PianoSmart Brings Your Favorite Artists Home!

BUENA PARK, CA (January 23, 2004) — The work day's over, dinner's on the stove and you're ready to unwind. You pick out your favorite CD and press play – on the piano, that is. A moment later you're hearing the familiar vocals and arrangement, but it's your Disklavier Mark III that's playing the piano part, live in your home.

With the exclusive PianoSmart™ feature on all Mark III Disklaviers, and Yamaha's ever-expanding library of Smart PianoSoft™ titles, this scenario is no fantasy. Special disks make it possible for the Disklavier to play along with the standard CDs you already have, adding a depth to the music that you can't beat without inviting the artist to your home. There are more than 150 titles available in a variety of styles, and the library is growing rapidly.

The full range of Smart PianoSoft titles offers something for every taste. Just a small cross-section of the catalog includes Bob Dylan, Charlie Parker, Cher, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley, Faith Hill, U2, James Taylor, Santana, Aerosmith, Norah Jones, Anne Murray, Bread, Barbra Streisand, Amy Grant, The Beach Boys – even Bing Crosby's White Christmas. You can order Smart PianoSoft disks on Yamaha's dedicated website, where the corresponding audio CD's are available right alongside them. Or you can look for your favorite titles at Yamaha authorized retailers.

There are even select Smart PianoSoft titles available for direct downloading, including Andrea Bocelli's Romanza, Frank Sinatra's Reprise: The Very Good Years, Eric Clapton's Unplugged, Leann Rimes' self-titled album, Garth Brooks' Ropin' the Wind, Miles Davis' classic Kind of Blue and The Beatles' One.

"Having the Disklavier play along with the real performances of your favorite artists has always been at the heart of this instrument's appeal," says Cameron Shearer, Disklavier marketing manager, Yamaha Corporation of America. "Instead of producing disks with complex, pre-orchestrated arrangements, PianoSmart lets the Disklavier play along with the beautiful orchestra and vocals already on the CD."

Disklavier owners can also use PianoSmart technology to match their own piano play to their favorite CDs, in addition to using the pre-recorded piano parts available on disk from Yamaha. To create a piano accompaniment at home, a Disklavier Mark III owner can simply record his or her performance on the Disklavier while the audio CD plays. PianoSmart will match the two together on playback.

For more information about Yamaha pianos, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.