[pianotech] A new one for me

[Diane Hofstetter]

Hi Tom, nice to see your name!  Tom said:


20% of my tunings are done with no one home, and most of those with no one to greet me. Even some brand new customers.   ---Tom Gorley
 

Probably my all-time favorite customer was a man who gave me directions as to where to find his key and where the piano was.  On the piano was a note to "please lighten the touch to be 1/4 of what it is".  I met him for the first time when he got home from work that evening.
 
 I was only about half done, but had to put the piano back together to get out of the mountains and back home before the storm got too bad.  While I packed my tools, he doodled on the piano.  The phone rang, it was my mother, worrying about my safety.  I heard him say "Yes! your wonderful daughter is here!" 
 
I did everything for his piano for the next 22 years, until he died. It was one of the richest learning experiences of my life and we also became good friends.----Diane Hofstetter