Educating Managers

[David Love]

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Should read below ... "there is often not as much time as you like..."

David Love

----- Original Message -----=20
From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net>
To: <cedel@supernet.com>; "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: November 09, 2002 8:15 AM
Subject: Re: Educating Managers


The difficult thing about concert work is that your ass is on the line =
at
every performance.  While managers such as this sometimes don't allow =
you to
do your work effectively, you are the first one who will be blamed if
something isn't right with the piano.  It sort of goes with the =
territory.
The conditions for working concerts are often not ideal, there is often =
as
much time as we would like, yet our best work is expected.  It can be
frustrating.  And the irony is that we have done our work best when we =
are
not noticed.  Concert goers are not likely to remark "what a nice stable
tuning and voicing", but they will certainly remark if a unison or two
doesn't hold.  It can be a thankless task, but somebody's got to do it.

David Love


----- Original Message -----
From: "Clyde Hollinger" <cedel@supernet.com>
To: "Kevin E. Ramsey" <kevin.e.ramsey@cox.net>; "Pianotech"
<pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: November 09, 2002 4:13 AM
Subject: Re: Educating Managers


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.

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