A-440 Policy?

[David M. Porritt]

Avery:

No, we don't have any "written policy" about 440.  Fortunately, the administration has backed me up when this has come up.  Frankly, it hasn't much.  I keep the pianos in the double reed studio at 442, and 1 violinist wants his at 442, but the concert instruments are 440.  

dave

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 10/26/00 at 11:57 AM Avery Todd wrote:

>List,
>
>   Just thought I'd vent a little. I worked off-campus all day
>yesterday and didn't check my messages until around 6 PM. The
>Houston Symphony is here for 3 days beginning today (at _their_
>request, not ours) for an all-Copeland concert Saturday night
>and we were not "informed" until 4:45 yesterday afternoon that
>they wanted the piano at A-442. You'll notice I said informed,
>not asked! As in "permission".
>   Needless to say, my hackles are STILL up. I had to get here
>about 6 AM this morning to do the pitch raise job for them
>because we were informed so late, that I had no chance to fight
>it. When that alarm went off at 4:30 AM, well, let's just say
>that you'd rather not hear my "thoughts" about why.
>   I just had a talk with the Director of the School of Music
>and he's in total agreement with me. After this concert is over,
>the OFFICIAL policy is that our performance halls are A-440 halls
>and if any other pitch is desired, the organization will bring
>their own instrument(s). I'll tune it to whatever is desired, if
>they want, but _our_ 4 instruments are to stay at A-440!
>   The director also told me that the symphony is to be billed
>for a pitch raise job and a pitch lowering job.
>   It's wonderful working at a school that gives me this kind of
>support and backing!
>   Just curious. Does anyone else have that kind of official
>policy at your school?
>
>Avery




David M. Porritt
dporritt@swbell.net
Meadows School of the Arts
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275