"Temporary" voicing

[Susan Kline]

At 06:33 AM 04/13/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>Newton:
>
>This is our gig at the Meyerson.  Our orchestra, pianist etc.  Our pianist 
>wants to use this pianot there, so it's my job to make everyone as happy 
>as I can without ruining the instrument.  With all the good ideas I've 
>gotten here the past few days, I think I can do it.
>
>dave

I believe that my tendency would be to do very little to the piano if you 
think it's good now (like maybe, just ironing the hammers of the top 
section, after one pass of a hammer file) but then to talk to them about it 
in great detail. I've noticed, almost by accident, that if people think 
that I've done what they've asked, they immediately hear differences, 
whether or not I've done anything. I remember approaching one artist 
backstage just after a performance, to tell her that I was sorry, but I had 
not been able to get to the piano at all to check out letoff on the notes 
she mentioned --- rehearsals were constant. Instead she rushed up to me to 
tell me how much better the notes were, and to thank me. (blush --- I let 
her.) Of course, your pianists may be made of different stuff.

While trying to elicit a placebo response may feel like a dubious tactic, 
the shocking thing is how well it sometimes works.

Susan