As a piano tuner, my office isn’t your typical cubicle. While I certainly spend my fair share of time in living rooms, the pianos I care for have taken me to some truly interesting locations.
One of the more surreal experiences was tuning a piano right in the middle of a McDonald’s seating area. Amidst the aroma of fries and the chatter of customers, I carefully adjusted the strings. It wasn’t the most acoustically ideal environment, but it certainly made for a memorable workday!
Stages have become a familiar backdrop, though the atmosphere can vary wildly. I’ve spent hours in vast, empty auditoriums, some with a palpable sense of history and, let’s be honest, the occasional slightly creepy vibe when the lights are dimmed.
During my time working at a university, my tuning schedule was anything but conventional. Embracing my night-owl tendencies, I often found myself making my rounds between 10 pm and 3 am. The quiet, empty hallways and practice rooms provided a peaceful, if somewhat eerie, tuning environment, but it was the easiest way to get uninterrupted access to all the pianos.
Hotels and hospitals offer a different kind of ambiance. Tuning during the day means navigating foot traffic and fielding the inevitable question, “What are you doing?”. My personal favorite response? “Cooking a pizza.” The deadpan look usually buys me a few moments of peace, followed by a chuckle.
Retirement homes present their own unique social dynamics. While many residents appreciate the music, not everyone is thrilled by the process. I once had a gentleman offer me double my rate to stop tuning! Silence, it seems, truly is golden for some.
The world of live performance has also provided some unexpected tuning gigs. I’ve tuned pianos on stage while crews bustled around setting up for concerts, occasionally punctuated by loud microphone checks. Churches, on the other hand, can be incredibly serene, especially when I find myself the sole occupant of a large, echoing sanctuary.
School tunings usually happen after hours or during breaks, but there have been a few occasions where I’ve been asked to tune during a music class. The teacher’s request for quiet creates a rather awkward but undeniably interesting dynamic.
Outdoor tuning is an occasional part of the job. I’ve tuned pianos right on sidewalks, much to the curiosity of passersby. For a decade, I was the official piano tuner for the Iowa State Fair, a role that involved keeping several outdoor pianos in tune, often battling the elements. And perhaps one of the less glamorous but equally memorable locations was inside a sweltering trailer in the middle of summer, tuning a piano for a mover.
Every tuning job is an adventure, and the diverse locations I’ve worked in over the years have certainly provided their fair share of fun and unexpected stories. You never know where a piano will take you!