Notes from the Berkshires, Day 30
Lenox Coffee, 7.11 a.m.
For perhaps the first time since my first week here, it is an absolutely beautiful morning. Blue skies, cool but not cold, and just a bit of a breeze. I’d spend it outdoors if I could. Actually, today is a designated day off for all of the Fellows, with no rehearsals or activities scheduled. For the piano techs, however, that means total access to the pianos, so we’ll be working as usual. My plans include seeing to pianos in at least four different spaces, for issues from tuning to pedal squeak chasing.
Yesterday we went through Opening Exercises, a tradition here at Tanglewood since the school was started in the 1940s. A performance by a faculty string quintet of some Schubert, speaking by the Director of the Music Center, and a singing by the assembled Fellows of Randall Thompson’s Alleluia, composed for the first opening exercises at what was then the Berkshire Music School in 1940. I hadn’t sung the piece since high school, and it brought back memories of singing in the a Capella choir under Milt Anderson; my Mom was the accompanist.
Met a trio of the string bass Fellows outside the Ozawa courtyard yesterday afternoon, having a general playing/bull session and working through a movement of the Bottesini b minor. I stood by and listened for awhile before introducing myself and chatting for a bit. There will be a performance of the Schuller within the next few weeks, and I hope to observe one of the coaching sessions. Nice young folks, and very skilled – if I had started playing bass when they did, rather than the age they’re at now, I might have taken a different direction in my life. But as I’m so often telling V, that would also mean not having met her, and not being where I am now. So, no regrets. Seeing the bassists reminded me how cool we bass players are, as a general rule. Small fraternities of like-minded individuals tend to be that way, I suppose.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Dr.'s orders
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 29
Lenox Coffee, 7.08 a.m.
A near-ideal day off yesterday. After leaving the coffee shop, I read in the park across the street for awhile, then hit the grocery store on the way home. Dropped off the groceries, and headed to the state forest northwest of town for a hike up Berry Mtn. When I set out, it was still threatening rain, but by the time I finished 90 minutes later it had turned into a gorgeous day. I decided I needed to find a nice spot to sit, read, and perhaps have a bite and a beer, and SC had mentioned a place north of town that sounded like it would fit the bill nicely. After a bit of searching, both online and of the old-fashioned type, I located the Olde Forge Restaurant. Lots of nice beers on tap, a very acceptable burger, good service, and, most importantly, a lovely deck with tables shaded by umbrellas. I sat, ate, drank, and read off and on for the better part of two hours.
Just what the doctor ordered:
Today begins our last week with the current rotation of pianos; we’ll switch groups next Monday, and again for the final three weeks. It’s a good system, as it gives all of us time on all of the different pianos and in the different venues, but perhaps as importantly it allows three different sets of eyes and hands to evaluate the condition of each instrument as the summer goes on.
A heads-up from Paul at CSPT: a technician in the Twin Cities area is selling his business and client list for $39K. Could be a legit opportunity, but I can’t really see starting off a practice that far in debt from day one. I suppose you could realistically expect to erase the note within two or three years, but still – a sizable risk in this economic climate. Might be worth a conversation, though.
After the beautiful weather of yesterday afternoon, it’s seemingly back to normal, with cloudy skies, temps in the 60s, and a 50% chance of rain forecast for each day this week. Oh well, could be worse – could be 90 degree/90% humidity.
Lenox Coffee, 7.08 a.m.
A near-ideal day off yesterday. After leaving the coffee shop, I read in the park across the street for awhile, then hit the grocery store on the way home. Dropped off the groceries, and headed to the state forest northwest of town for a hike up Berry Mtn. When I set out, it was still threatening rain, but by the time I finished 90 minutes later it had turned into a gorgeous day. I decided I needed to find a nice spot to sit, read, and perhaps have a bite and a beer, and SC had mentioned a place north of town that sounded like it would fit the bill nicely. After a bit of searching, both online and of the old-fashioned type, I located the Olde Forge Restaurant. Lots of nice beers on tap, a very acceptable burger, good service, and, most importantly, a lovely deck with tables shaded by umbrellas. I sat, ate, drank, and read off and on for the better part of two hours.
Just what the doctor ordered:
Today begins our last week with the current rotation of pianos; we’ll switch groups next Monday, and again for the final three weeks. It’s a good system, as it gives all of us time on all of the different pianos and in the different venues, but perhaps as importantly it allows three different sets of eyes and hands to evaluate the condition of each instrument as the summer goes on.
A heads-up from Paul at CSPT: a technician in the Twin Cities area is selling his business and client list for $39K. Could be a legit opportunity, but I can’t really see starting off a practice that far in debt from day one. I suppose you could realistically expect to erase the note within two or three years, but still – a sizable risk in this economic climate. Might be worth a conversation, though.
After the beautiful weather of yesterday afternoon, it’s seemingly back to normal, with cloudy skies, temps in the 60s, and a 50% chance of rain forecast for each day this week. Oh well, could be worse – could be 90 degree/90% humidity.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Middle-ness
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 28
Lenox Coffee, 9.08 a.m.
A rare appearance at the coffee shop on a Sunday, motivated in part by considerations of privacy; roommate John’s wife is visiting the apartment for the weekend, and I wanted to make our limited space available to them for their morning ablutions. So, laundry as usual for a Sunday, and now to the mobile office. The weather appears to be holding at very-acceptable for now, but showers are forecast for the afternoon, surprise of surprises.
I’ve been feeling a struggle over the past few days, a feeling of fatigue, tension, and frustration, and it struck me as I was talking to V on the phone: I’m in the Middle of this particular undertaking. Fast approaching the middle of the Middle, as a matter of fact, the point where there’s no going back, yet the end really isn’t in sight. Every process has this point, and it’s always difficult. My solution, at least for now, is to endeavor to do as little about pianos and Tanglewood as possible, when possible. Yesterday afternoon and today, this is possible. It meant not going back to the grounds for the broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion last night, opting to listen on the radio at home for a portion of the show. A walk to the brewpub for a couple of pints, followed by reading at home and some pleasant conversation with John and his wife upon their return completed the evening. Today I’ll get outdoors for awhile, and I’m contemplating a trip to the ballpark this evening.
This Middle thing is tough. It’s not that I’m not enjoying my time and experience here – quite the opposite – but there is a feeling of being at-sea, in a number of ways. As a piano technician at Tanglewood, I’m awash in information, obligations, and schedules which need to be juggled. I’m also a long way from home, and the comforts that accompany being in one’s accustomed space. In a larger sense, I’m also in the middle of the process which will decide the immediate and extended future, and there are many things, professional and personal, that I’m considering along those lines. There are many possible paths open to me (and to myself and V as a couple), and allowing the future the time and space to present itself has a feeling of being in the middle, of being a bit out-of-control, at-sea. I think the best thing to do is to tackle the future one task at a time, and trust my intuition based on my years of experience in moving from one thing to the next; no small well on which to draw. And V will be here in four days to help!
Lenox Coffee, 9.08 a.m.
A rare appearance at the coffee shop on a Sunday, motivated in part by considerations of privacy; roommate John’s wife is visiting the apartment for the weekend, and I wanted to make our limited space available to them for their morning ablutions. So, laundry as usual for a Sunday, and now to the mobile office. The weather appears to be holding at very-acceptable for now, but showers are forecast for the afternoon, surprise of surprises.
I’ve been feeling a struggle over the past few days, a feeling of fatigue, tension, and frustration, and it struck me as I was talking to V on the phone: I’m in the Middle of this particular undertaking. Fast approaching the middle of the Middle, as a matter of fact, the point where there’s no going back, yet the end really isn’t in sight. Every process has this point, and it’s always difficult. My solution, at least for now, is to endeavor to do as little about pianos and Tanglewood as possible, when possible. Yesterday afternoon and today, this is possible. It meant not going back to the grounds for the broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion last night, opting to listen on the radio at home for a portion of the show. A walk to the brewpub for a couple of pints, followed by reading at home and some pleasant conversation with John and his wife upon their return completed the evening. Today I’ll get outdoors for awhile, and I’m contemplating a trip to the ballpark this evening.
This Middle thing is tough. It’s not that I’m not enjoying my time and experience here – quite the opposite – but there is a feeling of being at-sea, in a number of ways. As a piano technician at Tanglewood, I’m awash in information, obligations, and schedules which need to be juggled. I’m also a long way from home, and the comforts that accompany being in one’s accustomed space. In a larger sense, I’m also in the middle of the process which will decide the immediate and extended future, and there are many things, professional and personal, that I’m considering along those lines. There are many possible paths open to me (and to myself and V as a couple), and allowing the future the time and space to present itself has a feeling of being in the middle, of being a bit out-of-control, at-sea. I think the best thing to do is to tackle the future one task at a time, and trust my intuition based on my years of experience in moving from one thing to the next; no small well on which to draw. And V will be here in four days to help!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Diversions
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 27
Lenox Coffee, 7.10 a.m.
I’ve discovered the secret to the weather forecasting here: every day is partly cloudy with a 50% chance of thunderstorms. Reminds me a bit of Colorado in that sense, that the weather can turn on a dime in a very short period of time.
After a longish day yesterday which ended with a very frustrating tuning of a very sharp upright at Miss Hall’s School, the team gathered at Chez Carver for a glass of wine, snacks, and conversation ranging from pianos to philosophy. A welcome diversion, and three of us proceeded from there directly to the Emerson Quartet performance in Ozawa Hall. The group has been together for more than 30 years, and it is amazing to watch them work as a unit. The program wasn’t terribly intricate or high in degree of technical difficulty, but even so, the ensemble the four members are capable of is remarkable in its own right. Entrances, dynamic shadings, balance, articulation, all without flaw. And the sound in the auditorium is superb. To look at the inside, the first thought that comes to mind in terms of overall shape is “airplane hangar”, but the design is such that even an intimate ensemble such as a string quartet fills the place with sound. The rear wall opens to the lawn outside, which I believe sacrifices a small portion of the reflected sound, but at the same time lends a sense of openness to the vibe of the place; no mistake, I’m sure.
Walking back to the car on the other side of the grounds was beautiful in itself. The weather had cleared, except for some storm clouds over the mountains in the north, the moon was at about one-quarter over the horizon, and there was a shroud of wispy fog around everything. I called V as I was walking to share it with here, albeit at-a-distance.
This morning I’ll work in the soloist’s room at Ozawa, and on one of the B’s in the Carriage House before bagging it around noon. Tonight is the live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion from the Shed, featuring Steve Martin, Arlo Guthrie, and (oddly enough) Martin Sheen, who were all hanging about last evening doing a dress rehearsal. If the weather holds, I’ll probably go and sit on the lawn, but otherwise I’ll relax at home. A run is in the plans for the afternoon, and getting away from the grounds overall may be the most sane option, but I’ll see how I feel.
V arrives for a visit in less that a week – yippee!
Lenox Coffee, 7.10 a.m.
I’ve discovered the secret to the weather forecasting here: every day is partly cloudy with a 50% chance of thunderstorms. Reminds me a bit of Colorado in that sense, that the weather can turn on a dime in a very short period of time.
