[CAUT] Care and feeding of stage grands

[Loren Buntemeyer]

Kent,



The condition and rules for the pianos are completely dependent on the 
support provided from the administration.  It's a constant battle keeping 
the administration in your camp when you have non-caring, airhead musicians 
wanting it their way.  That is, they want pianos always unlocked and not 
covered, take the lid off any piano and not replace it, etc.



On the other hand, if I was a faculty musician, I would want the pianos 
available at anytime so my student could practice on our best piano all 
hours of the day.  And, if the piano needs worn parts replaced, frequent 
regulation, or the food snacks removed, we have a piano technician on staff, 
with a $1500 parts budget, that is paid to care for our 150 pianos.  We 
don't want to deny our students the use of our performance pianos as they 
have paid to attend our facilities and institution.  It takes time to get 
the key for the piano, unlock, uncover and then repeat the process. Our 
students are here to learn and study, not care for pianos.  They'll just go 
to another school if the pianos are not easily available.  (Does that story 
sound familiar?)



Now that my boots are getting dirty, I think I'll go back to my room and 
check my email.



Your Happy! retired technician



P.S.



If you like, I could give you a few suggestions how we controlled the piano 
use, keys, guidelines etc. These guidelines were before I retired and a new 
administrator was sent down from the state north of us, better known as 
Richard West country. .  .



Loren



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kent Swafford" <kswafford at gmail.com>
To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 9:00 PM
Subject: [CAUT] Care and feeding of stage grands


I have a couple questions about maintaining concert pianos on stages
at universities.

1) Do you have a policy about the touch-up of finish damage? I would
think a good-looking piano would generate more respect and care than a
beat-up one.  (Although I didn't think that the time a couple years
ago when we had a D refinished and the first week-end it was back in
service, it received more damage than it had before being refinished.
I still haven't recovered from that one.) Does anyone touch-up as
needed? Or perhaps annually? Never?

2) Do you have a policy on removing lids? It seems like every
recording project, every duo-piano performance, every large ensemble
performance requires the lid to be removed. There is also a history of
damage being done while removing and replacing grand piano lids.

Sure would like to know what various schools do. Thanks.


Kent Swafford