At 12:21 PM 9/13/2005 -0700, you wrote: >Susan, > >Just so I understand: Your concert tuning service includes the >following: Tuning before rehearsal, after rehearsal, mid concert >touchup...on call during the performance.? Please tell you're being paid >for all this time? > >David Ilvedson That's just the way I've always done it. A lot of my concert tuning is done on the Oregon Coast, an hour from home. I like to hear the concerts anyway, and in case anything were to go wrong (admittedly unlikely), the nearest other concert tuner is two hours away. So I stay, and as long as I'm there, anyway, why not preen it? I do charge more on the coast than at home, because of the driving time. Sometimes the tuning is after the rehearsal, depending on when the artists want to rehearse. The piano is never too bad to begin with, because it gets done often enough. I do the touchups as I feel the need -- it isn't "required". If I have any doubts about how it's doing, I'll go up at intermission and see, though often I just check and don't change anything, or tweak just a note or two. And I decide whether or not to stay for the performance. I almost always do, unless I have some sort of conflict, but it's not promised. By the way, people on the list sometimes make a big deal of advertising and getting a "select" clientele -- no better way than to be seen on stage checking a tuning at intermission, and it's scot free. s P.S. I suspect that when I retire, I may be a hard act to follow -- What?? A "service person" who provides _service_?? -- not my worry! >----- Original message ---------------------------------------- >From: "Susan Kline" <skline@peak.org> >To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> >Received: 9/13/2005 9:42:07 AM >Subject: Re: President's message > > > >Timothy, thanks for coming forward. I think we needed to > >hear some of this. > > ><< Here's a > >question for you: I've seen local techs who don't set pins > >properly, then when the pins slip after a rehearsal, they > >want to charge more to fix unisons before the > >performance.>> > > >I never _ever_ _ever_ _ever_ would do this! They hire me to > >tune for a concert, I tune for the concert, pre- or mid- > >added in as needed. I do insist on free admission. I consider > >it a perk that goes with the job. The job, for me, is to > >get the piano right (and keep it right) to the greatest of > >my ability, and that includes listening to it being played. > > >I can't understand technicians tuning for concerts and then > >not going to them -- like painting a picture wearing a > >blindfold. And once there, what more natural than to touch > >up whatever needs touching up? Would I prefer to sit there > >listening to even slightly unhappy unisons, saying "I did > >that, I wonder if anybody else is noticing?" > > >Susan (Conrad's latest-model flamesuit casually slung over > >shoulder, ready if needed ...) > > >At 10:52 AM 9/12/2005 -0500, you wrote: > >>List, > >> > >>As mainly a "reader," I appreciate learning so much from > >>your conversations and archives. As a Steinway artist > >>and university prof. who enjoys working on his own > >>pianos, my perspective might be a bit different from a > >>typical customer. Both sides of this discussion make > >>valid points, but my only concern is an attitude that "my > >>work is always perfect since I'm the pro." I can't afford > >>that view of myself as a musician or teacher: as a > >>teacher, much of it involves seeing and respecting the > >>perspective of other people (even when I also see their > >>sophomorism); as a musician, a self-critical attitude > >>promotes growth, improvement, work, etc. BTW, even > >>though I'm the "expert," I'm always learning from my > >>students. > >> > >>A list of my experience with technicians could go on and > >>on, and most of them are very positive, but when they're > >>not so positive, it is often due to this attitude. Here's a > >>question for you: I've seen local techs who don't set pins > >>properly, then when the pins slip after a rehearsal, they > >>want to charge more to fix unisons before the > >>performance. Who's to know who's "right" here? > >>Perhaps it's the piano, perhaps the player is being too > >>picky, yes--but there's also the possibility the technician > >>isn't setting the strings and pins properly and doesn't > >>realize this. Is it just a question of the technician's time? > >>I don't know the answer to this, but wouldn't you agree > >>that if a piano goes out of tune after 1/2 hour of playing, > >>there's probably a problem with the technician's > >>technique (I'm not talking about old PSO's)? > >> > >>On one occasion, I saw a store technician voice a > >>hammer past the point of deadness in the attempt to > >>eliminate a buzz, when the actual problem was a damper > >>wire touching the string. Then there were the leather key > >>bushings that squeaked and stuck, that a technician at a > >>major university did not notice. OK--you get the point--I'm > >>not trying to pick on technicians. Technicians are skilled > >>professionals, and, yes, some are artists. > >> > >>Anyone can miss something--a pianist can misread a > >>note or harmony, and when this happens to me, I'm > >>grateful if someone tells me. I don't want to spend time > >>practicing a misreading. That's a clear-cut case, and > >>most situations aren't that clear. Still, I think no matter > >>how much of an expert you are, it's good to be responsive > >>to people's perceptions, and to realize that there's always > >>the chance that you might have missed something. > >> > >>Just my 2 cents worth. > >> > >>Tim > >> > >>Timothy Ehlen > >>U of Illinois > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>---- Original message ---- > >> >Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 07:30:39 -0400 > >> >From: Phil Bondi <phil@philbondi.com> > >> >Subject: Re: President's message > >> >To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> >Ric Brekne wrote: > >> > > >> >I don't think I'll regret this: > >> > > >> >> Many non tuners read the journal and indeed this list. > >>And very many > >> >> indeed are going to react as myself and obviously > >>significant numbers > >> >> of other techs. > >> > > >> >If there are people out there reading this to support this > >>allegation, I > >> >would hope that those people would come forward and > >>express the same > >> >displeasure/disturbing feeling that has been made > >>here. > >> > > >> >I am more than just a little tired of allegations without > >>numbers being > >> >put into text..being made public on a world-wide list of > >>respected > >> >professionals..which is what I am losing when I read > >>stuff like > >> >this..respect. > >> > > >> >no flame suit required. > >> > > >> >-Phil Bondi(Fl) > >> > > >> > > >> >___________________________________________ > >>____ > >> >pianotech list info: > >>https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > >>_______________________________________________ > >>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > >_______________________________________________ > >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >_______________________________________________ >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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