Tuning in the Dark
A brand new book by Steve Brady takes you behind the scenes into “Pianoland,” the world and career of a concert piano technician.
About the Book
Before every concert using a piano, whether in solo recital, chamber music, or concerto with orchestra, the piano must be tuned and checked to ensure the keys and pedals operate properly, and that the tonal spectrum is even. In the hours before the actual concert, a technician works alone at the instrument, often on a dark stage illuminated by a single light bulb, listening intently to each string while nudging it into tune, inspecting the motion of the keys and hammers, and playing scales to check for evenness.
Often called the “unseen artist,” the piano tuner/technician inhabits a world where differences as small as a few hundredths of a semitone or a few thousandths of an inch can have mighty consequences during a performance. If the performance comes off perfectly, with no obtrusive noises or obviously out-of-tune notes, this artist remains both unseen and un-thought-of.
Tuning in the Dark takes you behind the scenes into this esoteric world, and invites you to witness significant moments in the career of a concert piano technician.
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U.S customers: Click the “Buy Now” button below to purchase Tuning in the Dark for $19.99, plus shipping.
About the Author
Steve Brady served as head piano technician at the University of Washington for 25 years, as chief concert technician at the Aspen Music Festival for five years, and he continues to work as concert technician for the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. He has tuned and prepared pianos for approximately 6,000 concerts and recitals, and worked with most of the leading pianists of our time, including Murray Perahia, Alfred Brendel, Andras Schiff, Garrick Ohlsson, Emanuel Ax, Peter Serkin, Richard Goode, Claudio Arrau, Alicia de Larrocha, André Watts, Vladimir Feltsman, Lang Lang, Yuja Wang, Evgeny Kissin, Jeremy Denk, Chick Corea, Bill Evans, Hélène Grimaud, and Pierre-Laurent Aimard.
Steve served as editor of the Piano Technicians Journal for six years, and in 1999 the Piano Technicians Guild published his book, A Piano Technician’s Guide to Field Repairs. He was inducted into PTG’s Hall of Fame in 2012, and in 2016 he received PTG’s highest honor, the Golden Tuning Hammer award. In his spare time Steve enjoys cooking, dancing Argentine tango, and playing in a tango band. He lives in Seattle with his wife, concert pianist Judith Cohen.