After a longish day yesterday which ended with a very frustrating tuning of a very sharp upright at Miss Hall’s School, the team gathered at Chez Carver for a glass of wine, snacks, and conversation ranging from pianos to philosophy. A welcome diversion, and three of us proceeded from there directly to the Emerson Quartet performance in Ozawa Hall. The group has been together for more than 30 years, and it is amazing to watch them work as a unit. The program wasn’t terribly intricate or high in degree of technical difficulty, but even so, the ensemble the four members are capable of is remarkable in its own right. Entrances, dynamic shadings, balance, articulation, all without flaw. And the sound in the auditorium is superb. To look at the inside, the first thought that comes to mind in terms of overall shape is “airplane hangar”, but the design is such that even an intimate ensemble such as a string quartet fills the place with sound. The rear wall opens to the lawn outside, which I believe sacrifices a small portion of the reflected sound, but at the same time lends a sense of openness to the vibe of the place; no mistake, I’m sure.
Walking back to the car on the other side of the grounds was beautiful in itself. The weather had cleared, except for some storm clouds over the mountains in the north, the moon was at about one-quarter over the horizon, and there was a shroud of wispy fog around everything. I called V as I was walking to share it with here, albeit at-a-distance.
This morning I’ll work in the soloist’s room at Ozawa, and on one of the B’s in the Carriage House before bagging it around noon. Tonight is the live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion from the Shed, featuring Steve Martin, Arlo Guthrie, and (oddly enough) Martin Sheen, who were all hanging about last evening doing a dress rehearsal. If the weather holds, I’ll probably go and sit on the lawn, but otherwise I’ll relax at home. A run is in the plans for the afternoon, and getting away from the grounds overall may be the most sane option, but I’ll see how I feel.
V arrives for a visit in less that a week – yippee!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Superglue and Heet (and heat)
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 26
Lenox Coffee, 7.12 a.m.
Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, both icons of my growing-up in the 70s, flew away yesterday. One more-or-less expected, the other, well, also expected, but not quite so soon and perhaps not in this manner. I always thought MJ would go out in a blaze, in a very public way somehow. No matter what one thinks of their work, both have left us too early in life. As Harlan Ellison wrote in the introduction to Slippage, which I’m currently re-reading: Pay attention.
Yesterday was the first “real” day of summer, in that it was warm, the sun was shining, and I would have preferred to be outdoors rather than in, for the most part. My evening run was a genuine sweat-fest for the first time this season.
Work was very up and down, with some satisfactory events and some problems to be solved. I spent a lot of time with dampers and the back-action, which is good for me, as I consider it my weakest skill area. Also broke another hammer shank, which is always frustrating. There is a real contrast between some of the highly designed tools we often use in our work and some of the home-spun remedies we sometimes employ. The hammer shank repair: superglue. A problem with sluggish underlevers: methanol, literally antifreeze from the local Auto Zone. Sprayed liberally directly onto the underlevers of Steinways of a certain age, it first actually freezes the underlevers, and then sizes the bushings and frees the action as the alcohol flashes off. Bizarre, but it works. Or at least it worked for Scott, our supervising tech from the first two weeks. I’ll find out this morning if it works for me or not. All in all, it’s great when problems crop up here, because we are in the middle of this incredible laboratory for the summer, where we are free to experiment to our hearts’ content – as long as the pianos work when they’re supposed to.
This coffee shop is often invaded by loud-talkers, it seems. Perhaps I’m becoming more sensitive as the buzz of finding internet access slowly wears off, but I think my time here will be limited. There is another potential Wi-Fi source on the horizon that I learned about yesterday that may prove more convenient and less expensive.
Tonight I plan to attend my first Tanglewood concert: the Emerson String Quartet performing works by Ives, Barber, and Dvorak. If the weather holds, it promises to be an excellent show.
Lenox Coffee, 7.12 a.m.
Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, both icons of my growing-up in the 70s, flew away yesterday. One more-or-less expected, the other, well, also expected, but not quite so soon and perhaps not in this manner. I always thought MJ would go out in a blaze, in a very public way somehow. No matter what one thinks of their work, both have left us too early in life. As Harlan Ellison wrote in the introduction to Slippage, which I’m currently re-reading: Pay attention.
Yesterday was the first “real” day of summer, in that it was warm, the sun was shining, and I would have preferred to be outdoors rather than in, for the most part. My evening run was a genuine sweat-fest for the first time this season.
Work was very up and down, with some satisfactory events and some problems to be solved. I spent a lot of time with dampers and the back-action, which is good for me, as I consider it my weakest skill area. Also broke another hammer shank, which is always frustrating. There is a real contrast between some of the highly designed tools we often use in our work and some of the home-spun remedies we sometimes employ. The hammer shank repair: superglue. A problem with sluggish underlevers: methanol, literally antifreeze from the local Auto Zone. Sprayed liberally directly onto the underlevers of Steinways of a certain age, it first actually freezes the underlevers, and then sizes the bushings and frees the action as the alcohol flashes off. Bizarre, but it works. Or at least it worked for Scott, our supervising tech from the first two weeks. I’ll find out this morning if it works for me or not. All in all, it’s great when problems crop up here, because we are in the middle of this incredible laboratory for the summer, where we are free to experiment to our hearts’ content – as long as the pianos work when they’re supposed to.
This coffee shop is often invaded by loud-talkers, it seems. Perhaps I’m becoming more sensitive as the buzz of finding internet access slowly wears off, but I think my time here will be limited. There is another potential Wi-Fi source on the horizon that I learned about yesterday that may prove more convenient and less expensive.
Tonight I plan to attend my first Tanglewood concert: the Emerson String Quartet performing works by Ives, Barber, and Dvorak. If the weather holds, it promises to be an excellent show.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wouldacouldashoulda
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 25
Lenox Coffee, 7.08 a.m.
I actually beat the barista to work today. This is #2, who seems not to understand the concept of having the shop up and running at the appointed time; open at 7 means showing up at 7, evidently. #1 barista seems to get it, though – the days he opens, the place is humming already by the time I show up on the doorstep. What this place needs is another good coffee shop just down the street. It would be viable during the summer months, no doubt, but over the non-tourist season, not so much I’m afraid.
The work was interesting yesterday, beginning in the main room at Manor House with tuning and regulating work, and continuing in the conductor’s room at the Shed, where I discovered an interesting problem, or rather, Steve helped me to discover it after I called him for help. I was on the right track in my thinking, but hadn’t the experience to look at one other possible source of the trouble. This is a theme of the summer, to be sure: gaining diagnostic experience at a rate far surpassing anything possible outside of perhaps working at a dealership, and probably not even there. Doubleplus valuable. Continued in the theatre in the afternoon, after a session with the team on a problem with the damper setup in the Hamburg D at Ozawa Hall.
Took advantage of an opportunity for dining last night that I hope will remain viable for the remainder of the summer. With bills due and the next installment of the stipend a couple of weeks off, I’m glad to save any shekels I can. Returned to the apartment, read for awhile, talked to V, and crashed shortly after. I’m feeling the need to get started on some business-work in the evenings, but the energy is hard to come by after our longish days. I also should be taking advantage of having the Stick with me and try to get into a practice routine of sorts. “Should” – what a dangerous word. What it really boils down to is that I need to be bringing in an income almost immediately upon my return to Illinois, and any preparatory work that can be done while I’m here must be done.
#2 is now loudly eating his breakfast at an available table in the café; very near an unfortunate patron who is braving the noisy onslaught heroically. Me, I’m outta here.
Lenox Coffee, 7.08 a.m.
I actually beat the barista to work today. This is #2, who seems not to understand the concept of having the shop up and running at the appointed time; open at 7 means showing up at 7, evidently. #1 barista seems to get it, though – the days he opens, the place is humming already by the time I show up on the doorstep. What this place needs is another good coffee shop just down the street. It would be viable during the summer months, no doubt, but over the non-tourist season, not so much I’m afraid.
The work was interesting yesterday, beginning in the main room at Manor House with tuning and regulating work, and continuing in the conductor’s room at the Shed, where I discovered an interesting problem, or rather, Steve helped me to discover it after I called him for help. I was on the right track in my thinking, but hadn’t the experience to look at one other possible source of the trouble. This is a theme of the summer, to be sure: gaining diagnostic experience at a rate far surpassing anything possible outside of perhaps working at a dealership, and probably not even there. Doubleplus valuable. Continued in the theatre in the afternoon, after a session with the team on a problem with the damper setup in the Hamburg D at Ozawa Hall.
Took advantage of an opportunity for dining last night that I hope will remain viable for the remainder of the summer. With bills due and the next installment of the stipend a couple of weeks off, I’m glad to save any shekels I can. Returned to the apartment, read for awhile, talked to V, and crashed shortly after. I’m feeling the need to get started on some business-work in the evenings, but the energy is hard to come by after our longish days. I also should be taking advantage of having the Stick with me and try to get into a practice routine of sorts. “Should” – what a dangerous word. What it really boils down to is that I need to be bringing in an income almost immediately upon my return to Illinois, and any preparatory work that can be done while I’m here must be done.
#2 is now loudly eating his breakfast at an available table in the café; very near an unfortunate patron who is braving the noisy onslaught heroically. Me, I’m outta here.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Up and down
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 24
Lenox Coffee, 7.11 a.m.
The weather still stubbornly refuses to fully enter summer mode, although yesterday when the sun was shining there were moments when I actually wished I had worn shorts; first time for that sensation since I arrived. Today is overcast again.
It appears as if I’m stuck getting my Wi-Fi fix here at the coffee shop; the signal at the Copland Library is so weak as to be useless. Perhaps there’s a place one can stand in the building and access a signal strong enough to establish a working connection, but I haven’t found it yet. So, I can either look at this as paying $3/day for internet access with a cup of good coffee as a perk, or getting my coffee snob taken care of and getting free Wi-Fi in the bargain. Whichever.
Had an up and down day yesterday – started off with an excellent session with Steve; tons of information and some good encouragement and feedback on my tuning. The answer to almost any question about technique could legitimately be “time and experience”, but there are some very helpful tips to be offered as well. Steve holds a good balance between those two approaches. Of course, then I went out to work on a piano and ran into a problem that stumped me, and a tuning I wasn’t happy with. Time. Experience. Repeat as necessary, apply to infected area.
My next few days will be spent in large part on making sure the pianos for which I’m responsible are squared away and in excellent shape by next Thursday, when V arrives, so I can comfortably take a few hours off to spend with her. First order of business is the Theatre, where there are potential friction problems galore, and there have been unconfirmed reports of dissatisfaction with the pianos. My questioning yesterday uncovered nothing specific, but I’ll see when I get there this afternoon. The other piano I want to really nail is the one in the conductor’s room in the Shed, which will eventually be used by James Levine, but in the next week or so could see use by the pianist from A Prairie Home Companion – I forget his name – and Diana Krall. It’s the B I was struggling with yesterday afternoon, so a question or two for SC are in order.
Lenox Coffee, 7.11 a.m.
The weather still stubbornly refuses to fully enter summer mode, although yesterday when the sun was shining there were moments when I actually wished I had worn shorts; first time for that sensation since I arrived. Today is overcast again.
It appears as if I’m stuck getting my Wi-Fi fix here at the coffee shop; the signal at the Copland Library is so weak as to be useless. Perhaps there’s a place one can stand in the building and access a signal strong enough to establish a working connection, but I haven’t found it yet. So, I can either look at this as paying $3/day for internet access with a cup of good coffee as a perk, or getting my coffee snob taken care of and getting free Wi-Fi in the bargain. Whichever.
Had an up and down day yesterday – started off with an excellent session with Steve; tons of information and some good encouragement and feedback on my tuning. The answer to almost any question about technique could legitimately be “time and experience”, but there are some very helpful tips to be offered as well. Steve holds a good balance between those two approaches. Of course, then I went out to work on a piano and ran into a problem that stumped me, and a tuning I wasn’t happy with. Time. Experience. Repeat as necessary, apply to infected area.
