A-440 Policy?

[Avery Todd]

Hi Charles,

   This is the first time this 'problem' has come up in the
7-1/2 yrs. I've been here but that's one thing that is going
to be changed in "our" contract with outside groups. The
A-440 policy will be stated in that, so if they want to use
our venue (which is now probably the best sounding hall in
Houston) :-) and our piano(s), they will have to abide by
that or furnish their own piano. That would apply only to
instances where a piano is used, of course.
   I hadn't realized how much I'd gotten used to the sound in
our Opera House until I recently had to go to A & M to tune for
an Abbey Simon concert for Baldwin. Every square inch of the
floor is covered in carpet and it literally soaks up the sound.
The piano sounded really small but at least the balance with
the orchestra was good, so the piano could at least be heard.
Abbey even commented on how small it sounded right there at
the keyboard.
   Sorry about getting off the subject here. Thanks for the post.

>You are indeed fortunate to have such administrative support, and I
>believe that you are right to make the management of the symphony
>realize that there is a cost involved in such demands.
>
>The difficulty comes when the school enters into a contractual
>agreement with an ensemble that makes the pitch requirement a part of
>the contract.  Once the presenters have signed the contract, you have
>few viable options but to comply, although, you are certainly
>entitled to be compensated for your time and effort.
>
>
>Charles
>
>
>>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
>
>Charles Ball, RPT
>School of Music
>University of Texas at Austin
>ckball@mail.utexas.edu