5 Browns

[Tom Servinsky]

Ed
I am one of the technicians use when they are in Florida. I've worked with them over the past 4 yrs. and have grown to know and respect them quite well..
There are 5 siblings, however only 4 graduated from Julliard, as the youngest boy is about to graduate from the Manhattan School of Music. He butted heads with the Julliard teachers and found it best to move to another school.
There are 3 girls and 2 boys. The 3 girls are all married and one, I believe is newly pregnant, which will change the scope of their touring.
Their first tours had only 2 pianos which they would trade off playing 4 hand  and 8 hand pieces, and individual solo pieces. Once the "60 Minute" segment aired and the popularity began to grow, Steinway started endorsing there concerts by making 5 grands available to them from the local Steinway dealers. Eventually the logistics were too much for each Steinway dealership to manage and it was cost prohibitive. Plus the kids were finding that there were too many changing variables of piano personalities from one venue to another.Eventually Steinway decided to provide instruments from the factory for their needs. Wheaton Van lines does the moving for free in lieu of good advertising.
The first tour had 2 Steinway  B's and 3 Steinway A's which they used for 2 yrs. Now they are traveling with 2 Steinway D's and 3 Steinway B's.
Pianos arrive on the day of the concert by Wheaton Van lines and the pianos arrive in Anvil shipping boxes. Each venue must arrange to have a crew to unload the pianos with the technician acting as the supervisor. Pianos need about 2 hrs of acclamation before tuning can begin and the tech will have about 4 hrs to have everything finished before the group shows up for their rehearsal. Pianos are to be touched up prior to the show and they prefer to have them to be touched up during intermission. 
It has been a learning curve for the kids as they had no idea of the logistics of such a traveling show. Between getting the pianos there, to getting the set up tuned, to being understanding  of the technician's needs in terms of time, to host of additional items, and for them to find time to do some serious practicing, everyone has to be very flexible and understanding. I had many times when they would show up out of the blue and wanted to practice which I was in the midst of tuning. It took me several tries to get them to understand the bigger picture. Now they are very predictable and understanding. 
The family, including the parents and one brother-in-law are all about the nicest people you would ever want to spend time with. They are genuine and they are gifted. They have become a part of our family as they have spent time in our home and gotten to know my wife and girls as well. My one daughter is one her way to becoming quite the pianist, and the Brown kids have been keeping a keen eye on her development. 
The kids all live in the Salt Lake City area, except the youngest, who is still in NYC. I think he graduates this year and will be moving back west. Gregory, the older boy just started his doctoral studies at the University of Utah.
Hope this gives a glimpse into their traveling logistics
Oh...one other funny thing to share. Last year they came during the school spring break and 2 of the kids had their juries to do the following week. Both were about 15 hrs of practice behind and needed every minute to practice their personal pieces. We rolled an upright into the bathroom backstage so that Gregory could continue memorizing a Beethoven Sonata which was on his jury requirements. Since the bathroom was tiny and their was no room for the bench, he used the toilet as the bench. Of course the jokes were flying after one of them took a picture of him on the thrown practicing.....you guessed it    " the 2nd movements"...or as we called it "movement 2" . Funny stuff.
Tom Servinsky
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ed Carwithen 
  To: Piano Tech List 
  Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:18 AM
  Subject: 5 Browns


  I heard a segment on "Radio West" concerning the 5 siblings of the Brown family who are all concert artists, all graduated from Julliard, and who concertize together on the same program.  It got me wondering about the logistics of tuning 5 concert grands together.  Does anyone know who is their tuner?  Where do they get 5 grands; do they own their own or try to rent them in each location?  They are based in Salt Lake City, but play all over.  "Inquiring minds want to know."

  Ed Carwithen
  John Day, OR


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