school pianos

[Dave Nereson]

>As was mentioned by others, it is important that the music teacher, and
perhaps the principal, of problems with the piano. Schools have paid a lot
of
money for an instrument, and if you can convince them that paying you $500
now, it will keep the piano going for another 10 years, instead of having to
buy a new piano for $5000 in 2 years. It's like the Fram Oil Filter
commercial. "You can pay me (a small amount) now, or pay me (a large amount)
later" <

    IF you can convince them!  I've tuned for two school systems for over 10
years now and have repeatedly tried to convince music teachers & departments
and the purchasing department (and so have the previous two technicians)
that if they would just put a couple, three hundred into each piano now
(tighten the plate, action screws, file hammers, re-pin wobbly parts, voice
down the hard hammers, do some regulating),  the pianos could live a much
longer life AND save the school system from having to buy all new pianos in
a few years.  But no.  "It's not in the budget."  (But is the money in the
budget for all new pianos a few years down the road?)
    Also, most music teachers want the pianos freshly tuned for the start of
a new school year.  Most of the pianos aren't that badly out of tune with
themselves, although they're 20¢ sharp of A 440.  So I tune them, only to
have them need it again in October or November after the heat's been on for
a few weeks.  Every year, I explain about the soundboards retaining summer
moisture and losing it when the furnace comes on, but it goes in one ear and
out the other.  Then later in the fall, they call again and wonder why the
tuning didn't last.  Brochures maybe get quickly scanned, thrown on a stack
of papers or thrown out, and forgotten.
    I was successful, however, in convincing one high school to build or
move the piano "cage" on the stage to a location that did not have a
radiator in it.  This was, of course, after the pinblock of a 7-foot Baldwin
dried out and wouldn't hold a tuning anymore.  I gave them an estimate (very
reasonable) for re-pinning it, but they actually sprang (sprung?) for a new
piano.  Whatever . . . (the universal answer for everything
owdays).  --Dave Nereson, RPT, Denver