In the New York Times for December 31, 2003, James Barron continues his series on the building of a grand piano. "The first recognizable melody played on grand piano No. K0862 was the opening of the theme from ''The Simpsons,'' but only one person at the Steinway Sons factory in Queens heard ... Inside a soundproof booth, Eric Thompson smiled, even though the notes sounded flat.... "

For additional information from the Loper website about grand pianos and a listing of the articles in this series, please see A Piano in the Parlor.

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