had on your finger from opening up a can of cat food. OUCH! and think of you often when I am opening up a can, oh so carefully each time.

FTP --
Most memorable?.....Hmmmmm.....
Well, I'll try to condense what is a very long story.
Years ago Bosendorfer sent us an Imperial grand that belonged to Oscar Peterson. It was a wonderful piano. It was also a very LARGE piano. It was also a very large and EXPENSIVE piano. How to sell it?....Hmmm......
At about the same time, I saw an ad in the Washington Post advertising a concert at Kennedy Center with Arturo Sandoval. He would only be there for a single performance and he would be playing a Classical trumpet concerto. As he is known mainly for Latin Jazz this was an unusual event. I got a ticket and went. I had been a fan of his for ages and had all of his recordings -- also I had met him at a party through mutual friends and he knew my boyfriend professionally(he was also a trumpet player).
Anyway, after the concert was over, I went back stage and stood in a looooong line of people waiting to meet him and/or get an autograph. When it was finally my turn, I said hello and handed him my business card. He looked at it and said "what's this for?" -- I said that I "had a piano that he'll want to buy". (You see, on most of his album jackets he mentioned that his biggest influences were Dizzy Gillespie and OSCAR PETERSON) He then unleashed a wall of sound and fury at me --telling me that I had a lot of balls coming to his concert and trying to sell him a piano, he didn't NEED a piano, he had just bought a piano and hadn't even paid for it yet! The guy in back of me in line leaned over to his wife and said "honey, whatever you do, don't hand him your business card.
I sheepishly said "but it was Oscar Peterson's piano".
"Oh!",he said I should have said that in the first place and told me to wait in his dressing room and we could discuss it.
To make a long story longer, we met, talked, he was interested, but nothing happened because he was leaving for Miami early the next morning. Oh well.
Acouple of months later, he was back in DC playing at Blues Alley. This time he was in town for a whole week. Perfect!
I went to hear him the first night, sat next to his wife and chatted with him afterward. We made plans for lunch the next day. I did a great barbeque in my back yard and invited the trumpet section from the NSO and the Commodors (Arturo's favorite jazz group). Lunch lasted about six hours and we all had a great time.(I forgot to mention -- Indrek Laul was there with Triin -- this was her first day in America, way before they got married). We made plans to meet the next day to look at the piano.
Alas , again it was not to be.
Arturo's parents came "over" that night from Cuba and all the news orgainizations wanted to interview him about it, so he was busy being shuttled from CBS to NBC to Telemundo, etc.
Oh well.
A few months later, he's back in DC again. He had kept my card for all these months and called me. He said "Cathy, I'm just looking at a map and it looks like your shop is pretty near the airport", I said yes, it was. He said "would you mind picking me up at the airport, taking me to the White House for a ceremony (he got the Medal of Freedon from President Clinton) and then taking me to see the piano on the way back to the airport? I said sure as long as I could go to the White House with him.
Yep, he did it.
I took him to see the piano and after only about 5 minutes of playing, he decided he wanted it.
Nope, that's of course, not the end of the story.
I went to Miami for the delivery, intending to stay only one day (in a cheap motel), but he and Marianella talked me into staying at their home.
For a week.
In my own wing.
With every comfort known to man (or woman).
They threw a big party for the piano and I got to meet Tito Puente, Gloria Estefan and her husband and Arturo's whole band was ther also.
Fast forward a year or two and HBO is doing a movie about Arturo's life "For Love or Country".
I flew down to Miami to watch the filming, met the guy who played him -- Andy Garcia and got a small bit part in the movie.
When the premier happened in NYC, I was invited and went to the party afterward and met the casts of other HBO shows -- The whole cast of the Sopranos was there (I got to dance with "Uncle Junior"), as was the cast of Sex and the City.

Now THAT was a memorable sale.

LL-
I'm still making jewelry, but not selling much. The craft show booths are so effing expensive that I can't see spending more than $1000. a weekend to "maybe" sell a few pieces.
I have two little boy cats right now. Huey -- A handsome grey tabby longhair and Seamus the mutt. Huey is just over a year old and Seamus is 7 months.

P.S.
I'm not joined at the hip with my computer. Please don't be offended if I don't answer a question for a day or two.
Thanks,
Cathy

quote:

Now THAT was a memorable sale.

As if we're supposed to believe that whole story...

Careful Mark,....... or I might have to tell them YOUR whole story.......

Touché.

But I do have a question(s) for you. What's your music background? Lessons? Instruments?

I come from a musical family. My grandmother (on my mother's side) was a pianist who played concertos with the Chicago Orchestra starting at age eight.
My grandfather (on my father's side) was a trumpet player. He played in the NBC orchestra.
My father was a trumpet player also.He went to Juilliard and also taught there.
I play only the piano -- no other instruments. I have sung with various choruses (Choral Arts, Oratorio Society, Cathedral Choral Soc.)in the DC area. I studied at Juilliard with Adele Marcus and Jackson Berkey.

WOW! You do have a musical family.

What are you doing now, musically?

Are you still Tuning? Teching? Consulting? Playing?

I so loved your store and my experience with you. Since you gave me permission in the past to speak of how nice you were to this potential customer, I hope that you don't mind if I share again here.

When I was looking, I was obsessed with getting a really nice upright but also hated shiny black boxes (sorry Nina). So one thing that really mattered was that the upright would be satin, part wood veneer or something with some uniqueness to it. I grew up around Baldwins, and had only seen wood veneer in different cabinet styles when I taught at their studios. This new concept of shiny black was a shock to me.

I was interested in Sauter, C Bech, Grotrian, which Cathy carried. She met me at the airport, arranged for my hotel, took me to the store, we had some wine in the office to celebrate even before going out to dinner! Then took me all over Washington at that evening. It was so breathtaking seeing the sites at night!

She gave me the store keys knowing that I was an early riser and staying nearby, and said "Have at it!" That she would be in later. I was there probably by 7AM and 'had at it'! The uprights, the grands and even some concert Bechs that she had in (3 wasn't it Cathy?)

We talked with Ulrich Sauter that day on the phone and we even thought I might take a flight with her over there. What? WOW! That is when I got my passport and interest in visiting Europe as I just did.

A most accommodating and helpful store owner.

I have been there since with a group when she hosted a piano party and master class with Valentina Lisitsa. Another memorable event when Bernard and I joined the fun.

Cathy knows how to do things FIRST CLASS!!!



Lisitsa at piano party



Buying adventure



Cathy's store

OOh! OOh! I have a question!

Dear Catlady - I would like to know how it is that you seem to know EVERYBODY in this industry? What is your secret? How did you accomplish this?

(By the way, Catlady and I are great friends and she really DOES know everybody!)

Haven't seen you in forever "Catlady" (feels weird not calling you by your actual name), and I hope you're well.

In fact, the last time I spoke to you in person may have been at NAMM several years ago.
As I'm sure you know I'm no longer in the industry, so please don't take my lack of contact personally.

I do hope you're very well, and miss chatting with you - where am I supposed to get my industry gossip now?! Udo and Ulrich never call anymore either!

Wow, that's such a great story.

OK, a serious question...

I really didn't you know you designed jewelry CatLady, until you began doing it full time recently. When did you begin making jewelry and how did you get into that?

Good Stories, thanks