Educating Managers

[Clyde Hollinger]

Kevin and list,

This story makes me glad I decided some years ago to leave all concert tunings
for someone else.  I never had that many anyway.  I'm just not interested in
that kind of stress, although such jobs may add excitement for those who need
more of it.

To avoid getting too verbose here, I would say only that it appears to me the
piano technicians need to learn to speak a language that those in charge can
understand.  What that language is is not something I'm going to try to figure
out, since I'm not involved.

Regards,
Clyde Hollinger, RPT
Lititz, PA, USA

"Kevin E. Ramsey" wrote:

>         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.