Mickey, this is a wonderful story. Thank you. I've always said that we should do the best work we possibly can on every piano we service, because we never _really_ know who might drop by to play it. :) Thanks again, Kent Swafford On 1/4/02 7:04 PM, "Mickey Kessler" <mickeykes@znet.com> wrote: > I've been offering my services as a tuner/tech to friends and family so as > to build my skills before I actually start charging. A few days ago I got > a call from a friend of my cousin, who told me she had an old upright that > her husband, a contractor, recently got in lieu of cash for some > job. Nobody in the house plays, she said, but when it was delivered she > ran next door and asked her neighbor, whom she described as a "professional > pianist" to come play it and tell her if it was okay. "When he played it, > it was beautiful, of course," she explained. > > I went over today. An upscale neighborhood of Los Angeles, near Griffith > Park. The instrument needs lots and lots of work the action's a mess and > it's missing two strings, but I was fine about that because I badly need > the experience. The lady told me more about her neighbor, the professional > pianist who played it the day it was delivered and made it sound so > good. "He goes all over the world and plays," she said. "I don't know > anything about classical music, but it sounded great. He's like famous or > something. He really lives in France where he's got like three houses, but > when he's in L.A he lives next door with some other guys who are > musicians. He always wears red socks." > > I gaped at her. Yeah. Her neighbor is Jean-Yves Thibeaudet. > > When I finished work (a long story) she told me to wait because she had to > run outside for something. I waited, played with her kids for a few > minutes. She came back, breathless, and presented me with a Denon CD of > Thibeaudet playing Liszt. It's unreleased in America, she was told by his > housemates, who gave it to her to give to me (he's on tour, > evidently). She said they apologized profusely that they didn't have an > autographed copy for me. > > What a job, huh? > > Mickey Kessler
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