The message on tape

I play piano at church for the women's meeting (Relief Society). When I get into the room, the piano is usually facing the back wall so I turn it around. Today when I went to turn it, I found this taped to the back of the piano (it was not mauled, torn, or wrinkled at the time):

"This is the ugly back-side of the piano. It should not face out into the room. Please do not turn the piano. Thanks :) "
I showed it to a couple of people, one who said, "That is offensive to my eyes" and she tore it off the piano. I asked her if I could have the tape because I wanted to keep it. Someone from one of the other congregations who share the building must have put it there.

My rebuttal as the person who turns the piano:
1. It's not your piano.
2. It has wheels. It is allowed to be moved.
3. Do you turn around the piano in the Primary room too?
4. How do you feel about the "ugly back-side" of the organ facing out in the chapel?
5. The back-side of the piano looks that way for a reason and I do not find it ugly. It is made of nice-looking wood, it is not dirty, it has a pleasant pattern of cross-pieces.
6. I have never heard anyone complain about having to look at the back-side of any piano.
7. As the pianist, I can't see the chorister with the piano facing to the back.
8. The sound projects better when the back of the piano faces the room, rather than facing a fabric covered wall.
9. I don't complain that you always turn the piano facing the wall. I don't care how you position the piano when you are in the room. And I don't mind turning it around to having it how I like it.
10. There is no rule in the church handbook that says the piano needs to face the back of the room.
11. There is also no rule about our particular building regarding the positioning of the piano in the Relief Society room.
12. Why are you so concerned with not looking at the back of the piano?
13. You're not the boss of me.
14. I turn it that way so that people don't have to look at the ugly back-side of the pianist.

End of rebuttal.

I turned the piano to how I wanted it and left it that way. And I wished a happy face day to all people everywhere, including to people who leave taped passive/aggressive notes on the backs of pianos.

Comments

Dave said…
I predict a relief society room clash on a scale not seen since the Slipka/Werner battle of '85.
Jen said…
You HAVE to print out that rebuttal and put it on the piano before next Sunday. You HAVE to! I'm begging you. This is the kind of stuff I live to hear/read about.
Jenni said…
Dave is so funny. And I LOVE #13. That is the most ridiculous thing ever. You should nail your rebuttal to the piano and see if anyone gets the reference. This is great fodder for the family. We had a similar "choir" conflict going on in our ward, but we nipped it in the bud before it came to blows. I think it is hilarious that she put it on TAPE!
Jenni said…
I should not have put "choir" in quotation marks.
Jenni said…
Our RS piano faces toward the room. So the pianist can see the chorister. Duh
Dennis said…
If you turn the piano around so that it faces the front of the room maybe the chorister should also turn around to face the same direction.
Jake and Steph said…
Affectations such as these make me wonder about the person's home. What is dinner like in their house? Do they passively/aggressively ask for the pepper? Put an anonymous note on the butter dish because someone melted it for too long in the microwave, maybe? Nice to see the rare Dave comment, too.
Dennis said…
I don't think my comment came out right. What I meant to say is that if the piano back faces the congregants maybe the chorister should turn so that her/his back faces the congregants.
And I like #13 also. It is so like all of you to say that. Hi Dave.
TaterBean said…
I agree with Jen. Please print out the rebuttal, put it on the ugly back-side, and report back.
Mike said…
I remember when Rob Taylor told V Slipka to stop conducting the music like it was a funeral dirge. I too love to see these little pettinesses crop up. I wish they would happen to me, I love encountering passive/aggressiveness and crushing it with my aggressive/aggressiveness.
Mike said…
I remember when Rob Taylor told V Slipka to stop conducting the music like it was a funeral dirge. I too love to see these little pettinesses crop up. I wish they would happen to me, I love encountering passive/aggressiveness and crushing it with my aggressive/aggressiveness.