The Rainy Wall

Notes from the Berkshires, Day 59

Miss Hall’s School, 5.18 p.m.

Today has been a bona fide rainy summer day. It began overcast, and then as the morning went on it became more and more steamy, as the sun tried to burn through the cloud cover. By mid afternoon, the storms arrived, and there has been a steady rainfall ever since. Fortunately, my day at the grounds was over by then: tuning in the Chamber Music hall, a tech session with the team continuing work on the on the Aspen L in the Manor House, and another tuning in the East Barn, where I was just finishing up as the rains began.

At that point, I hit a wall of sorts. Combination of hunger, weather, and brain fatigue sent me scurrying from the grounds and apartment-ward for a light late lunch and a nap while the rain fell outside my window. Feeling slightly refreshed, I took care of some accounting business, and spent some time reviewing my notes for a presentation on bass strings from my CSPT final project which I will be re-presenting to the team here at some point in the next couple of weeks. Then down to MHS for dinner.

There’s been a lot of talk amongst the team members about the length of the stretch here, and having to fight off homesickness. As beautiful as this experience has been, I’m feeling it especially today: it’s been almost nine weeks, more than half a semester in school language, and there’s a big part of me that’s ready to go home. So – how to combat it and keep the energy going for these last days? Steve’s idea is to continue to improve each piano we’re charged with, not only tuning but trying to make it feel and sound better, whether it’s a Boston 156 or a Steinway B. Good advice, but hard to put into practice on a day like today. Here’s hoping for better weather tomorrow, which would help my mood.