Tuned Steinway L at a huge chapel at Fort Wood. Hadn't tuned it for 7 months and had put in a DC w/undercover a month ago. I arrived just as a Protestant "Good Friday" service was about to begin. Was going to leave and come back, but was spotted by a young woman who is a client and was singing a solo--she invited me to stay, so I did. The organist (big pipe organ) played the Steinway for her solo: he is also a client and a professional musician. Talked to them afterwards and was apologetic that I hadn't gotten in to tune earlier. They both said it sounded fine, to them. Hmmm. There it is again. A professional musician and a pretty durned good semi-professional singer who are either extraordinarily kind or just can't tell when a piano is off, so it seems. So they leave and I tune. Actually, it was very close to pitch and mostly in-tune with itself. Unisons mildly sour. (Thank you stable Steinway) I was kind of in a hurry to get to my own church and was fighting the temptation to just run through it quickly because most who play it seem indifferent or deaf to how it sounds. And it frankly tunes like a Steinway--that is to say, it kinda fights back as you tune. But, no, I can't do that. So I Did a careful job, zeroed in those unisons and set strings and pins as best I know how. Then I went up the scale and listed to each unison, touching up any hint of sourness I could. Just as I'm finishing, the Catholics start to file in for their "Good Friday" service. A well-dressed lady speaks to me, after I've bumbled through my testing tunes, and says "You play really well." How kind. "Garsh," I said, "thanks. Are you playing for this service?" She was. She sat down and started ripping through some of the most beautiful Chopin you ever heard! Turns out she's a concert artist from China. Wow. Anyway, several people were listening and we all got talking when she finished. She complimented the tuning. Out of that, I now have 4 new clients! Morals of the story: 1) Always do your best--for pride, for professionalism, for the benefit of others. (Bach said he did it for the glory of God; can't top that.) 2) People CAN hear a well-tuned, well-played instrument and do appreciate it. Even if we think they can't hear the difference, they really can. 3) Good things happen when you follow #1 above. 4) Remember to have a bunch of !#*@$& business cards on hand at all times! Very awkward to run out or have none when asked! I've never tuned for a concert, per se, but it was a thrill to hear my work that way. Must be great, you who are concert tuners--unless the artist is a real jerk, of course. Alan Barnard Salem, MO
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