I’d like you to consider, for a moment, what it’s like to work for professional musicians. Most of them are self absorbed (myself included) and surrounded by an exclusive entourage of obsessive staff who are dedicated to protecting their image … Continue reading
Old pianos can be extremely challenging for any technician in the field (see my discussion about geriatric pianos in “The Life of a Piano“). Many of the problems are caused by dried, brittle wood or failing glue joints that have … Continue reading
I encountered one of the most amazing custom finished pianos this morning and was compelled to share it with you. We’ve all heard about prodigal young artists creating astounding works of art with no formal training but this is one … Continue reading
Continuing in the vain of our current subject (my experience as a piano technician) I will not be applying the title phrase to the context of music theory – that will be the topic of another discussion. I want to … Continue reading
Nightmares abound of situations where one is placed in a preposterous position and required to accomplish impossible tasks. We all have them and they haunt us perpetually. The scene that I’m about to describe (the sign post up ahead) is … Continue reading
The phone call came, early one morning, from a terrified and desperate woman – convinced that her piano was possessed – pleading for my immediate intervention. Intrigued by the unusual nature of her call, I arranged to meet with her … Continue reading
Pianos, like most furniture, collect dust – inside and out – and I’m often called upon (as is anyone in my profession) to clean them and fish things out of the many crevices and openings that are normally inaccessible to … Continue reading
I have been in some truly magnificent homes during the last 30 years of tuning pianos up and down the coast of California from Malibu to Palos Verdes, and have had the pleasure of working on some of the most … Continue reading
What follows is my side of an email conversation that I had with one of my siblings a few nights ago. . . I say “Frack the bugs – I’ll get them sorted (stomped) out in no time”. The platform … Continue reading
Last year I was asked to assess a little baby grand, belonging to a customer whom I hadn’t seen for over 10 years, to determine its value for potential sale. Knowing already that it was an older instrument that I … Continue reading