Being an aspiring musician is difficult, but art is often its own reward for music aficionados and amateur instrument players. Many instruments are hard to learn and take years of practice to learn how to play properly. A good amount of them are hard to master for a completely different reason: they are prohibitively expensive. However, there are still instruments that can be found in many versions, including beginner level models that are more friendly for people in a budget. Pianos and more specifically digital keyboards are some of the most popular instruments out there because they are versatile, essential in music ensembles, and widely available in different price tiers. Not all cheap instruments are bad, and below we expose 4 reasons why affordable keyboard pianos have just as much potential as their more expensive siblings.
They are great for learning
Learning how to play the piano doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process. Very often, new players find themselves in a room with a teacher and a classical piano. These types of instruments, while amazing and beautiful in their own right, are not the best to learn if your aim is not to play in an orchestra. A budget keyboard has all the basic elements for you to get familiar with the instrument, and they won’t cost an arm and a leg.
They are just as great for teaching!
Teaching piano can be just as challenging as learning, many times because teachers invest in quality pianos for their homes or studios. However, an affordable digital piano can provide you and your student with all the elements you need for a complete lesson. In fact, some of these budget models include features that make teaching easier, like play-along songs that come pre-loaded in these instruments’ memories.
They are more compact and portable
One factor that cuts down costs when it comes to instrument price tags is the size. In the case of pianos and digital keyboards, size is mostly directly proportional to price, meaning that pianos with a larger set of keys are usually more expensive as well. Budget keyboards tend to have fewer keys, but that does not take away from their potential as fully-fledged professional instruments. Their reduced size also makes for a more portable device, which comes in handy whether you are an amateur learning how to play and want to practice everywhere, or you are a professional and need it to carry it with you for songwriting or giving lessons.
They can be more than enough sometimes
Budget keyboards are for anyone who needs them, but most of the time it is new learners who are looking into them. For those piano players who are just getting into the basics of keyboards, these affordable models can end up being a fantastic option. The feature set can be way richer than they think, and all the qualities listed above make for a great instrument to have around regardless of your expertise level. If you want to check some keyboard pianos you can get cheap, there are plenty of reviews available on Mr. Pianist here.
Bobby Valentino is the stage name of American R&B singer Robert Wilson. He was born on February 27, 1980 in Jackson, Mississippi. He later moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he attended North Atlanta High School. Bobby Valentino released his self titled debut album in 2005 through Island Records. His first single, “Slow Down”, became a top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, receiving a large amount of radio and TV airplay. Also in 2005, Bobby joined Bow Wow, Omarion, Marques Houston, B5 and Pretty Ricky on the Scream Tour IV. After the success of “Slow Down,” Bobby released a second single titled “Tell Me (Remix)” featuring Lil Wayne. The album’s third and final single, “My Angel,” was released in the fall of 2005, however it gained little popularity. Gearing up for the release of his 2007 sophomore effort Special Occasion, Valentino released the album’s first single titled “Turn the Page” with mixed reviews. His second single, “Anonymous” featuring Timbaland, was released on April 9, 2007. Overall, the album received positive reviews from critics and audiences, and has since been certified gold. His latest album, The Rebirth was released on February 10, 2009. The album’s first official single “Beep” featuring Yung Joc was released via iTunes on October 7, 2008.
Kate Ryan is the stage name of Katrien Verbeeck. She was born on July 22, 1980 in Tessenderlo, Belgium. At eight years of age she had learned to play the piano and guitar. She had singing and piano lessons from her aunt who teaches at a conservatory, but had other interests too. She studied at an art school, specialising in jewellery design. She also lived some time in Meerhout, a small village near Tessenderlo. 
Gym Class Heroes is an American rapcore band from Geneva, New York. The group formed when Travis “Schleprok” McCoy met drummer Matt McGinley and decided to form a band. They later added guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo and bassist Eric Roberts. They were then signed to Decaydance Records, on which they released the gold-selling album As Cruel as School Children. Since that release, the band’s single “Cupid’s Chokehold” reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Clothes Off!!” peaked at #5 on the UK Singles Chart. The group released three more CDs from 1999 to 2004, called “Hed Candy,” “Greasy Kids Stuff,” and “Papercut Chronicles EP”. In 2008, Gym Class Heroes released The Quilt. It spawned several singles which include “Guilty as Charged”, “Peace Sign/Index Down” and “Cookie Jar”. Gym Class Heroes will be releasing their all new album Be The Judge in the late 2009 or early 2010. The album would also be containing 11 all-new tracks. Some to be named are : “Pink Floss”,”Judge A Cover By It’s Looks”,”I’ll Definitely Be”,”Joshking!” and much more. Gym Class Heroes have received numerous awards which include a MTV Video Music Awards for Best New Artist in 2007.