Concert nightmares/no time

[David Ilvedson]

David,

What a pain...

I might have tried to work in the morning?, 8 to 10.  One piano that
evening and the other in the morning?  

"I'd love to do the work but I will require X amount of time.  Therefore I
need to begin at X:00 am if I'm to be finished before the morning
rehearsals at 10:00 am.  Please arrange for someone to let me in."  

Easy to say in hindsight!

David I.





*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 5/25/01 at 12:37 AM David Renaud wrote:

>Here's one for my book.
>Perhaps there is something to learn from it.
>
>How many established concert tuners out there would be comftorable
>with these time constraints. I need one hour for each piano for my best
>concert tuning, assuming it is within reach of pitch.
>Have I been spoiled by regular clients.
>
>Our local Arts Centre technician, and Yamaha man is away at a
>convention.
>He recommends me for tuning pianos at a string quartet festival at our
>National Art Gallery....all week. It is a last min. call. There is a
>Yamaha CF, and
>a 9' Steinway brought in from a local university that needs work. One of
>the
>artists had to have a Steinway as he had used the Yamaha three years
>before,
>and would refuse to play it again(I did not know this at the time).
>
>I am told, as there three concerts/ day, plus rehearsals, I must tune at
>night.
>10pm till 10am, anytime. I show up at 10 pm, start at 10:30pm
> Within minutes I am alone with the security guard.
>He informs me I have to be out by 11:30.
>I have 40 min left. There are two grands to tune to each other.
>The Steinway is at A442, the Yamaha at 440. I decide to finish the
>Yamaha with my best 40 min.effort and spend 20 min quickly lowering
>the pitch of the Steinway to A440. For that last 20 min security is on
>my back.
>I think as there is a current strike of Art Gallery workers, and picket
>line, they made
>an exception to let the concerts go on, but they apparently are not
>anxious to
>do overtime for the tuner.
>I leave a message for the person that booked me that Yamaha is done,
>but if they need Steinway I will have to get in to tune it. I am told
>not to worry
>about it as there are no piano duets tomorrow. They will just use
>Yamaha,
>tune the Steinway tomorrow night.
>
>Well,  the pianist(from France), used Steinway for the dress rehearsal
>anyway.
>He did not want to play Yamaha, but in the end he did, for live
>broadcast.
>I heard about this, and went to find him, hoping to assure him it would
>be done
>overnight for tomorrow. I never got to tell him as he went ballistic.
>Ranting
>and raving a long time about the condition of the Steinway, and not
>liking the
>Yamaha,, threatened to quit the week, and stomped out of the room.
>The result of it all was the next time I went in, I found another tuner
>there tuning.
>The pianist is boarding with a person on the committee who called their
>personnel tuner
>to "fix it" without informing me or the person who hired me, or even
>realizing
>the Steinway had not been done. I've somehow gone through 10 years
>without
>a tuning complaint, and I do some concerts venues regularly.This is sure
>a kick
>in the pants and a confidence breaker. I should have stood up and
>demanded time,
>and defended myself when the artist was ranting instead of standing
>there shocked.
>
>Committees
>Too many chiefs, too little communication.
>
>
>                                                   Dave Renaud
>                                                   RPT