My next few days will be spent in large part on making sure the pianos for which I’m responsible are squared away and in excellent shape by next Thursday, when V arrives, so I can comfortably take a few hours off to spend with her. First order of business is the Theatre, where there are potential friction problems galore, and there have been unconfirmed reports of dissatisfaction with the pianos. My questioning yesterday uncovered nothing specific, but I’ll see when I get there this afternoon. The other piano I want to really nail is the one in the conductor’s room in the Shed, which will eventually be used by James Levine, but in the next week or so could see use by the pianist from A Prairie Home Companion – I forget his name – and Diana Krall. It’s the B I was struggling with yesterday afternoon, so a question or two for SC are in order.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Feedback and a new piano
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 23
Lenox Coffee 7.26 a.m.
Three tunings yesterday, and some minor work otherwise. I was dragging a bit from my travels on Sunday, and headed home for a relaxing evening and an early crash. Today I feel much refreshed, and ready to hit it. I start off the day with some 1-on-1 time with SC, evaluating one of my tunings from yesterday, and then working on voicing. I’m excited to get feedback on the tuning and for any information on voicing, which is a subject that fascinates me and a skill I want to develop. Otherwise the day will be spent in the Shed, working on the conductor’s room piano, which is a nice B that I haven’t had my hands on much to this point. The weather looks to be improving, perhaps even some sun to be seen, and warmer temperatures ahead.
Lenox Coffee 7.26 a.m.
Three tunings yesterday, and some minor work otherwise. I was dragging a bit from my travels on Sunday, and headed home for a relaxing evening and an early crash. Today I feel much refreshed, and ready to hit it. I start off the day with some 1-on-1 time with SC, evaluating one of my tunings from yesterday, and then working on voicing. I’m excited to get feedback on the tuning and for any information on voicing, which is a subject that fascinates me and a skill I want to develop. Otherwise the day will be spent in the Shed, working on the conductor’s room piano, which is a nice B that I haven’t had my hands on much to this point. The weather looks to be improving, perhaps even some sun to be seen, and warmer temperatures ahead.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Full contact begins...
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 22
Lenox Coffee, 7.10 a.m.
Had an excellent day off yesterday in the Amherst/NoHo area. Re-connected with Doug MacMillan over coffee, dinner, and the CGT show at the Iron Horse. Also saw an old musical boss of mine, Emery Smith, who is still playing weekends at the same club at which I worked with him back in the late 80s. I sort of snuck in and surprised him at the bar while he was eating his dinner. He remembered me, and had very nice things tom say about our short time working together. Very cool; I had promise to return once more before I leave MA in August.
The CGT sounded excellent, as always. Managed to catch the guys before and after the show for just a bit of chat. They are playing a number of new pieces from an upcoming CD, and I thought they were very strong. They also played their arrangement of the Beethoven “Moonlight” sonata, which I had only heard them do on recordings up to now. It’s amazing to me that they still have the passion for touring and performing in front of club crowds after 18 years of the grind, but they seem to still have the fire. More power to them – I hope they continue as long as they’re able and willing.
Today is the first full-schedule day on the grounds. Rehearsal slates are full, and we’re required to work around the performing fellows for our time on the pianos. I have today and tomorrow fairly well planned, but still need to arrange times for the rest of the week. There are also a couple of more educational sessions planned for the next 24: Steve will evaluate one of my tunings, and he will also spend a couple hours with me on one of the B’s working on voicing. First concerts are this week as well, with the Emerson Quartet on Friday and the Juilliard Quartet on Sunday. I love string quartet music, so that will be a real treat for me.
The weather continues to be overcast and cool, but warmth is finally in the forecast. V says 90s are in store in the Chicago area this week, which means they’re on the way here as well. Also need to give a nod to the summer solstice, just passed; usually a melancholy day for me – days start to get shorter, which means winter is coming – but this year seems different. I think there’s more of a sense of optimism about me right now, and also passing the solstice brings me closer to a return home to the divine Ms. V.
Lenox Coffee, 7.10 a.m.
Had an excellent day off yesterday in the Amherst/NoHo area. Re-connected with Doug MacMillan over coffee, dinner, and the CGT show at the Iron Horse. Also saw an old musical boss of mine, Emery Smith, who is still playing weekends at the same club at which I worked with him back in the late 80s. I sort of snuck in and surprised him at the bar while he was eating his dinner. He remembered me, and had very nice things tom say about our short time working together. Very cool; I had promise to return once more before I leave MA in August.
The CGT sounded excellent, as always. Managed to catch the guys before and after the show for just a bit of chat. They are playing a number of new pieces from an upcoming CD, and I thought they were very strong. They also played their arrangement of the Beethoven “Moonlight” sonata, which I had only heard them do on recordings up to now. It’s amazing to me that they still have the passion for touring and performing in front of club crowds after 18 years of the grind, but they seem to still have the fire. More power to them – I hope they continue as long as they’re able and willing.
Today is the first full-schedule day on the grounds. Rehearsal slates are full, and we’re required to work around the performing fellows for our time on the pianos. I have today and tomorrow fairly well planned, but still need to arrange times for the rest of the week. There are also a couple of more educational sessions planned for the next 24: Steve will evaluate one of my tunings, and he will also spend a couple hours with me on one of the B’s working on voicing. First concerts are this week as well, with the Emerson Quartet on Friday and the Juilliard Quartet on Sunday. I love string quartet music, so that will be a real treat for me.
The weather continues to be overcast and cool, but warmth is finally in the forecast. V says 90s are in store in the Chicago area this week, which means they’re on the way here as well. Also need to give a nod to the summer solstice, just passed; usually a melancholy day for me – days start to get shorter, which means winter is coming – but this year seems different. I think there’s more of a sense of optimism about me right now, and also passing the solstice brings me closer to a return home to the divine Ms. V.
Old haunts
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 21
Amherst Coffee, 1.32 p.m.
I’m spending my day off tooling through some old stomping grounds, including South Deerfield, Northampton, and Amherst, where I lived around and about during my time in grad school at UMass from 1986-89. Twenty years ago does NOT seem possible, let alone plausible. I’m hanging and waiting for my old friend Doug to arrive at a very cozy coffee shop in a building that was a cinema when I was here in the 80’s. Excellent Americano.
The drive in was uneventful, mostly overcast but still quite beautiful. I stopped in S. Deerfield for a couple of views:
The last place I lived while in the area, above Lou’s TV. Still there, incredibly. My place was second floor on the right. I don’t remember it looking this seedy, somehow.
The view looking south from Mt. Sugarloaf - just a few blocks away from the apartment above the TV store - towards Amherst, and the Connecticut River; the UMass campus buildings are barely visible in the distance.
Amherst Coffee, 1.32 p.m.
I’m spending my day off tooling through some old stomping grounds, including South Deerfield, Northampton, and Amherst, where I lived around and about during my time in grad school at UMass from 1986-89. Twenty years ago does NOT seem possible, let alone plausible. I’m hanging and waiting for my old friend Doug to arrive at a very cozy coffee shop in a building that was a cinema when I was here in the 80’s. Excellent Americano.
The drive in was uneventful, mostly overcast but still quite beautiful. I stopped in S. Deerfield for a couple of views:
The last place I lived while in the area, above Lou’s TV. Still there, incredibly. My place was second floor on the right. I don’t remember it looking this seedy, somehow.
The view looking south from Mt. Sugarloaf - just a few blocks away from the apartment above the TV store - towards Amherst, and the Connecticut River; the UMass campus buildings are barely visible in the distance.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
25%
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 20
Lenox coffee, 7.11 a.m.
Today is set to be a half day, with tomorrow off, and I’m definitely ready for some time away from pianos. Yesterday at 5.30 I was finishing up the top octave of unisons on the new L in the main Manor house room, after already having gone through a pitch-raise, and I just hit the wall. Ears simply wouldn’t hear anymore. I’m beginning to see that endurance is a big part of the Tanglewood piano technician experience.
We received our schedule ‘bibles’ yesterday. These are books which contain every scheduled rehearsal and concert for the next four weeks, broken down by discipline (vocal, instrumental, composition, conducting) and room. We use this to schedule our time on the pianos, making sure that anything which is really critical (a coaching on a piano trio with Emmanuel Ax, for example, one of my assignments for the coming week) is in really top-notch shape. It gives a very clear picture of the kind of plate-spinning we’re each going to be attempting over the next weeks.
This morning I have a couple of repair/regulation/voicing issues on pianos in Manor house to address, followed by spot-checks on the pianos in the Rehearsal stage. We’re meeting as a group to wrap up the week at noon, and then it is time for a break. At some point today I pass the one-fourth point of my time here at Tanglewood. Amazing.
Lenox coffee, 7.11 a.m.
Today is set to be a half day, with tomorrow off, and I’m definitely ready for some time away from pianos. Yesterday at 5.30 I was finishing up the top octave of unisons on the new L in the main Manor house room, after already having gone through a pitch-raise, and I just hit the wall. Ears simply wouldn’t hear anymore. I’m beginning to see that endurance is a big part of the Tanglewood piano technician experience.
We received our schedule ‘bibles’ yesterday. These are books which contain every scheduled rehearsal and concert for the next four weeks, broken down by discipline (vocal, instrumental, composition, conducting) and room. We use this to schedule our time on the pianos, making sure that anything which is really critical (a coaching on a piano trio with Emmanuel Ax, for example, one of my assignments for the coming week) is in really top-notch shape. It gives a very clear picture of the kind of plate-spinning we’re each going to be attempting over the next weeks.
This morning I have a couple of repair/regulation/voicing issues on pianos in Manor house to address, followed by spot-checks on the pianos in the Rehearsal stage. We’re meeting as a group to wrap up the week at noon, and then it is time for a break. At some point today I pass the one-fourth point of my time here at Tanglewood. Amazing.
Friday, June 19, 2009
From K-land to B-land
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 19
Lenox coffee, 7.19 a.m.
After a couple of mornings of waking up feeling as sleepy as when I went to bed, this morning I feel somewhat refreshed. It’s not the weather, which is still overcast, perhaps I’m just getting used to the schedule. We’re at it by 8.00 now, as opposed to the more laid-back pace of starting at 9.00 for the first two weeks.
I put in a lot of time on two uprights yesterday, both Steinway K’s; these are expensive pianos for uprights, retailing for over 20K, but these particular instruments both had significant issues. At any rate, my reward to myself for spending the time on them yesterday is to go to the other end of the spectrum today and concentrate on a couple of my B’s. Steve has charged each of us to choose one of our pianos and “take it as far as you can” in terms of regulation and voicing. It will mean some extra time, but what a great challenge and with such excellent instruments on which to experiment. I also need to check on the problematic L in the Manor house, and I should finally have a piano to work on in the main room in that building, as the floor is finally finished and the mover told me yesterday the piano would be on its feet today.
One of the challenges for me already is keeping on top of my schedule – which pianos need attention and when the room is available. I have all these spiffy organizational tools at my disposal, but actually developing the habit of using them is the key.
Lenox coffee, 7.19 a.m.
After a couple of mornings of waking up feeling as sleepy as when I went to bed, this morning I feel somewhat refreshed. It’s not the weather, which is still overcast, perhaps I’m just getting used to the schedule. We’re at it by 8.00 now, as opposed to the more laid-back pace of starting at 9.00 for the first two weeks.
