<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>Should read below ... "there is often = not as much time as you like..."</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>David Love</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV>From: "David Love" <<A href="mailto:davidlovepianos@earthlink.net">davidlovepianos@earthlink.net</A>></DIV> <DIV>To: <<A = href="mailto:cedel@supernet.com">cedel@supernet.com</A>>; "Pianotech" = <<A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>></DIV> <DIV>Sent: November 09, 2002 8:15 AM</DIV> <DIV>Subject: Re: Educating Managers</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>The difficult thing = about concert work is that your ass is on the line at every = performance.  While managers such as this sometimes don't allow you to do your work = effectively, you are the first one who will be blamed if something = isn't right with the piano.  It sort of goes with the territory. The conditions for working concerts are often not ideal, there is often = as much time as we would like, yet our best work is expected.  It can be frustrating.  And the irony is that we have done our work = best when we are not noticed.  Concert goers are not likely to remark = "what a nice stable tuning and voicing", but they will certainly remark if a = unison or two doesn't hold.  It can be a thankless task, but somebody's = got to do it. David Love ----- Original Message ----- From: = "Clyde Hollinger" <<A href="mailto:cedel@supernet.com">cedel@supernet.com</A>> To: "Kevin = E. Ramsey" <<A href="mailto:kevin.e.ramsey@cox.net">kevin.e.ramsey@cox.net</A>>; "Pianotech" <<A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>> Sent: = November 09, 2002 4:13 AM Subject: Re: Educating Managers Kevin and list, This story makes me glad I decided some years ago to leave = all concert tunings for someone else.  I never had that many anyway.  I'm just not interested in that kind of stress, = although such jobs may add excitement for those who need more of it. To = avoid getting too verbose here, I would say only that it appears to = me the piano technicians need to learn to speak a language that those in charge can understand.  What that language is is not something I'm = going to try to figure out, since I'm not involved. Regards, Clyde = Hollinger, RPT Lititz, PA, USA "Kevin E. Ramsey" wrote: >         I = don't know if the title of my email is an oxymoron or not, but > right now it = kind of feels that way. > >     Case in point; = Tonight I had the opportunity to tune a C7 for Burt > Bacharat (sic?) up at = some resort here in Scottsdale, AZ. During the sound > check some lady = was up on stage and she sounded kinda familiar, so I looked > up and = sure enough, it was Aretha Franklin her own self. Cool! > >     But I digress. The = appointment was made with Excell Corp.,  who handles > the rentals for = these kind of things. I've had the paperwork for this for > three days. It = was made clear to me that there was to be one tuning at four > = o'clock.  I know the person who handles the accounts and sets the > = appointments, and she doesn't screw up on these things. She gets this call > at 1:30 = saying how they have to have a tuner there immediately, and have the > = tuning finished by 2:30. I'm almost an hour drive away, so there's no = way > that's going to happen. Then they demand that the tuner stand by and touch > up the tuning at 5:30. >     I = get there at 2:15. I talk to the person who seems to be in charge of > = what's happening on the stage, and she says there is no way that she = can > give me the half hour I say I'll need, but I have to do a standby for three > hours  to do touch up on it. The piano has = been moved a couple of times in > the last week since it's been tuned, but I = checked it, and other than doing > a minor two or three cent mini-pitch = raise in the low tenor, I only had time > to correct two or three = notes that needed attention. Mind you, I would have > gladly done a full = two pass tuning, which is what I thought that I would > have time for. = While I'm doing this, they're testing their mikes etc. > >     Here's the real kicker, I = wait for two and one half hours, they light > the candles and pour the ice = water, so you know that people are coming in > momentarily, the sound = check is over, I go up to the stage and talk to this > person who seems = to be in charge,,,,,,,,,,  and she says that I have five > minutes = (Which is fine, because by that time I know I can only touch up > unisons). = They start playing background music through the monitors, and she > = says "You don't need the music turned off, do you?  YOU DO! Well, then never > mind, I guess you don't have to tune it. > >     So I asked her who the = production company in charge of the performance > was.... She said there = really wasn't a production company, she was Burt B's > MANAGER!!!!!!!!!!!        Now, this = lady manages a performer who is a > songwriter/Pianist, and she doesn't = have a clue as to what it takes for a > piano technician to do his/her = job.  "Oh, do you need the music to be off > while you're tuning????" > >     I'm really = considering typing up a paper on the real facts of life for > stage managers, production company people, and now, add to the list, > clueless = managers, and when I encounter people who don't have a clue, just > handing = them a copy.... > >     What I really want to = do, is print out a sheet of paper that says in big > block letters = :  I'M AN IDIOT! > Then give it to them and say   "Here's your sign". > >     I know, I soon would have = very few concert venues, but boy, I'd love to > do it just once. _______________________________________________ pianotech= list info: <A = href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives">https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives</A> = _______________________________________________ pianotech = list info: <A href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives">https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives</A> </BO= DY></HTML>