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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I live in Florida. Lots of old folks live in =
Florida. Lots
of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Florida. I service =
quite a
few pianos in old folks homes. A rule that I will have absolutely no =
exceptions
to is that whatever room the piano is in, there will be no activities, =
nor
should I expect to have any of the residents wanting to be in the room =
(even
still, of course you get a few loonies coming in to hastle you). I also =
try to
be sure adjacent rooms within earshot are empty also. I'll tune those =
pianos at
6 AM or at midnight if I have to, to have the room empty.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>The first time I tuned a piano in one of these =
places I
had yet to develop this rule. What a nightmare "that guy doesn't play =
worth a
sh%$!". I've brought some old ladies to tears, they thought my tuning =
process
sounded so lovely (geez, get real!). I even had an old man drop his =
drawers
in front of me.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>My recommendation for the future: do your best =
to make
sure the room will be empty!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Quite a trip, isn't it?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV>
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style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=Tvak@aol.com href="mailto:Tvak@aol.com">Tvak@aol.com</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, October 13, 2003 =
10:03
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> nursing home blues =
(slightly
OT)</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT face=Geneva =
color=#000000
size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">Today I tuned a Wurly spinet in a =
nursing
home. I have never experienced such negativity anywhere in my =
brief (6
years) career as a tuner. There were about 10 patients of the =
nursing
home in the activity room where the piano was and as soon as I walked =
in and
introduced myself to the attendant, a chorus arose.<BR><BR>"He's not =
going to
PLAY the piano, is he?" to which the attendant would reply, "No, he's =
going to
tune it." Five minutes later, "What's he doing at the =
piano? Is he
playing it?" "No, he's tuning it." And as if there was a =
tape loop
set up in the room, five minutes later, someone else would ask, =
"What's he
doing at the piano? Is he playing it?" "Does he have to =
play the
piano?" "Why can't he stop?"<BR><BR>I tuned as quietly and =
quickly as I
could.<BR><BR>Then they started a game of BINGO. I'd =
respectfully pause
as each number was called, and then resume striking keys and tuning, =
but after
every number, someone would yell out "I can't hear because of that
piano!" One lady threw her BINGO board on the floor and refused =
to play
because I made it too difficult to hear.<BR><BR>These people in the =
twilight
of their lives had returned to a state of childhood, where their only =
concern
was themselves. <BR><BR>I always try to do the best job I can =
under any
circumstances, whether it be noisy kids, barking dogs, no light, =
whatever...it
doesn't faze me. Never before have I felt like I just wanted to =
get out
of there as quickly as I could. I didn't adjust the pitch, it =
was about
10 cents sharp. I tuned it where it was; as quietly, and quickly =
as
possible, and headed for the door. It probably wasn't a very =
stable
tuning: I didn't feel like I could really strike those hard blows =
without
garnering more animosity. They made me feel in no uncertaint =
terms that
I was intruding.<BR><BR>I know these people have problems much more =
severe
than my own. This is not a happy time in their lives. This =
post is
not meant as an indictment of their behavior. Rather it is =
about
my reaction to it.<BR><BR>This experience made me realize that I have =
gotten
used to people being happy to see me. I come on time, I provide =
a
service that improves their lives in a small way, I'm polite, and =
everyone
comes out ahead. Day after day. <BR><BR>I enjoy the =
general
pleasantry of my daily existence. Without this nursing home =
appointment
I don't think I would have been cognizant of that, having become =
accustomed to
it. <BR><BR>I went to my next appointment and met the most =
delightful
old retired fellow with a beautiful 1915 Steinway Louis XIV =
grand. I
think it was rosewood. <BR><BR>Tom Sivak</FONT><FONT =
face=Geneva
color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></FONT>
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