How cool that this thread has gone from tense confrontation to some truly great insights and advice! Will and Michael, your comments are VERY helpful to me, so much so that I printed them out so I could remind myself of these things in the future. Thanks! -- Scott A. Helms, Registered Piano Technician www.helmsmusic.net > Very good post, Michael: > > > > I would add that most of those people on stage working at the same time as > you are professionals who want to do their job to the very best of their > abilities, just like you. And my mom said, you catch more flies with > honey > than vinegar. As soon as you get to the show, find out what the schedule > really is, not the one you were told a week before. That way you can at > least begin working with the devil you know. > > > > A measure of a sense of humor really helps too. Crack a few jokes now and > then, but don’t get carried away. That way, they at least won’t think you > are an asshole, and might actually cut you some slack if possible. > > > > Your bad attitude hurts only yourself. Nobody else up there gives a s__t. > > > > It is NOT your job to make the piano perfect. If that happens, great, we > always hope for that. The best concert technicians (I am not one of them) > can make split second decisions and are really good at the art of the > possible – what’s the most I can do in the setting I have been given? > > > > I learned everything Michael says in spades about 15 years ago at the > Mount > Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, when I was tuning for a > dinner for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Bretton Woods > Conference (Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill). It was July, the piano had > been > sitting on a dirt floor under a porch for 3 days, wasn’t even set up on > stage at my scheduled time. I can’t remember how sharp the piano was, but > it was North of the Arctic Circle, and was to be used with a chamber > orchestra. By the time, we got it set up, the stage crew was working and > 50 > waters were unfolding and setting up tables. I was in full-on pissed off > freak out mode. It was impossible. > > > > And that was the loveliest word of all, impossible. I realized that the > situation was impossible, and that all I could do was all I could do. I > then totally relaxed and calculated my strategy. I did some work, then > left > for 3 hours to go do another concert tuning, came back and tuned my brains > out in a much quieter setting (still very time constrained), and was just > finishing up as the patrons were walking in the door for dinner. > > > > I gave them a fat bill, and they paid it no questions asked. I felt like > I > had accomplished something in a difficult situation and given them real > value. So I was happy and they were happy. What’s not to like? > > > > Since then, when I do this work, I work at being relaxed and totally > focused > on the task at hand. You will give them your best work that way. It is > your job to manage the situation, and you start by managing yourself. > > > > Will Truitt > > > > From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On > Behalf > Of michael riffle\ > Sent: Sunday, June 28, 2009 1:03 PM > To: pianotech at ptg.org > Subject: Re: [pianotech] Simon and Garfunkel Piano > > > > I have some suggestions that may make your concert work a little easier. > > > > 1. When you are booked for the show find out when lunch dinner breaks are > scheduled. Usually the stage is dark or production is in penalty with the > union. I have never been refused access to tune during meal breaks. > > > > 2. Make contact with the local stage/production manager. Give them your > wish > list. It is probably too late to do anything about your time window the > day > of the show. > > > > 3. Don't "Diva Out" when things don't go as planned. GET OVER IT! Nobody > likes working with a sour puss. Some shows, do to unforeseeable events, > your > work will be more like a sporting event than craft. The more attitude you > give you will get back exponentially, and there are a lot more of them > than > you. Spend your energy doing the best you can within the parameters > provided > and take pride in what you were able to achieve. Being pissed off while > you > work and staying pissed off the rest of the day (or weeks!) later is a > negative sum game. Don't beat yourself up. > > > > 4. Take a look at the big picture. Everybody on that stage has a job to > complete before the down beat. On most shows the piano is not the most > important cog in the wheel (it just is to us). If it was they would be > carrying their own piano and tech. Sometimes you will have to stop and > start > back up. Be flexible. They maybe uncultured capitalist thugs, but the > stage/production manager usually not stupid and most likely knows what is > of > most importance to his show. > > > > 5. Be very clear with the promoter rep when you make your deal that you > are > on the clock (unless they buy you for the day) and the clock starts > ticking > at your call time. They are paying all the stage hands on the clock and > any > overtime they will pay you will be insignificant. Let them know up front. > Maybe email to confirm. > > > > 6. Get paid in cash. They usually have a lot around and it has great tax > advantages :) > > > > > > Michael Riffle > Piano Technician/Human Piñata > > Frazier Hall Room 93B > University of Northern Colorado > Greeley, CO 80639 > michael.riffle at unco.edu > office (970) 351-1132 > cell (970) 584-TUNE (8863) > > > > > >
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