Ed, I wonder if a slightly different approach might have some value. There are so many variables in these issues that it is hard to tell what may or may not work. What percolates through my alleged mind at the moment is the issue of psycho-acoustics, e.g., that reality is a matter of perception. >From that perspective, is it possible that some judicious shoulder needling (taking care to avoid the crown, except where clearly necessary) might create/restore enough resiliance in the hammers to diminish the parts of the tone found to be objectionable, and, at the same time, not interfer (well, too much, anyway) with the "pop" and attendant upper partials which may be necessary to the perception of this performer? In writing this, I am thinking of experiences with a poor Hamburg D, in an almost-too-small hall, with distortion introduced by the system installed for the hearing impaired. That system (one of those nasty, single cheap mike, infrared setups) needed a certain degree of "zing" in order for users to hear much in the upper range of the piano at all. Left to it's own devices, the Hamburg, of course, turned into one of those "glassy", thin-toned, overloud PSOs that seem so popular with some, and egregious to everyone else. The above method produced a compromise with which everyone seems comfortable. (Most certainly, the _tuner_ benefits by not suffering through each and every tuning.) I'd be interested in your thoughts. Best. Horace At 08:26 AM 3/31/1998 -0600, you wrote: >Ed, > > I don't envy you at all. That could be a very touchy situation. Would >there be any way you could get someone to do a group situation testing at >the school for students and/or faculty? Perhaps with some kind of >presentation on decibel levels and what can cause hearing loss. Do you have >any kind of weekly recital where that could be done as a special >presentation? If you have a sympathetic faculty member who's a good friend >of the person with the suspected problem, maybe their help could be >enlisted. > I've been thinking about getting a decibel meter and taking readings in >piano major practice rooms (and others with grands) to try and convince the >"powers that be" to install carpet to cut down on the volume level. That >was originally scheduled but when they had to find a way to cut costs, that >is one of the things that went. > Let us know if you figure out anything. Good luck. > >Avery > >> The following is NOT FOR PUBLICATION !! It is just for us to discuss >>amongst ourselves. OK? >> I am presently beginning to wonder about the hearing of certain persons >>that are involved in making decisions at our school. When more and more >>audience, (myself included), are hearing the concert piano as harsh, and a >>faculty member that has a say-so is saying "leave the voicing where it is", I >>would naturally think it is a musical judgement. However, that same faculty >>member is beginning to break more and more strings, and beginning to complain >>that he cannot hear other instruments on the stage when he is >>playing....................Anybody out there got some tactful way of getting a >>hearing test suggested? >> >>Regards, >>Ed Foote > > >___________________________ >Avery Todd, RPT >Moores School of Music >University of Houston >Houston, TX 77204-4893 >713-743-3226 >atodd@uh.edu >http://www.uh.edu/music/ > > > > Horace Greeley, CNA, MCP, RPT Systems Analyst/Engineer Controller's Office Stanford University email: hgreeley@leland.stanford.edu voice mail: 650.725.9062 fax: 650.725.8014
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