I put in a lot of time on two uprights yesterday, both Steinway K’s; these are expensive pianos for uprights, retailing for over 20K, but these particular instruments both had significant issues. At any rate, my reward to myself for spending the time on them yesterday is to go to the other end of the spectrum today and concentrate on a couple of my B’s. Steve has charged each of us to choose one of our pianos and “take it as far as you can” in terms of regulation and voicing. It will mean some extra time, but what a great challenge and with such excellent instruments on which to experiment. I also need to check on the problematic L in the Manor house, and I should finally have a piano to work on in the main room in that building, as the floor is finally finished and the mover told me yesterday the piano would be on its feet today.
One of the challenges for me already is keeping on top of my schedule – which pianos need attention and when the room is available. I have all these spiffy organizational tools at my disposal, but actually developing the habit of using them is the key.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Are you there, Aaron? It's me, David...
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 18
Lenox coffee, 7.10 a.m.
Discovered on the Tanglewood grounds:
These three stones - including an epitaph and the first notes of "Fanfare for the Common Man" - are in a circular area at the end of a grape arbor adjacent to the formal gardens at Tanglewood. At least some of Copland’s ashes were scattered here. I have to pass by each time I go to my pianos in the rehearsal stage building, and I enjoy pausing for a moment, just to see if Aaron speaks to me.
According to the weather forecast, we’re at the beginning of about a ten-day stretch of clouds and rain. So far, right on the money. Not so bad when one is indoors working, but getting from one venue to another on days like today can be a sloggy mess. There are gravel/dirt paths which turn to mud, large expanses of lawn which act as sponges and provide about the same footing, and that’s about it for walking options around the grounds. The umbrella will get a workout today.
Yesterday I started off in Manor House, with a pair of L’s. One was in decent shape, but the other is exhibiting serious friction issues. Narrowed down the problem to the hammer flanges, and performed a couple of procedures to lessen the problem, but the real solution is a complete overhaul of the flange centers, which is at least a two-hour job. Moved on from there to an appointment at a faculty house for some damper work and a tuning. Dampers are still a major mystery for me; more often than not, if I have a positive effect on a problem it’s totally by chance. Luck was with me yesterday. Ended with easing the key bushings on the B in Carriage House #1, and since I had more or less worked through the day without a break, I knocked off at 4.30 and headed out for a run. Shower, dinner, bookkeeping, reading, and an early crash followed.
I begin today with my first “deadline” work: a piano was put on its feet in the orchestra pit in the theatre late yesterday, and requires basic setup and tuning before the first rehearsal at 10.00 a.m. From there it’s on to a tuning in the shed practice rooms, and back to the Carriage House for more work on the B. Probably should check on the pianos in the Rehearsal Stage as well, for possible water issues.
Lenox coffee, 12.34 p.m.
My morning computing was interrupted by Steve, who joined me at table for a short time before we both headed to the grounds. No matter – any excuse to come back for a second cup on a day like today is welcome. So far the morning has been as planned; the piano in the theatre cooperated, and I’m in the middle of wrestling with a K in the shed which needed extensive regulation before I could attempt a tuning. It has rained nonstop all morning, and my shoes are permanently damp. All part of the glamorous life as a piano technician at Tanglewood!
Lenox coffee, 7.10 a.m.
Discovered on the Tanglewood grounds:
These three stones - including an epitaph and the first notes of "Fanfare for the Common Man" - are in a circular area at the end of a grape arbor adjacent to the formal gardens at Tanglewood. At least some of Copland’s ashes were scattered here. I have to pass by each time I go to my pianos in the rehearsal stage building, and I enjoy pausing for a moment, just to see if Aaron speaks to me.
According to the weather forecast, we’re at the beginning of about a ten-day stretch of clouds and rain. So far, right on the money. Not so bad when one is indoors working, but getting from one venue to another on days like today can be a sloggy mess. There are gravel/dirt paths which turn to mud, large expanses of lawn which act as sponges and provide about the same footing, and that’s about it for walking options around the grounds. The umbrella will get a workout today.
Yesterday I started off in Manor House, with a pair of L’s. One was in decent shape, but the other is exhibiting serious friction issues. Narrowed down the problem to the hammer flanges, and performed a couple of procedures to lessen the problem, but the real solution is a complete overhaul of the flange centers, which is at least a two-hour job. Moved on from there to an appointment at a faculty house for some damper work and a tuning. Dampers are still a major mystery for me; more often than not, if I have a positive effect on a problem it’s totally by chance. Luck was with me yesterday. Ended with easing the key bushings on the B in Carriage House #1, and since I had more or less worked through the day without a break, I knocked off at 4.30 and headed out for a run. Shower, dinner, bookkeeping, reading, and an early crash followed.
I begin today with my first “deadline” work: a piano was put on its feet in the orchestra pit in the theatre late yesterday, and requires basic setup and tuning before the first rehearsal at 10.00 a.m. From there it’s on to a tuning in the shed practice rooms, and back to the Carriage House for more work on the B. Probably should check on the pianos in the Rehearsal Stage as well, for possible water issues.
Lenox coffee, 12.34 p.m.
My morning computing was interrupted by Steve, who joined me at table for a short time before we both headed to the grounds. No matter – any excuse to come back for a second cup on a day like today is welcome. So far the morning has been as planned; the piano in the theatre cooperated, and I’m in the middle of wrestling with a K in the shed which needed extensive regulation before I could attempt a tuning. It has rained nonstop all morning, and my shoes are permanently damp. All part of the glamorous life as a piano technician at Tanglewood!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The shape of things to come
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 17
Lenox coffee, 7.13 a.m.
The next three weeks are starting to take a definite shape. After a cursory look around the 15 or so pianos at Miss Hall’s School and tuning one of them apiece, Steve, John, and I headed back to the grounds where we all went our separate ways, tending to our own group of pianos. My list, until we rotate in three weeks, includes six Steinway grands (three B’s, two L’s, and one M), four Boston grands ranging in size from roughly 5’ 4” to 6’ 4”, and one Steinway K upright. Scheduling is the difficulty; two of my pianos aren’t even on their feet yet, but will be set up literally hours before they’re first needed for a rehearsal, and three of my grands are in locations where rehearsals are already in full swing. Yesterday I managed to get things stabilized in the rooms that were available, and made plans for this morning to hit some of the busier pianos for maintenance. I also have another faculty home appointment. This is where a faculty member is provided with a piano in their residence for the summer, and we’re responsible for the tuning and maintenance. Today’s job is to set up and tune a Boston grand in the home of one of the cellists on the faculty, the wife of whom is a fine pianist and accompanies him regularly. Many of the faculty pianos see limited use, but this one will likely be fairly active. So – we’re each on our own in this same way, checking in with Steve and each other as necessary, and otherwise acting independently.
At one point during the day I sat out on the courtyard near the piano tech office, and felt hot summer sun for the first time this year. I’m sure there will come a point when I avoid it, but at the moment it felt very welcome.
Plans are firming up for this Sunday’s jaunt to Amherst and Northampton. Possible coffee with an old teacher, meeting up with a guitar playing buddy from grad school days, a trip to see a pianist with whom I played back then (over 20 years ago!) at the very same club no less, and then capping the evening off by hearing the California Guitar Trio at the Iron Horse Music Hall, an excellent venue still up and running after all these years.
In the Very Cool category: yesterday, for the first time, I was able to listen while one of the Tanglewood participants (not sure if it was faculty or Fellow) played a piano on which I had spent considerable time. No cries of “Who tuned this?!?” to be heard. This is good.
Lenox coffee, 7.13 a.m.
The next three weeks are starting to take a definite shape. After a cursory look around the 15 or so pianos at Miss Hall’s School and tuning one of them apiece, Steve, John, and I headed back to the grounds where we all went our separate ways, tending to our own group of pianos. My list, until we rotate in three weeks, includes six Steinway grands (three B’s, two L’s, and one M), four Boston grands ranging in size from roughly 5’ 4” to 6’ 4”, and one Steinway K upright. Scheduling is the difficulty; two of my pianos aren’t even on their feet yet, but will be set up literally hours before they’re first needed for a rehearsal, and three of my grands are in locations where rehearsals are already in full swing. Yesterday I managed to get things stabilized in the rooms that were available, and made plans for this morning to hit some of the busier pianos for maintenance. I also have another faculty home appointment. This is where a faculty member is provided with a piano in their residence for the summer, and we’re responsible for the tuning and maintenance. Today’s job is to set up and tune a Boston grand in the home of one of the cellists on the faculty, the wife of whom is a fine pianist and accompanies him regularly. Many of the faculty pianos see limited use, but this one will likely be fairly active. So – we’re each on our own in this same way, checking in with Steve and each other as necessary, and otherwise acting independently.
At one point during the day I sat out on the courtyard near the piano tech office, and felt hot summer sun for the first time this year. I’m sure there will come a point when I avoid it, but at the moment it felt very welcome.
Plans are firming up for this Sunday’s jaunt to Amherst and Northampton. Possible coffee with an old teacher, meeting up with a guitar playing buddy from grad school days, a trip to see a pianist with whom I played back then (over 20 years ago!) at the very same club no less, and then capping the evening off by hearing the California Guitar Trio at the Iron Horse Music Hall, an excellent venue still up and running after all these years.
In the Very Cool category: yesterday, for the first time, I was able to listen while one of the Tanglewood participants (not sure if it was faculty or Fellow) played a piano on which I had spent considerable time. No cries of “Who tuned this?!?” to be heard. This is good.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Storms and adjustments
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 16
Lenox coffee, 7.15 a.m.
The vibe around the grounds has definitely changed – there are rehearsals in progress in buildings that have been unoccupied for the past two weeks. We divided up the pianos on the grounds yesterday, giving us each around 11 or 12 we’re each responsible for on a regular basis, in terms of tuning and maintaining in good playing condition. Our challenge is working around the schedule in each room to arrange time on the instruments. So far, not a huge task, but beginning next week some rooms will be quite busy. I already ran into a bit of this, as one of my assigned areas is the theatre stage, where work is already underway building the set for the opera. I worked around them for awhile, and then began tuning. No problem for the theatre folk, but about halfway through my process a group of people came in for a meeting on the stage, and I of course had to stop. I had other work elsewhere to accomplish, so I moved on to quieter pastures. I’m finding the voice recorder app on the iPhone to be very helpful already; I make some verbal notes on each piano I come in contact with, and I can listen back later or transcribe the notes if necessary.
Steve, the new supervising technician, is the technician from the Univ. of Iowa, so we have a few experiences in common. I like him – his energy is very quiet and deliberate, which will exert a calming influence on us as things get crazier over the next weeks. He has asked us each to provide him with a set of personal aims for the summer, and I spent some time thinking about that last evening. It’s hard to pick out one or two things when there seems to be so much to learn, but I came up with a couple of items which stand out in my mind currently.
We experienced our first real storms of the summer yesterday, complete with lightning, hail, and wind. I was tuning in a relatively sheltered location when it hit, but there are some places we’ll work that would become almost intolerable in a rainstorm. Not because of leaking, but because of the noise: the sound of rain on the roof can get almost deafening in some of the smaller buildings.
Today we start at Miss Hall’s School. Our normal start time has moved up to 8.00, which may mean a shift in the morning schedule. The wi-fi on the grounds is up and running, though, which will help with uploading the blog and staying connected.
Lenox coffee, 7.15 a.m.
