Educating Managers

[David Love]

It won't do any good.  Just be sure to charge them for all your time.
They're decision to use you or not is just the way it goes in those venues
sometimes.  The fact that you've made  yourself available is worth no less
than doing the job itself.


David Love


----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin E. Ramsey" <kevin.e.ramsey@cox.net>
To: "Piano Tech List" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: November 08, 2002 6:31 PM
Subject: Educating Managers


        I don't know if the title of my email is an oxymoron or not, but
right now it kind of feels that way.

    Case in point; Tonight I had the opportunity to tune a C7 for Burt
Bacharat (sic?) up at some resort here in Scottsdale, AZ. During the sound
check some lady was up on stage and she sounded kinda familiar, so I looked
up and sure enough, it was Aretha Franklin her own self. Cool!

    But I digress. The appointment was made with Excell Corp.,  who handles
the rentals for these kind of things. I've had the paperwork for this for
three days. It was made clear to me that there was to be one tuning at four
o'clock.  I know the person who handles the accounts and sets the
appointments, and she doesn't screw up on these things. She gets this call
at 1:30 saying how they have to have a tuner there immediately, and have the
tuning finished by 2:30. I'm almost an hour drive away, so there's no way
that's going to happen. Then they demand that the tuner stand by and touch
up the tuning at 5:30.
    I get there at 2:15. I talk to the person who seems to be in charge of
what's happening on the stage, and she says there is no way that she can
give me the half hour I say I'll need, but I have to do a standby for three
hours  to do touch up on it. The piano has been moved a couple of times in
the last week since it's been tuned, but I checked it, and other than doing
a minor two or three cent mini-pitch raise in the low tenor, I only had time
to correct two or three notes that needed attention. Mind you, I would have
gladly done a full two pass tuning, which is what I thought that I would
have time for. While I'm doing this, they're testing their mikes etc.

    Here's the real kicker, I wait for two and one half hours, they light
the candles and pour the ice water, so you know that people are coming in
momentarily, the sound check is over, I go up to the stage and talk to this
person who seems to be in charge,,,,,,,,,,  and she says that I have five
minutes (Which is fine, because by that time I know I can only touch up
unisons). They start playing background music through the monitors, and she
says "You don't need the music turned off, do you?  YOU DO! Well, then never
mind, I guess you don't have to tune it.

    So I asked her who the production company in charge of the performance
was.... She said there really wasn't a production company, she was Burt B's
MANAGER!!!!!!!!!!!        Now, this lady manages a performer who is a
songwriter/Pianist, and she doesn't have a clue as to what it takes for a
piano technician to do his/her job.  "Oh, do you need the music to be off
while you're tuning????"

    I'm really considering typing up a paper on the real facts of life for
stage managers, production company people, and now, add to the list,
clueless managers, and when I encounter people who don't have a clue, just
handing them a copy....

    What I really want to do, is print out a sheet of paper that says in big
block letters :  I'M AN IDIOT!
Then give it to them and say   "Here's your sign".

    I know, I soon would have very few concert venues, but boy, I'd love to
do it just once.






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