This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hey Tom, That's one you won't forget! I learned to ask about room = usage/schedules after a few horrible experiences! But even then I = occasionally ran into surprises. Many years ago I tuned the pianos at a complex for the mentally ill, = mentally challenged, or however you prefer to refer to the malady. I = had done my work in a number of the buildings (sometimes I was locked in = the room with the piano for my own protection!) and finally came to the = place where the elderly were housed. What struck me first was the = somber thought that most of the people there had spent their whole lives = institutionalized. I pondered this as I tuned, but my concentration was = broken when I realized one of the folks had approached me. She said, = "That is the WORST song I've ever heard!" "Yeah, it isn't very good, is it? But when I'm done with this one, I'll = play some nice songs!" =20 I played a lot of test tunes after that tuning. :-) Barbara Richmond, RPT somewhere near Peoria, IL on a rainy night ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Tvak@aol.com=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 9:03 PM Subject: nursing home blues (slightly OT) Today I tuned a Wurly spinet in a nursing home. I have never = experienced such negativity anywhere in my brief (6 years) career as a = tuner. There were about 10 patients of the nursing home in the activity = room where the piano was and as soon as I walked in and introduced = myself to the attendant, a chorus arose. "He's not going to PLAY the piano, is he?" to which the attendant = would reply, "No, he's going to tune it." Five minutes later, "What's = he doing at the piano? Is he playing it?" "No, he's tuning it." And = as if there was a tape loop set up in the room, five minutes later, = someone else would ask, "What's he doing at the piano? Is he playing = it?" "Does he have to play the piano?" "Why can't he stop?" I tuned as quietly and quickly as I could. Then they started a game of BINGO. I'd respectfully pause as each = number was called, and then resume striking keys and tuning, but after = every number, someone would yell out "I can't hear because of that = piano!" One lady threw her BINGO board on the floor and refused to play = because I made it too difficult to hear. These people in the twilight of their lives had returned to a state of = childhood, where their only concern was themselves. =20 I always try to do the best job I can under any circumstances, whether = it be noisy kids, barking dogs, no light, whatever...it doesn't faze me. = Never before have I felt like I just wanted to get out of there as = quickly as I could. I didn't adjust the pitch, it was about 10 cents = sharp. I tuned it where it was; as quietly, and quickly as possible, = and headed for the door. It probably wasn't a very stable tuning: I = didn't feel like I could really strike those hard blows without = garnering more animosity. They made me feel in no uncertaint terms that = I was intruding. I know these people have problems much more severe than my own. This = is not a happy time in their lives. This post is not meant as an = indictment of their behavior. Rather it is about my reaction to it. This experience made me realize that I have gotten used to people = being happy to see me. I come on time, I provide a service that = improves their lives in a small way, I'm polite, and everyone comes out = ahead. Day after day. =20 I enjoy the general pleasantry of my daily existence. Without this = nursing home appointment I don't think I would have been cognizant of = that, having become accustomed to it. =20 I went to my next appointment and met the most delightful old retired = fellow with a beautiful 1915 Steinway Louis XIV grand. I think it was = rosewood. =20 Tom Sivak=20 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/c2/9c/d1/1d/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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