The vibe around the grounds has definitely changed – there are rehearsals in progress in buildings that have been unoccupied for the past two weeks. We divided up the pianos on the grounds yesterday, giving us each around 11 or 12 we’re each responsible for on a regular basis, in terms of tuning and maintaining in good playing condition. Our challenge is working around the schedule in each room to arrange time on the instruments. So far, not a huge task, but beginning next week some rooms will be quite busy. I already ran into a bit of this, as one of my assigned areas is the theatre stage, where work is already underway building the set for the opera. I worked around them for awhile, and then began tuning. No problem for the theatre folk, but about halfway through my process a group of people came in for a meeting on the stage, and I of course had to stop. I had other work elsewhere to accomplish, so I moved on to quieter pastures. I’m finding the voice recorder app on the iPhone to be very helpful already; I make some verbal notes on each piano I come in contact with, and I can listen back later or transcribe the notes if necessary.
Steve, the new supervising technician, is the technician from the Univ. of Iowa, so we have a few experiences in common. I like him – his energy is very quiet and deliberate, which will exert a calming influence on us as things get crazier over the next weeks. He has asked us each to provide him with a set of personal aims for the summer, and I spent some time thinking about that last evening. It’s hard to pick out one or two things when there seems to be so much to learn, but I came up with a couple of items which stand out in my mind currently.
We experienced our first real storms of the summer yesterday, complete with lightning, hail, and wind. I was tuning in a relatively sheltered location when it hit, but there are some places we’ll work that would become almost intolerable in a rainstorm. Not because of leaking, but because of the noise: the sound of rain on the roof can get almost deafening in some of the smaller buildings.
Today we start at Miss Hall’s School. Our normal start time has moved up to 8.00, which may mean a shift in the morning schedule. The wi-fi on the grounds is up and running, though, which will help with uploading the blog and staying connected.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Phase two begins...
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 15
Lenox Coffee, 7.25 a.m.
It’s officially the beginning of the third week of eleven, which means I’m somewhere between the end of the beginning and the beginning of the middle. Still excited at the prospects, and not yet mired in the no-man’s land that is the middle of any process. Helping to smooth the transition is the fact that the string quartet fellows and the opera folks are here starting this week, which will change the dynamic of the grounds a bit. Also, we change regimes from Scott, our supervising tech to this point, to Steve, the boss from here to the end. These last two weeks have been packed with learning opportunities for me, and I have no doubt that will continue, but with a change in leadership always comes a change in focus and energy. A meeting is scheduled this morning, to pass the figurative torch.
Taking the opportunity to assess my own development as a technician over the past two weeks, I find that I have gained a certain amount of confidence in my skills and my ability to assess a situation with any piano, but there are also aspects of my skillset which lag behind and seem not to improve at all. I’m too close to view this with anything approaching objectivity, obviously, so it’s best to not dwell on things that can only improve with time, repetition, and experience. Looking forward, I also realize I need to get on the stick and work on my strategy for re-entering the real world in August. One thing is clear: this is a point of change for me, with a sense of new directions and possibilities unfolding. I continue to work on the ability to recognise opportunities, and making the choice to respond (or not).
Lenox Coffee, 7.25 a.m.
It’s officially the beginning of the third week of eleven, which means I’m somewhere between the end of the beginning and the beginning of the middle. Still excited at the prospects, and not yet mired in the no-man’s land that is the middle of any process. Helping to smooth the transition is the fact that the string quartet fellows and the opera folks are here starting this week, which will change the dynamic of the grounds a bit. Also, we change regimes from Scott, our supervising tech to this point, to Steve, the boss from here to the end. These last two weeks have been packed with learning opportunities for me, and I have no doubt that will continue, but with a change in leadership always comes a change in focus and energy. A meeting is scheduled this morning, to pass the figurative torch.
Taking the opportunity to assess my own development as a technician over the past two weeks, I find that I have gained a certain amount of confidence in my skills and my ability to assess a situation with any piano, but there are also aspects of my skillset which lag behind and seem not to improve at all. I’m too close to view this with anything approaching objectivity, obviously, so it’s best to not dwell on things that can only improve with time, repetition, and experience. Looking forward, I also realize I need to get on the stick and work on my strategy for re-entering the real world in August. One thing is clear: this is a point of change for me, with a sense of new directions and possibilities unfolding. I continue to work on the ability to recognise opportunities, and making the choice to respond (or not).
Two days in one
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 14
South St, Pittsfield, 8.42 p.m.
A back-posting day, after a busy weekend. Yesterday started with some cleaning detail in the room that will become our home base on the grounds, followed by a different type of cleaning detail: dismantling a home that a mouse had tried to assemble inside the action of the model A in the chamber music hall. This was the second go-around with this rodent; Scott took care of it the first time, but this one fell to me. There was stuff scattered throughout the action cavity, and a number of hammers had been either chewed or scratched for felt. I spent the better part of an hour cleaning things out and then another hour repairing the damage. Not my idea of a good time, and not what I would choose to spend my time as a technician on, but when one is a technician for a facility in the woods, one does what one has to do.
We broke at noon, and went as a group to the Clark art museum in Nearby Williamstown MA. Our technical justification was the two art-case Steinways on display there. One is fairly modest, but the other is extremely elaborate, fully carved and shaped with inlays galore. However, the main attraction for me was the rest of the art collection, which included a very decent selection of French impressionists, Duch and other realists, and a very cool exhibition of Georgia O’Keefe and Arthur Dove oils and watercolors. I don’t get out to museums often, but I’m always in awe of the skill involved in representing three-dimensional scenes on a flat plane. We spent a few hours there, then headed back to Pittsfield, where I allowed myself a nap before dinner, and followed that with a walk to the brewpub for a couple of pints with John.
Today was planned to be a partial day of work, getting caught up on a couple of pianos which only today were able to be placed in rooms, but it didn’t quite work out that way. I started out in the Manor house on a Steinway L which needed complete set-up and tuning; managed to get it into fairly decent shape in about three and a half hours, including a full tuning. Went straight from there to Miss Hall’s School, a girl’s academy which is used for housing and rehearsals. My assignment was a Boston grand, but when I arrived I discovered that it was not on it’s feet yet – nothing to be done there, so I looked around and found an upright which needed tuning and wrestled with that for about 90 minutes. By that time the grand was set up and ready to be unboxed. This is a piano in a reherarsal/classroom, not a performance space, and it was already 3.00 p.m., so I did the minimum to the instrument in terms of set-up and regulation, bedding the keyframe, lubricating the keypins and bushings, and making sure everything functioned at an acceptable level, and then gave it a good tuning. I was finished shortly before 5.00, and called it a day. On my way out I heard a string quartet rehearsing; the performance fellows have begun to arrive, and our time of having the place to ourselves has come to an end.
Even though I really didn’t eat much during the day, I decided to go for a run when I got home – the weather was absolutely perfect with temps in the low 70s, sunshine, and just a bit of a breeze. I was also inspired by V reporting that she went for a 30-mile ride today. I haven’t ridden 30 miles on a bicycle for probably six years, so I was suitably impressed and felt like I needed to do my part to keep pace in my fitness regimen. I was low on energy, but still managed to keep my normal pace, but I was beat afterwards. Had dinner, called V, and pulled out the computer to get the blog entry done. I’ll post tomorrow morning at the coffee shop; tonight I’m dribbling.
South St, Pittsfield, 8.42 p.m.
A back-posting day, after a busy weekend. Yesterday started with some cleaning detail in the room that will become our home base on the grounds, followed by a different type of cleaning detail: dismantling a home that a mouse had tried to assemble inside the action of the model A in the chamber music hall. This was the second go-around with this rodent; Scott took care of it the first time, but this one fell to me. There was stuff scattered throughout the action cavity, and a number of hammers had been either chewed or scratched for felt. I spent the better part of an hour cleaning things out and then another hour repairing the damage. Not my idea of a good time, and not what I would choose to spend my time as a technician on, but when one is a technician for a facility in the woods, one does what one has to do.
We broke at noon, and went as a group to the Clark art museum in Nearby Williamstown MA. Our technical justification was the two art-case Steinways on display there. One is fairly modest, but the other is extremely elaborate, fully carved and shaped with inlays galore. However, the main attraction for me was the rest of the art collection, which included a very decent selection of French impressionists, Duch and other realists, and a very cool exhibition of Georgia O’Keefe and Arthur Dove oils and watercolors. I don’t get out to museums often, but I’m always in awe of the skill involved in representing three-dimensional scenes on a flat plane. We spent a few hours there, then headed back to Pittsfield, where I allowed myself a nap before dinner, and followed that with a walk to the brewpub for a couple of pints with John.
Today was planned to be a partial day of work, getting caught up on a couple of pianos which only today were able to be placed in rooms, but it didn’t quite work out that way. I started out in the Manor house on a Steinway L which needed complete set-up and tuning; managed to get it into fairly decent shape in about three and a half hours, including a full tuning. Went straight from there to Miss Hall’s School, a girl’s academy which is used for housing and rehearsals. My assignment was a Boston grand, but when I arrived I discovered that it was not on it’s feet yet – nothing to be done there, so I looked around and found an upright which needed tuning and wrestled with that for about 90 minutes. By that time the grand was set up and ready to be unboxed. This is a piano in a reherarsal/classroom, not a performance space, and it was already 3.00 p.m., so I did the minimum to the instrument in terms of set-up and regulation, bedding the keyframe, lubricating the keypins and bushings, and making sure everything functioned at an acceptable level, and then gave it a good tuning. I was finished shortly before 5.00, and called it a day. On my way out I heard a string quartet rehearsing; the performance fellows have begun to arrive, and our time of having the place to ourselves has come to an end.
Even though I really didn’t eat much during the day, I decided to go for a run when I got home – the weather was absolutely perfect with temps in the low 70s, sunshine, and just a bit of a breeze. I was also inspired by V reporting that she went for a 30-mile ride today. I haven’t ridden 30 miles on a bicycle for probably six years, so I was suitably impressed and felt like I needed to do my part to keep pace in my fitness regimen. I was low on energy, but still managed to keep my normal pace, but I was beat afterwards. Had dinner, called V, and pulled out the computer to get the blog entry done. I’ll post tomorrow morning at the coffee shop; tonight I’m dribbling.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
A working weekend
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 13
Lenox Coffee, 7.41 a.m.
As I thought might happen, we will be working through the weekend in order to get everything up and running for the arrival of the performance fellows on Monday. We will be working a half-day today, and another (at least) tomorrow, setting up somewhere between 5 and 10 grands in different rooms. No time now for the leisurely pace and attention to detail we’ve been spoiled to have for the past two weeks; it’s get ‘em up, tune ‘em up, and make ‘em playable for the time being. A different kind of challenge.
Yesterday I set a new personal record, servicing six pianos in the day. “Servicing” seems more the appropriate word for what we’re doing right now, as it could involve tuning (full or touch-up), set-up, repair, any number of regulation issues, or all of the above. Towards the end of the day I was getting really tired, and in a moment of lost focus snapped a hammer shank as I pulled the action out of an A I had been regulating. Doh! Fortunately, Scott was in the room as well, and had glue, a replacement shank & flange, and some helpful tips for the repair. After performing the surgery I decided to call it a day, headed home for a run, dinner, and some clearing-the-head time. A nice phone call to V and I was ready to crash.
Storms are in the forecast, but right now it’s a beautiful morning.
Lenox Coffee, 7.41 a.m.
As I thought might happen, we will be working through the weekend in order to get everything up and running for the arrival of the performance fellows on Monday. We will be working a half-day today, and another (at least) tomorrow, setting up somewhere between 5 and 10 grands in different rooms. No time now for the leisurely pace and attention to detail we’ve been spoiled to have for the past two weeks; it’s get ‘em up, tune ‘em up, and make ‘em playable for the time being. A different kind of challenge.
