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.