I've got a good piano tuner

[kayre]

First of all, he's actually got social skills-- an amazing number of tuners are scarily odd people*. And he's really good at what he does. But here's the crown: this week I gave his name to the mother of a new student. I emailed the tuner: "I've given your name to BR. I hope you don't mind-- from what she says, it's probably an old beat-up piano, but the young student is very talented and I hope you'll do whatever you can to improve the instrument for him."

We spoke yesterday, and he told me he's not a piano snob, in fact he rather likes doing the junkers. "Anyone can tune a good piano. I enjoy the challenge of a troubled instrument, and love to help folks get more joy out of the old piano in the basement."

*I once worked with a tuner so determined to lecture me and show off his skills that I felt like I was being held hostage; I finally texted someone to call me and claim an emergency. However, if there was a man present in the room the tuner ignored me entirely, despite the fact that I was the client. (The church fired him, at my request.)

Comments

[amaebi]

Ahhh, that is a heart-lifting thing to hear. Thank you!

[gingicat]

Oh, wonderful!

When I was a teenager (I think - might have been college) I got to sit down with a piano tuner who loved to teach, in a good way, and was delighted that I knew the harmonic sequence.

[ranunculus]

I've known a whole bunch of piano tuners through work. You are absolutely right, many of them are very odd. Of course by the time a tuner is working for the San Francisco Symphony or the SF Baroque Orchestra usually the really scary ones have been weeded out.
One of my friends not only tuned pianos he built harpsichords and early pianos, though I'm not sure he is still doing so.
I think you are lucky to have someone who will tune up the old junkers and not just walk away from them!!

[cellio]

I'm glad you scored a good one! And that your student will benefit.