Yesterday I set a new personal record, servicing six pianos in the day. “Servicing” seems more the appropriate word for what we’re doing right now, as it could involve tuning (full or touch-up), set-up, repair, any number of regulation issues, or all of the above. Towards the end of the day I was getting really tired, and in a moment of lost focus snapped a hammer shank as I pulled the action out of an A I had been regulating. Doh! Fortunately, Scott was in the room as well, and had glue, a replacement shank & flange, and some helpful tips for the repair. After performing the surgery I decided to call it a day, headed home for a run, dinner, and some clearing-the-head time. A nice phone call to V and I was ready to crash.
Storms are in the forecast, but right now it’s a beautiful morning.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Foggy Friday
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 12
Lenox Coffee, 7.24 a.m.
I’m working on fewer hours of sleep than normal this morning, as last night’s dinner hang went into the wee hours, or at least what pass as wee hours for me anymore. Lots of talk on a variety of subjects including movies, food, parenting, and shared experiences. A very nice hang, which followed a pretty long day. We compared notes last night and figured that we got 14 pianos up and running between the four of us, including a bunch in Miss Hall’s School, a girl’s academy which houses a number of fellow and some rehearsal space; a place aptly named “the barn”, and some faculty homes off campus. I managed three pianos myself, one of which was a set-up out of the box and included a significant pitch-raise. By the end of the day my hands and ears were tired, and I was ready to relax a bit. Today we’re starting a bit earlier, in an attempt to knock out as many pianos as possible in order to make tomorrow a lighter day with the possibility of an early release.
I had a very unusual experience at the auto garage I patronized yesterday: I was in and out in less than ten minutes, and was charged all of $5. True, it was only a bulb which needed to be replaced, but still – I’m not sure I’ve ever spent that little time and money getting my car fixed. A very pleasant surprise, courtesy of Lou at Fortune Automotive in Lenox.
It’s gray again outside. Funny – we’re fast approaching the longest day of the year, but because of the overcast mornings it’s seemed as if the sun is coming up later, and it’s darker for the morning sitting. Warmer weather is on the way, evidently; the 10-day forecast has the first 80-degree day coming up by the end of next week.
Lenox Coffee, 7.24 a.m.
I’m working on fewer hours of sleep than normal this morning, as last night’s dinner hang went into the wee hours, or at least what pass as wee hours for me anymore. Lots of talk on a variety of subjects including movies, food, parenting, and shared experiences. A very nice hang, which followed a pretty long day. We compared notes last night and figured that we got 14 pianos up and running between the four of us, including a bunch in Miss Hall’s School, a girl’s academy which houses a number of fellow and some rehearsal space; a place aptly named “the barn”, and some faculty homes off campus. I managed three pianos myself, one of which was a set-up out of the box and included a significant pitch-raise. By the end of the day my hands and ears were tired, and I was ready to relax a bit. Today we’re starting a bit earlier, in an attempt to knock out as many pianos as possible in order to make tomorrow a lighter day with the possibility of an early release.
I had a very unusual experience at the auto garage I patronized yesterday: I was in and out in less than ten minutes, and was charged all of $5. True, it was only a bulb which needed to be replaced, but still – I’m not sure I’ve ever spent that little time and money getting my car fixed. A very pleasant surprise, courtesy of Lou at Fortune Automotive in Lenox.
It’s gray again outside. Funny – we’re fast approaching the longest day of the year, but because of the overcast mornings it’s seemed as if the sun is coming up later, and it’s darker for the morning sitting. Warmer weather is on the way, evidently; the 10-day forecast has the first 80-degree day coming up by the end of next week.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
In the Summertime?
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 11
Lenox Coffee, 7.17 a.m.
This has been an unusually long spring, both here and in the Midwest, it seems; it simply refuses to get truly warm. I’m not sure they’ve had a day above 80 here, and I know it’s only happened once in Gurnee and that was back in April, I think. Not complaining too much – it’ll end soon, no doubt (summers' official beginning is only ten days off) – but I find myself longing for a morning when I don’t take a jacket to work with me.
I put some more pieces of the regulation puzzle together yesterday, I think. However, it still seems like every time out I either forget to perform one crucial step or do things in an order that creates more work for me. Had a bit of a forehead-slapping “of course” moment when it was explained to me why the particular procedure Scott espouses actually works. The more times something is presented to me the more likely it is to actually stick in my tiny brain.
There was also a cool moment yesterday when I was walking down the trail from one venue to another, and just started grinning like a fool, with the realization of where I was and what I was doing there. I’m a lucky so-and-so.
Today we get into another space which houses 12 pianos, and we need to get them all set up and ready to go by the end of the day, so we’re free to get to the next spaces available on Friday and Saturday. I think it’s going to be hectic from here on out. I also made an appointment at a garage on the way to the grounds to have my taillight examined; I’m hopeful it’s a simple fix and that I won’t be charged resort-level prices for the work. This evening the three of us tech fellows will host dinner at our apartment for Scott, our supervisor, as he passes the baton to the supervising tech for the remainder of the summer on Sunday. Lasagna is the entrée, crème brulee for desert, and my contribution will be a spinach salad of some sort to be determined by what I find at the grocery on the way home.
Lenox Coffee, 7.17 a.m.
This has been an unusually long spring, both here and in the Midwest, it seems; it simply refuses to get truly warm. I’m not sure they’ve had a day above 80 here, and I know it’s only happened once in Gurnee and that was back in April, I think. Not complaining too much – it’ll end soon, no doubt (summers' official beginning is only ten days off) – but I find myself longing for a morning when I don’t take a jacket to work with me.
I put some more pieces of the regulation puzzle together yesterday, I think. However, it still seems like every time out I either forget to perform one crucial step or do things in an order that creates more work for me. Had a bit of a forehead-slapping “of course” moment when it was explained to me why the particular procedure Scott espouses actually works. The more times something is presented to me the more likely it is to actually stick in my tiny brain.
There was also a cool moment yesterday when I was walking down the trail from one venue to another, and just started grinning like a fool, with the realization of where I was and what I was doing there. I’m a lucky so-and-so.
Today we get into another space which houses 12 pianos, and we need to get them all set up and ready to go by the end of the day, so we’re free to get to the next spaces available on Friday and Saturday. I think it’s going to be hectic from here on out. I also made an appointment at a garage on the way to the grounds to have my taillight examined; I’m hopeful it’s a simple fix and that I won’t be charged resort-level prices for the work. This evening the three of us tech fellows will host dinner at our apartment for Scott, our supervisor, as he passes the baton to the supervising tech for the remainder of the summer on Sunday. Lasagna is the entrée, crème brulee for desert, and my contribution will be a spinach salad of some sort to be determined by what I find at the grocery on the way home.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
I'm glad there is - III
Harlan EllisonI watched the new documentary "Dreams With Sharp Teeth" shortly before I left for Tanglewood, and it prompted me to bring some of his stuff with me for the trip. It's an excellent account of the man, amusing and informative. The original music is written and performed by the great Richard Thompson. HE's writing is by turns eloquent and coarse, shocking and elegant, and it always demands that the reader engage with the ideas on the page. One of the authors I discovered early who has stuck with me.
Five in four
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 10
Lenox Coffee, 7.17 a.m.
There are a couple of regular baristas here, and I’ve been here enough in the past two weeks to get to know their habits a bit. The one who works more and seems to be here first thing most mornings appears to have it together with his job and the clientele. The Wednesday morning opener, alternatively, tends to sit out on the front porch smoking until a customer arrives to interrupt his morning inhalations. He also sets the Noise Pollution Unit to ‘stun’ while he’s outside. This morning it’s music-appropriate-to-dance-clubs-but-at-lower-volume. But the coffee is good; wi-fi and proximity to the Tanglewood grounds seals the deal for me.
Yesterday I had my hands on five different pianos in four different buildings. One full tuning plus keyframe bedding, a couple of touchups, one full regulation, and various acts of violence on hammers with needles and emery cloth. I felt like an actual, working piano technician, and the day passed remarkably quickly. We are starting to button up the pianos we’ve been working on for the past week, and getting ready to start going out to off-campus sites with pianos for tuning work. There are also pianos waiting to go to their final destinations which are not ready to accept them for various reasons mostly having to do with work of the construction and maintenance type. Next week the string quartet and opera fellows arrive, and our access will become much more limited.
It’s a grey morning, with fog rolling across the mountains. Quite beautiful, but it feels like one of those days when it never quite becomes as warm as the forecast temperature. In another month, a day starting like this will probably turn into a real steamer. As long as it doesn’t storm, I’m hoping to get a run in after work.
Lenox Coffee, 7.17 a.m.
There are a couple of regular baristas here, and I’ve been here enough in the past two weeks to get to know their habits a bit. The one who works more and seems to be here first thing most mornings appears to have it together with his job and the clientele. The Wednesday morning opener, alternatively, tends to sit out on the front porch smoking until a customer arrives to interrupt his morning inhalations. He also sets the Noise Pollution Unit to ‘stun’ while he’s outside. This morning it’s music-appropriate-to-dance-clubs-but-at-lower-volume. But the coffee is good; wi-fi and proximity to the Tanglewood grounds seals the deal for me.
Yesterday I had my hands on five different pianos in four different buildings. One full tuning plus keyframe bedding, a couple of touchups, one full regulation, and various acts of violence on hammers with needles and emery cloth. I felt like an actual, working piano technician, and the day passed remarkably quickly. We are starting to button up the pianos we’ve been working on for the past week, and getting ready to start going out to off-campus sites with pianos for tuning work. There are also pianos waiting to go to their final destinations which are not ready to accept them for various reasons mostly having to do with work of the construction and maintenance type. Next week the string quartet and opera fellows arrive, and our access will become much more limited.
It’s a grey morning, with fog rolling across the mountains. Quite beautiful, but it feels like one of those days when it never quite becomes as warm as the forecast temperature. In another month, a day starting like this will probably turn into a real steamer. As long as it doesn’t storm, I’m hoping to get a run in after work.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Satisfying my bad a-r Type-A self...
Notes from the Berkshires, Day 9
Lenox Coffee, 7.38 a.m.
I freely admit it: little details bug me to distraction. After a week of looking at the blog and seeing the date of posting mismatched to the date of the entry, I can't stands it no more. A slight alteration in the postings, then. I'll post on the day of the entry, and simply past my notes from the day before. This also provides an opportunity to look ahead to the coming day, instead of constant recapitulation. I can be more creative with titles, too; "Notes from the Berkshires, Day X" was already getting old over there on the right side of the page.
See how I am? Maybe this is why I'm good at repetitive tasks like tuning and regulating a piano.
ANYWAY, it is, indeed, raining here for the first time since my arrival, and so far it's not unpleasant. I suppose I'll change my opinion once the pianos start soaking up all of the excess moisture, putting molasses into all the moving parts, but for now, with a coffee in front of me in the warm and cozy coffee shop, everything is just fine. I'll head in a little early today, in an attempt to finish the regulation I began late yesterday afternoon, and then it will be off to wherever Scott sends me. We still have quite a few pianos that we haven't seen yet, so I anticipate the week will just become busier as it progresses.
Lenox Coffee, 7.38 a.m.
I freely admit it: little details bug me to distraction. After a week of looking at the blog and seeing the date of posting mismatched to the date of the entry, I can't stands it no more. A slight alteration in the postings, then. I'll post on the day of the entry, and simply past my notes from the day before. This also provides an opportunity to look ahead to the coming day, instead of constant recapitulation. I can be more creative with titles, too; "Notes from the Berkshires, Day X" was already getting old over there on the right side of the page.
