[pianotech] Pianos in difficult settings; was A BIG BUZZZZZZ!

[Clyde Hollinger]

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Alan,

Commendations to you for hanging in there.  Unfortunately I don't always
have that much stamina.

When I began as a federal prison volunteer around 1997, I noticed they
had a 1990 Baldwin 6000 vertical piano in the chapel.  The prison was
built about that time, but the piano appeared not to have been serviced
since then.  It was up to 160 cents flat, two bass strings torn, lots of
bobbling hammers, the casters were gone, and the thin plywood at the
bottom of the back was loose.  I persevered to get in, in 1998 and again
in 2000, and took care of everything, but now the sustain pedal mounting
is pulled loose, and of course it needs tuned.

Have you ever tried to get in a prison to work on a piano?  I had to
detail everything I took with me, even though an officer was assigned to
me all the time.  If I didn't jump through all the right hoops, I could
drive the 90 minutes it took to get there and they wouldn't let me past
the front gate.

Since then I've given up.  It's too hard to contact the right people to
make the arrangements.  It's government, after all.  I'm still sad about
it.  Oh, yes, I didn't charge them a cent.  Volunteer work, you know.

Regards, Clyde

"Alan R. Barnard" wrote:

> Didn't know if it would be too "OT" (new term I learned here) and bore
> people. But since you described your day, here was my very memorable
> yesterday:  8 hours in a nursing home doing major work on a Chickering
> older than most of their residents (1910). Piano can't be moved to any
> place more private than right where it is. So ... Gentleman in
> wheelchair kept rolling past very, veeeery slowly.... <snip>  These
> are just a few of the highlights. The whole experience was sad, funny,
> and aggravating at the same time. Such mixed emotions are very
> tiring. Pray for me. Over and over again.

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