Support Our Mission
Donations
We invite you to help us accomplish the mission of the DS Standard Foundation. Your contribution helps pianists worldwide achieve their full potential.
“The DS keyboard at St. Olaf College has been truly transformative for a significant number of gifted young artists, on campus and in our community. An invaluable resource for pianists returning to play following a playing-related injury... a beloved pedagogical resource.”
Dr. Kathryn Ananda-Owens
Professor of Music [Piano], St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
Contributions May Be Made By
Credit Card or PayPal
Click the Donate button and enter your normal credit card and contact details. You do not need a PayPal account but you may use it if you have one.
Send a Check
DS Standard Foundation, 600 North Brown Street, Titusville, Pennsylvania 16354, USA. Contributions by US citizens are deductible on IRS Form 1040 Schedule A.
Bank Transfer
PNC Bank, 123 Diamond Street, Titusville, PA 16354. Routing# 043300738, Account# 6013094058. No fees for international transfers.
Amazon Smile
Name the DS Standard Foundation as the charitable organization of your choice every time you make a purchase through Amazon Smile.
Estate Planning
Name the DS Standard Foundation as a beneficiary in your estate plan to create a lasting legacy for future pianists.
Funds Raised Go To
Your donation directly supports these initiatives
New Keyboards for Education
Making new alternatively sized keyboards for loan to educational institutions. A new DS keyboard costs US$9,800 plus shipping. A new DS Keyboard with alternative action costs US$14,800 plus shipping.
Support Competitions
Subsidizing piano competitions that make DS Standard keyboards available to contestants, opening doors for pianists of all hand sizes.
Promote Our Mission
Promoting our global mission through research, publications, conferences, and awareness campaigns.
Stories of Impact
See how DS keyboards have changed lives
“Getting Larger Hands”
I have actually experienced “getting larger hands.” Although that sounds impossible, this was achieved by creating a 7/8-size keyboard for my Steinway concert grand.
I could finally use the correct fingerings. Wide, sweeping, left-hand arpeggiated figures so prevalent in Romantic music become possible. There was an increase of power. It was easier to make large leaps accurately.
I realize now, looking back, that most of the time I spent practicing was used trying to overcome difficulties because of my hand-size.
My great desire is for the small-handed pianists of the world to experience the great joy of playing the piano when the struggle of overcoming the limitations imposed by hand-size are gone.
Christopher Donison
Pianist and Founder of the DS Standard
Pain-Free Performance
The pain aspect of the 7/8 keyboard is quite amazing. Sight-reading probably has the most dramatic effect.
I have found on a regular size keyboard I can last about an hour and then my hands and entire arms start to feel tired. If I persist, within about 20 minutes I am in pain and must stop.
Playing similar pieces on the 7/8 keyboard I can sight-read for over two hours completely pain free! I can play large chords, octave passages, leaps, huge dynamic ranges and my brain fatigues long before my fingers or arms.
The 7/8 keyboard has turned an endurance session into pure pleasure. I can't begin to describe how much fun it is to be able to access the notes so easily without fatigue.
Linda Gould
First DS Keyboard Owner
Nicole Halton's Recital Testimony
“The greatest difference that I noticed while performing on the reduced size keyboard was the level of comfort I felt at the piano. I felt that for the first time I was in command of the instrument instead of feeling limited by the physical difficulty of playing the piano.”
In preparation for her recital, Nicole discovered that she could memorize easier to feel and she could create better pathways for her hands and fingers.
Nicole Halton
Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, Southern Methodist University
Tax Deductible Donations
The DS Standard Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions made by US citizens are deductible on IRS Form 1040 Schedule A. Depending upon the tax laws in your country of residence, this may be true for citizens of other countries as well. Please check with your tax advisor.
Make a Difference Today
Your generosity helps us provide DS keyboards to educational institutions and supports pianists in achieving their full potential.