See how I am? Maybe this is why I'm good at repetitive tasks like tuning and regulating a piano.
ANYWAY, it is, indeed, raining here for the first time since my arrival, and so far it's not unpleasant. I suppose I'll change my opinion once the pianos start soaking up all of the excess moisture, putting molasses into all the moving parts, but for now, with a coffee in front of me in the warm and cozy coffee shop, everything is just fine. I'll head in a little early today, in an attempt to finish the regulation I began late yesterday afternoon, and then it will be off to wherever Scott sends me. We still have quite a few pianos that we haven't seen yet, so I anticipate the week will just become busier as it progresses.
Notes from the Berkshires:Day 8
6/8, 9.04 p.m.
The weather here in the Pittsfield/Lenox corridor has been, by all accounts, unseasonably lovely and dry. Good for us, good for the pianos. Sounds like it’s about to change, however. The current forecast has one of those pretty unambiguous statements along the lines of “predicted rainfall amounts of…” which are rarely present unless they (whomever “they” are) are pretty darn sure it’s going to rain, and significantly. So – here we go, into humidity-land.
I worked on two pianos today: the second B in the Maple studio, and an M which lives in the conductor’s room at Ozawa Hall. We’ve had a few discussions about voicing now, and so I spent most of the time on the B dealing with hammer/string mating, filing, and needling, trying to even out the tone. The tricky part is voicing for the shift pedal, because if that sounds good, it’s possible that it comes at the expense of some of the power of the full three-string unison. Fortunately, we have time to experiment a little right now, and I had some good times bringing notes up and down by alternating needling and polishing. The M in Ozawa has already had some of this work done, but hadn’t been fully regulated yet (one of the weirdnesses of having all four of us moving around is that sometimes things get done to pianos out of what would be a “normal” sequence), so that was my task. I’m starting to get the hang of setting key dip and then using aftertouch as a diagnostic and measurement tool right away. If someone had told me two weeks ago that I’d be using aftertouch to set blow distance, I wouldn’t have known what they were talking about.
Also continuing to enjoy the Crawford book. There are some great passages on the state of college education, and some hilarious (in a sort of chilling way) descriptions of life in the cubicle-filled workplace. I’ll definitely be recommending this to some friends.
The weather here in the Pittsfield/Lenox corridor has been, by all accounts, unseasonably lovely and dry. Good for us, good for the pianos. Sounds like it’s about to change, however. The current forecast has one of those pretty unambiguous statements along the lines of “predicted rainfall amounts of…” which are rarely present unless they (whomever “they” are) are pretty darn sure it’s going to rain, and significantly. So – here we go, into humidity-land.
I worked on two pianos today: the second B in the Maple studio, and an M which lives in the conductor’s room at Ozawa Hall. We’ve had a few discussions about voicing now, and so I spent most of the time on the B dealing with hammer/string mating, filing, and needling, trying to even out the tone. The tricky part is voicing for the shift pedal, because if that sounds good, it’s possible that it comes at the expense of some of the power of the full three-string unison. Fortunately, we have time to experiment a little right now, and I had some good times bringing notes up and down by alternating needling and polishing. The M in Ozawa has already had some of this work done, but hadn’t been fully regulated yet (one of the weirdnesses of having all four of us moving around is that sometimes things get done to pianos out of what would be a “normal” sequence), so that was my task. I’m starting to get the hang of setting key dip and then using aftertouch as a diagnostic and measurement tool right away. If someone had told me two weeks ago that I’d be using aftertouch to set blow distance, I wouldn’t have known what they were talking about.
Also continuing to enjoy the Crawford book. There are some great passages on the state of college education, and some hilarious (in a sort of chilling way) descriptions of life in the cubicle-filled workplace. I’ll definitely be recommending this to some friends.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Notes from the Berkshires:Day 7
6/7, 10.06 p.m.
And on the seventh day I rested. To the point of almost neglecting a journal entry. Spent the day in a conscious attempt to think little of pianos. Laundry, an attempt (unsuccessful) to figure out the non-functioning taillight on the van, a great hike in a nearby state forest, grocery shopping, phone calls to family and friends, and reading. I even broke out the Stick for 40 minutes of playing. The batteries are recharged, and I’m ready to rock tomorrow.
And on the seventh day I rested. To the point of almost neglecting a journal entry. Spent the day in a conscious attempt to think little of pianos. Laundry, an attempt (unsuccessful) to figure out the non-functioning taillight on the van, a great hike in a nearby state forest, grocery shopping, phone calls to family and friends, and reading. I even broke out the Stick for 40 minutes of playing. The batteries are recharged, and I’m ready to rock tomorrow.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Notes from the Berkshires:Day 6
6/6, 9.17 p.m.
First things first: this is V’s birthday, so great wishes fly her direction. I hate not being with her today, and really hope we don’t have to spend any more of either of our birthdays apart. I managed to secrete a small token for her amusement at home before I left, so she’ll at least have something from me on the day.
This is the end of week one of eleven. Counting it like that makes it sound as if I’m looking forward to the end, but that isn’t the case; I’m actually amazed it’s disappeared as quickly as it has. I spent the entire day on a single piano, the A in the chamber music hall. This, I think, will be a rarity, to spend so much time on a single instrument, but I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts. Today I took it from its out-of-the-box state to a condition which I would call “middle regulation”. This is the state between rough (where it was, coming directly from the Company) and fine (ready for a performance). I had gotten most of the way there with the B in the Maple performance space, but I took it to the next level here, and felt pretty good about the results. I am starting to grasp the method to Scott’s madness, and am dialing in some of the skills necessary to preparing these pianos in the way he suggests. Not to say I’m doing it flawlessly yet, or even close, but still there is definite progress. We also had a session on voicing today, and I’m just at the beginning stages of that, having dumped what seemed like a pint of lacquer into the hammers as a last task of the day.
Left around 4.30, and found a backroads route home that avoids the traffic through Lenox and into Pittsfield. This will come in very handy when the crowds descend at the end of the month. Part of the route looked to be a decent running road, so I used that as the basis for my afternoon run, and it turned out to be a good choice: a circle (more of a triangle, actually) of around four miles, with very nice hills and scenery along the way. The only thing that kept it from being ideal was the traffic at the beginning and end, as I’m leaving and heading back into town, but that just means no headphones and no running that route after dark. Stretched, showered, fixed a simple dinner, and then walked downtown, where I found the local brewpub, which was very acceptable both in atmosphere and beer. No wi-fi, or it would be perfect. I’ll probably be spending some time there this summer.
It’s a beautiful night, and I’m enjoying some music (Mike Giles’ 3 X 5), and not thinking about pianos for a few hours. Tomorrow will be a day of laundry/groceriy/other stuff-that-needs-to-be-taken-care-of.
First things first: this is V’s birthday, so great wishes fly her direction. I hate not being with her today, and really hope we don’t have to spend any more of either of our birthdays apart. I managed to secrete a small token for her amusement at home before I left, so she’ll at least have something from me on the day.
This is the end of week one of eleven. Counting it like that makes it sound as if I’m looking forward to the end, but that isn’t the case; I’m actually amazed it’s disappeared as quickly as it has. I spent the entire day on a single piano, the A in the chamber music hall. This, I think, will be a rarity, to spend so much time on a single instrument, but I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts. Today I took it from its out-of-the-box state to a condition which I would call “middle regulation”. This is the state between rough (where it was, coming directly from the Company) and fine (ready for a performance). I had gotten most of the way there with the B in the Maple performance space, but I took it to the next level here, and felt pretty good about the results. I am starting to grasp the method to Scott’s madness, and am dialing in some of the skills necessary to preparing these pianos in the way he suggests. Not to say I’m doing it flawlessly yet, or even close, but still there is definite progress. We also had a session on voicing today, and I’m just at the beginning stages of that, having dumped what seemed like a pint of lacquer into the hammers as a last task of the day.
Left around 4.30, and found a backroads route home that avoids the traffic through Lenox and into Pittsfield. This will come in very handy when the crowds descend at the end of the month. Part of the route looked to be a decent running road, so I used that as the basis for my afternoon run, and it turned out to be a good choice: a circle (more of a triangle, actually) of around four miles, with very nice hills and scenery along the way. The only thing that kept it from being ideal was the traffic at the beginning and end, as I’m leaving and heading back into town, but that just means no headphones and no running that route after dark. Stretched, showered, fixed a simple dinner, and then walked downtown, where I found the local brewpub, which was very acceptable both in atmosphere and beer. No wi-fi, or it would be perfect. I’ll probably be spending some time there this summer.
It’s a beautiful night, and I’m enjoying some music (Mike Giles’ 3 X 5), and not thinking about pianos for a few hours. Tomorrow will be a day of laundry/groceriy/other stuff-that-needs-to-be-taken-care-of.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Notes from the Berkshires:Day 5
6/5, 9.55 p.m.
I made it through the entire day without having to tune an upright for the first time this week. Got to spend my time on the B I’ve been prepping in one room, and then I got to start the process on two other pianos in another venue, another B and an A. All these letters, for anyone who might be wondering, are Steinway model designations – Tanglewood is a “Steinway Venue”, meaning all the pianos are either Steinways, or another brand built under the Steinway umbrella, in this case, “Boston”. The Steinways are the instruments for all the performance venues and most of the rehearsal spaces, while the Bostons – some grands, but a lot of verticals as well – end up in the spaces outside the main grounds, and in the summer homes of faculty and staff who require an instrument.
Anyway, as I had thought, we’re slowly being let out on our own to get these pianos ready, which is great fun and also gives us a sense of ownership of the various instruments on which we spend hours. I’m looking forward to the time when I can hear a performance on a piano I’ve prepared and tuned. At least, I think I’m looking forward to that!
Had dinner after work at Scott’s digs with the other techs, and got a taste of some of what he’s been working on in his own business; some very interesting ideas, some of which he has obtained patents for, for innovations to piano design. I admire people who are able to follow original trains of thought in that way, to see possibilities for change that others have missed, or never considered. Some of the information was pretty technical, and while I was interested, I was also very tired, and excused myself early.
I made it through the entire day without having to tune an upright for the first time this week. Got to spend my time on the B I’ve been prepping in one room, and then I got to start the process on two other pianos in another venue, another B and an A. All these letters, for anyone who might be wondering, are Steinway model designations – Tanglewood is a “Steinway Venue”, meaning all the pianos are either Steinways, or another brand built under the Steinway umbrella, in this case, “Boston”. The Steinways are the instruments for all the performance venues and most of the rehearsal spaces, while the Bostons – some grands, but a lot of verticals as well – end up in the spaces outside the main grounds, and in the summer homes of faculty and staff who require an instrument.
Anyway, as I had thought, we’re slowly being let out on our own to get these pianos ready, which is great fun and also gives us a sense of ownership of the various instruments on which we spend hours. I’m looking forward to the time when I can hear a performance on a piano I’ve prepared and tuned. At least, I think I’m looking forward to that!
Had dinner after work at Scott’s digs with the other techs, and got a taste of some of what he’s been working on in his own business; some very interesting ideas, some of which he has obtained patents for, for innovations to piano design. I admire people who are able to follow original trains of thought in that way, to see possibilities for change that others have missed, or never considered. Some of the information was pretty technical, and while I was interested, I was also very tired, and excused myself early.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Notes from the Berkshires:Day 4
6/4, 9.13 p.m.
