Dallas Video Festival - ‘Note By Note’

Screening followed by Q&A with Ben Niles

Steinway pianos are the most thoroughly handcrafted, hand-tooled instruments in the world. They are as unique and full of personality as the world-class musicians who choose them above all others. Produced by New York-based Plow Productions, Note by Note is a feature-length independent documentary that follows the creation of a Steinway and explores the relationship between musician and instrument. It chronicles the manufacturing process, probes the artists' affinity, and investigates what makes each Steinway unique. From the factory floor in Queens to Steinway Hall in Manhattan, each piano's journey is complex: spanning 11 months, 12,000 parts, 450 craftsmen, and countless hours of fine-tuned labor. A cast of characters informs its voice: burly rim-benders, specialized "voicers," and musicians who audition a dozen pianos at a time to select one with the nuances they prefer. Set in and around key Steinway locations: the factory, Carnegie Hall, and 'The Bank' (a private hall which holds 15 prized Steinways at any given time). Note By Note is the first documentary to portray the patience and craft built into each piano and why that's important. The film focuses on two distinct casts of characters: the craftsmen who build each Steinway, and the artists who play them. Featuring interviews with a number of world- class artists including Chinese phenom Lang Lang, HÈlËne Grimaud, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, contemporary singer Harry Connick, Jr. and jazz greats Hank Jones, Marcus Roberts, Kenny Barron and Bill Charlap, the film promises to appeal to a wide variety of music lovers.

This screening sponsored by Steinway of Dallas. Filmmaker in attendance.