not too much badmouthing please

[Diane Hofstetter]

I had a similiar situation, in some ways this week.  The store told me to go out to tune for a man.  When I called him to make the appointment, he told me that he has a masters degree in piano performance and that it is a "wonderful upright piano",  probably 100 years old and probably hasn't been tuned in over 50 years.   It was given to him by a former neighbor.  He wanted it brought up to pitch.

I told the store manager, there's something wrong with this guy, a man with a masters in piano performance who gushes about how wonderful an old Mignonette upright is.   I wasn't sure I wanted to go out on that job.  

I went to the address, a small apartment building in a not great, but not real bad, part of the city.  Up a flight of narrow metal and cement steps.  Told the man I was happy to be his piano tuner, not piano mover.

His dog was all over me--fortunately I love dogs so that is always a joyous occassion for me.  He said she was a therapy dog.    Little by little he told me his story.  He almost died, several times.  He was in the hospital for two months, then a nursing home for another two months, then an adult care home for four months.  Now he has been in the apartment for two months, and got a dog, by prescription for depression.

I began to suspect what his illness was from things he said.  He told me he used to run a piano school for "a piano store of sorts" in San Francisco.  I asked him if he knew the Englander House in SF--affirmative.  The Englander House has frequent piano concerts and is owned by a gay couple, one of whom is the main performer.

Eventually he told me he almost died from HIV, which he has been struggling with for twenty five years.  Then again, he said he almost committed suicide after he moved into the apartment, and he played a piece for me that he had composed one night on that desperately out of tune piano.  He said it saved his life.

After I finished tuning, he went on to play the most wonderful music-Chopin, Prokovief, Brahms,  He's REALLY GOOD!  Later that day he came into the store when I was there and played for me on one of the Boesendorfers.  The store owner, who is also a classically trained pianist, lets him use the Bosie selection room whenever he wants.

I was in quite a state most of that day.  Such exquisite talent, so wasted.  I am SO fortunate to have been able to hear him play.  Thank God I tuned that old upright and brought it up over 100 cents!
Diane





Leslie Bartlett l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net
I got an email from some girl who actually as paid money for an upright
piano she says is about 125 years old..........   I don't know WHY she did
this, but I somehow expect that "it looked so quaint and like an antique".
She wishes me to actually attempt to tune the
thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  What have I done to deserve
this?   Anyhow, assuming (and I can't even find a comment for that) it is
tuneable, can it be brought up to 440, or would one at all costs keep the
pitch significantly lower.   I'm praying it will fall off a truck in the
move, but fear I might have to face it.  So, without making me pay too much
for this obvious reward of past sins, a bit of help, please?  I'm scared
already, and have been blessed not to see it to date...
les bartlett
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Diane Hofstetter