Be Careful Out There

[Greg Newell]

Avery,
	Wow! What a story! I'm gald to hear that you're okay and that we didn't read about this in the paper.

Greg Newell


4/28/2001 5:44:36 AM, Avery Todd <atodd@UH.EDU> wrote:

>List,
>
>Just as a reminder for everyone, concert work "can" be dangerous.
>
>I though I might relate what I guess could be called a "near death
>experience" that happened to me Friday morning.
>
>I was tuning for a piano concerto with our orchestra. The pit had been
>raised for the piano. The artist bench wasn't there at the time, so I just
>grabbed a chair from the violin section. As I got up to the highest octave
>or so, I moved the chair closer around the end of the piano to maintain
>tuning lever position to clear the case.
>
>You already know what's coming, I'm sure. :-) Well, I forgot that the chair
>had flared out legs on the rear and I was very close to the edge of the
>stage anyway, so......... over I went, down on the floor on my back with
>the chair with me.
>
>As I'm sure you know, one's reflex is to grab whatever might be near to
>stop the fall, so of course, I grabbed at the piano. The treble leg came
>over the edge of the stage and came to rest on top of the railing for the
>orchestra pit!
>
>This is one time I'm very glad we DON'T have the big brass wheels on the
>legs!!!! It would have probably kept rolling right over the edge of the
>stage onto me! Right now we only have the shop cup type of wheels on it and
>when it went over the edge, the cup came off. Talk about an adrenalin rush!
>:-)
>
>I went and got a couple of students and we lifted it back onto the stage
>and everything was fine except for a little wood damage on the edge of the
>stage. Nothing on the piano. And only a little bleeding cut on my left ear
>where I'd banged my head and a very sore muscle in my left tricep area
>which I must have hit on my way down. Oh, and I'm going to have to get a
>new watch. :-)
>
>At the time, I didn't think of it but later, I wish I'd had a camera and
>taken a picture.
>
>I'm usually extremely careful in those situations but this time, I simply
>forgot about those flared out rear legs on the chair. That's one mistake
>I'm quite sure I'll never make again.
>
>May none of you EVER have this happen to you!!!!!!
>
>Avery
>
>P.S. "Only" 35 recitals/concerts from April 23 through April 30! That's our
>last class day. Hallelujah! Last Saturday I did 5 pianos and a harpsichord
>and on Sunday, 3 pianos. This Saturday (today) is also 5 tunings but only 2
>on Sunday! I'm definitely ready for a break! :-)
>

Greg Newell
Greg's Piano Forté
12970 Harlon Ave.
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
216-226-3791
mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net