This is another of the amazing trees on the Tanglewood grounds: the largest birch I have ever seen. It’s hard to get a sense of scale from the photo, but if you imagine a “normal” birch tree - rather slender, not terribly tall, perhaps you can encompass the entire trunk within the grasp of your two hands - this is a tree on steroids. The twin trunks are each about two feet in diameter, and the top of the tree is literally held together with wire.
Very tired right now. After another full day, I came home, put on the shoes, and went for a run. Took a different direction than last time, with fewer hills, but I did more distance, somewhere around four miles. Made some dinner and called V, and now I’m just about toast.
My morning lot was to tune the last two uprights, and a challenge was set to increase my speed, but I’m just about at my maximum for my current skill set – around an hour and a quarter. Scott stopped by a couple of times, to urge me along, but also gave me some coaching on my technique, which was very helpful.
We’re now well into prepping the grands. Scott gives us more pieces of the set-up and regulation puzzle and then sends us out to our instruments to put the information into practice immediately. It’s a lot like being back in school, except now it’s not just practicing on a part of an old beater piano, it’s doing the “full monty” on an actual performance instrument, with real-world expectations both in terms of time spent and the result achieved. We’re being asked to develop skills of listening and touch very quickly. My head swims at times with new concepts, information, approaches, and technique. I have to say, it makes the day pass quickly, but it is exhausting, both mentally and physically. I’ll be ready for a break on Sunday.
This is another of the amazing trees on the Tanglewood grounds: the largest birch I have ever seen. It’s hard to get a sense of scale from the photo, but if you imagine a “normal” birch tree - rather slender, not terribly tall, perhaps you can encompass the entire trunk within the grasp of your two hands - this is a tree on steroids. The twin trunks are each about two feet in diameter, and the top of the tree is literally held together with wire.Very tired right now. After another full day, I came home, put on the shoes, and went for a run. Took a different direction than last time, with fewer hills, but I did more distance, somewhere around four miles. Made some dinner and called V, and now I’m just about toast.
My morning lot was to tune the last two uprights, and a challenge was set to increase my speed, but I’m just about at my maximum for my current skill set – around an hour and a quarter. Scott stopped by a couple of times, to urge me along, but also gave me some coaching on my technique, which was very helpful.
We’re now well into prepping the grands. Scott gives us more pieces of the set-up and regulation puzzle and then sends us out to our instruments to put the information into practice immediately. It’s a lot like being back in school, except now it’s not just practicing on a part of an old beater piano, it’s doing the “full monty” on an actual performance instrument, with real-world expectations both in terms of time spent and the result achieved. We’re being asked to develop skills of listening and touch very quickly. My head swims at times with new concepts, information, approaches, and technique. I have to say, it makes the day pass quickly, but it is exhausting, both mentally and physically. I’ll be ready for a break on Sunday.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Notes from the Berkshires:Day 3
6/3, 9.49 p.m.
This is my first Steinway Model B of the week, serial #584920. A very nice 7’ piano, more or less straight out of the box, and I am the first technician outside of the Steinway factory to work with it. My job is to bring it into basic playing condition so a decision can be made regarding where it will live for the next two months. Pretty cool. Today I bedded the keyframe, made adjustments to the alignment and traveling paths of the hammers, did a preliminary evaluation of the aftertouch, and added a surprising amount of lacquer to the hammerheads in order to bring up the volume of the piano. Tomorrow I get to hear the results.
Started the day back in vertical-land, with another tuning, bringing my total to 8 so far. This one, though, went much better than the last, and started the day on a positive note. Went from there to a session on voicing, specifically on the use of lacquer as a hardening agent. Lots of focus on listening to the sound of individual notes, and making decisions based on what we hear. After lunch, we split up to our individual pianos and worked on prep, including what we talked about yesterday, the information from the morning’s session, and the beginnings of rough regulation. In short, lots of information, which we are being asked to apply almost instantaneously to real work on the pianos. Very exciting, and challenging.
Ended the day with some socializing with the tech staff at a local watering hole. Nice to relax a bit, and share stories and information. In a couple of weeks, the area will be taken over by the participants in, and listeners to, the music festival, so we’re all enjoying the calm before the storm, as it were.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Notes from the Berkshires:Day 2
7.51 a. m. - The mobile office at Lenox Coffee.
The photo above is of "the Tanglewood tree"; the silhouette of which is used on most of the print media for the music center. It's located on the central part of the grounds near the largest performance venue, the Koussevitsky Music Shed. It's seen better days, in fact is probably in its last years of life, but still quite striking, and only one of countless amazing trees on the grounds. I wish I knew more about tree classifications!
I’ve found what will probably be my mobile workplace for at least the next couple weeks, until the wi-fi on the Tanglewood grounds is up and running for the summer. Nice atmosphere, and the best Americano I’ve had in a long time. I’m hoping the sun will come out soon, so I can head in to the grounds and snap a few photos before the work day begins. Also working through Shop Class as Soulcraft, which is turning out to be particularly relevant to my current undertakings.
9.31 p.m.
Today was a tough one for me. Tuned three vertical pianos, and the third one won. Pitch started out VERY flat, and I didn’t over-correct as much as I should have, and ended up having to do it all again from scratch. Discouraging and frustrating. I could see it coming as I was doing it, which made it all the more painful. I’m walking a very thin line here between knowing that I have a certain amount of knowledge and skill, and feeling that I’m still an absolute beginner. In a way, both are true. Scott had words of encouragement and advice, as did the other tech interns, which helped, but I still was glad to get away from there this evening. Came home and went for a good run to help clear my head. Dinner and a phone call home followed, and I’m feeling a bit more together. We did get started on a new set of tasks today as well, that of prepping the grands for their spaces, which includes very fundamental tasks such as bedding the keyframe; in effect, making sure that there is no lost energy between the pianist’s hands and the initiation of the hammer stroke. A very important first step in grand regulation, and one in which I have limited experience, so it will be very helpful for me, not to mention a needed break from tuning verticals.
It’s a cool night, good sleeping weather. I’m enjoying that for now, because I know there will come a time this summer where I’ll be longing for a break from heat and humidity. A good nights sleep ahead, and start fresh tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Notes from the Berkshires:Day 1
6/1, 9.17 p.m.
I woke early today, partly due to anticipation, and partly due to the sounds of traffic on the road in front of the house, which is quite busy. Gathered at the main gate of Tanglewood at 8.00 with John (who is also my roommate for the summer) and Emily, the other two piano tech interns, and Scott, the technician who will be supervising us for the next two weeks. We toured the grounds, which are in a spectacular setting, and saw all of the performance venues, the admin buildings, and the rehearsal spaces. The tour took the better part of three hours; the grounds are quite extensive. Then we dove in on some of the upright pianos, as they are unpacked and ready to be tuned, while the majority of the grands are still on their sides. There will be 80-some instruments for which we will be responsible over the next months, ranging in size from small studio uprights to several 9-foot concert grands. Most of the grounds are not well air conditioned, so keeping all of those pianos in good playing condition will be a challenge.
I tuned two pianos today in the space of about three hours – quite fast for me. The tunings were meant to be “rough”, as in, they aren’t expected to be 100% precise, or to last very long, but it’s a starting point. I also experimented with a different approach to the tunings, which may work for me, given time. In the middle of the afternoon we gathered for more of a “class” session, oriented around listening to our work more like musicians, as opposed to technicians. Very interesting, with a couple of group experiments that I found to be revealing in terms of what I think I hear as opposed to what actually is going on. We’ll be doing more of the same for most of the week, from the sound of it; dividing our time between working and interacting in more of a classroom environment.
I’m feeling energized, but also exhausted, and a little overwhelmed at the scope of what we’ have to accomplish this summer.
I woke early today, partly due to anticipation, and partly due to the sounds of traffic on the road in front of the house, which is quite busy. Gathered at the main gate of Tanglewood at 8.00 with John (who is also my roommate for the summer) and Emily, the other two piano tech interns, and Scott, the technician who will be supervising us for the next two weeks. We toured the grounds, which are in a spectacular setting, and saw all of the performance venues, the admin buildings, and the rehearsal spaces. The tour took the better part of three hours; the grounds are quite extensive. Then we dove in on some of the upright pianos, as they are unpacked and ready to be tuned, while the majority of the grands are still on their sides. There will be 80-some instruments for which we will be responsible over the next months, ranging in size from small studio uprights to several 9-foot concert grands. Most of the grounds are not well air conditioned, so keeping all of those pianos in good playing condition will be a challenge.
I tuned two pianos today in the space of about three hours – quite fast for me. The tunings were meant to be “rough”, as in, they aren’t expected to be 100% precise, or to last very long, but it’s a starting point. I also experimented with a different approach to the tunings, which may work for me, given time. In the middle of the afternoon we gathered for more of a “class” session, oriented around listening to our work more like musicians, as opposed to technicians. Very interesting, with a couple of group experiments that I found to be revealing in terms of what I think I hear as opposed to what actually is going on. We’ll be doing more of the same for most of the week, from the sound of it; dividing our time between working and interacting in more of a classroom environment.
I’m feeling energized, but also exhausted, and a little overwhelmed at the scope of what we’ have to accomplish this summer.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Notes from the Berkshires:Day 0
5/31, 9.21 p.m.
Another very pleasant travel day, with no problems to speak of in the three main areas of potential trouble: weather, traffic, or construction. That last is particularly surprising, considering the time of year, which is usually prime time for lane closures, detours, and general mayhem on the highways. No complaints here.
I had almost forgotten how much I enjoy the scenery in this area, which is a cross between the mountains of the west and the rolling wooded areas of the midwest. I managed one photo stop, looking west from the very western edge of Massachusetts back into New York. Not far from Pittsfield, where I’ll spend the next 11 weeks or so.
Met with the landlord upon arrival, to obtain keys and be shown around the place. It’s an upstairs apartment in a very old building, but the place is furnished, neat, and clean. I’ll be sharing with another of the piano tech interns, and the third will be in a single apartment at the rear of the same building. My roommate has yet to arrive, so I have the space to myself this evening. Made a run to the grocery store for staples, whipped up a simple meat sauce, which I ate gratefully, (last actual meal was nearly 48 hours ago), cleaned up the kitchen and went for a walk towards downtown to stretch the legs. Called Mom and V to let them know I arrived safely, and now am getting pretty close to crashing.
Tomorrow the adventure begins for real.
Another very pleasant travel day, with no problems to speak of in the three main areas of potential trouble: weather, traffic, or construction. That last is particularly surprising, considering the time of year, which is usually prime time for lane closures, detours, and general mayhem on the highways. No complaints here.
I had almost forgotten how much I enjoy the scenery in this area, which is a cross between the mountains of the west and the rolling wooded areas of the midwest. I managed one photo stop, looking west from the very western edge of Massachusetts back into New York. Not far from Pittsfield, where I’ll spend the next 11 weeks or so.
Met with the landlord upon arrival, to obtain keys and be shown around the place. It’s an upstairs apartment in a very old building, but the place is furnished, neat, and clean. I’ll be sharing with another of the piano tech interns, and the third will be in a single apartment at the rear of the same building. My roommate has yet to arrive, so I have the space to myself this evening. Made a run to the grocery store for staples, whipped up a simple meat sauce, which I ate gratefully, (last actual meal was nearly 48 hours ago), cleaned up the kitchen and went for a walk towards downtown to stretch the legs. Called Mom and V to let them know I arrived safely, and now am getting pretty close to crashing.
Tomorrow the adventure begins for real.
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