Concert nightmares/no time

[Z! Reinhardt]

This sounds like an incredible mix-up of non-communication.  Comments below
...

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Renaud" <studiorenaud@qc.aibn.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2001 12:37 AM
Subject: Concert nightmares/no time


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.

>>Who told you this?  The technician you are covering for?  Where was the
stage manager?<<

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

>>At what time next morning could you have resumed work?<<

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.

>>Who is this booking person?  An administrator (notorious for
underestimating rehearsal requirements) or someone more heavily involved
with the production schedule or with the artists?<<

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.

>>Had any attempt been made to make sure your name and phone number were
readily available in case emergency service was necessary?  How sure were
you that the person you left the message for would deliver the message to
the powers-that-be with the pianos?<<

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.

>>Sounds like the personal tuner's phone number may have been more readily
accessible (perhaps memorized by the committee member) and hence was the
first number called in a panic situation.  It could well be that the
committee member also got a beating from the pianist and was forced to call
the first person that came to mind.<<

 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.

>>No one is in control in times like this.  It doesn't sound like anyone
could have fought back against the artist's temper tantrum.<<

Committees
Too many chiefs, too little communication.


                                                   Dave Renaud
                                                   RPT

Wasn't there anyone in charge of the production schedule?  Someone who could
make the arrangements for you to keep the security guards at bay?

Could you have sneaked in there in the before-hours (7-8am) to work on the
Steinway before the day began?

Sounds like you did what you could with the "Known Variables" namely the
people who referred you and booked you for this job.  The problem I see here
is the absence of a Stage Manager and anyone who works closely with the
artists.  Perhaps you were "too invisible" to them hence the call to the
other technician when things got wild.

It's so sad how piano technicians are looked upon as a bane to stages when
their importance is so obvious.  Who else would be asked to limit their
activities to the hours when no one os around?  I think a lot of the problem
is that the time a technician is working is also a time when none of the
other stage workers could do what they do best, because of noise.  The
technician's efforts are obviously noisy and not particularly musical,
despite the noise coming from a musical instrument.  We're expected to
unseen and unheard, while at the same time performing our miracles in a
matter of seconds when in reality we need hours.

Have you talked this incident over with the technician you were filling in
for?  Does he have similar stories about the apparent disorganization?

Funny how things can get tougher when no one is around ...

Z! Reinhardt  RPT
Ann Arbor  MI
diskladame@provide.net