By Carl Radford, RPT
One of the best parts about my work is the connection I have with my customers. I have empathy for those who work in an office cubicle and have to deal with the same people day after day whether they get along with them or not. I feel lucky to have people that I work for, who are artistic, inspired, creative and interesting. I remember someone once saying that a lot of people who buy pianos are often doing it out of love for their children, because they want their children to learn to play piano and to succeed. I always tell people who ask me about what I do how lucky I am, because I get to work for people who own pianos, and piano owners are, for the most part, just good people.
Always a constant source of amusement, my customers and their pets and children, make my life continually interesting. For example there’s the customer with the Astroturf for caster cups. I can only assume they salvaged it from the patio. Cracks me up every time I see it.
Then there’s Magda, 99 years young, who takes a walk outdoors every day and plays piano like a virtuoso. She used to tour with a big band during the 40’s and plays a concert every year on her birthday, when all her children and grandchildren are also required to perform. She came to my shop once to pick out a rental.
And this is what I discovered once when I opened up the bottom of a spinet for another elderly lady, who was complaining that something that was causing a buzzing noise:
Who needs a safety deposit box, when you’ve got a Betsy Ross spinet? Checkbooks, stocks, jewelry, lockbox… No one will ever find it in there! I removed her jewelry that was wedged up against the soundboard and gave it to her and magically there were no more buzzing noises. I told her she was going to either have to get a safety deposit box or a bigger piano!
Then there’s the customer with all the knick-knacks on, around and below the piano. I have tuned for them for years and every time I did, the statue on the piano would buzz, so I would stick a rubber mute below it to keep it quiet. They also had some interesting glass knick-knacks under the piano...
Which I thought were interesting, but didn’t make too much out of until I went to the Dale Chihuly exhibit at the botanic gardens, where the glass sculptures were strewn amongst the flora and fauna. It suddenly dawned on me that these were Chihulys underneath the piano, and were probably worth who-knows how many thousands of dollars apiece. It was then that I decided to get liability insurance, and always ask my customers to remove any knick-knack that looked in any way breakable from the top of the piano themselves. Now when I go there to tune, I don’t put a mute under the statue on the piano anymore...
Square grands are always fun. This is the only one I tune, because it was rebuilt by a friend of mine rather nicely about fifteen years ago. It definitely has a unique sound all its own and so I tune it to a Victorian tuning, which suits it quite well. The customer also has a pipe organ in the same room and last Christmas he invited me to play piano/organ Christmas carols together.
Even though my back is usually sore the next day after tuning it...
The same customer also has a three-legged Irish Setter, who visits cancer patients in hospitals. He says that when patients who have lost a limb see how happy the dog is and how well he gets around on three legs, it helps them to realize that maybe they can adapt too.
Then there are all of the other fun and kooky pets...
And this is Sweetness...
I never usually much care for small dogs, but she is an exception, and she lives up to her name. She lives on the 39th floor on the Mag Mile and she has her personal assistant call me to schedule a tuning. When I get there she always comes over to say hello, licks my hand, and then watches me from a distance to make sure I do the job right.
Indeed, piano owners are good people, and every day I feel lucky and grateful to get to work for them.