kungfubrothers


ADVENTURES IN PIANO TUNING





BATTLING & BRIDGING
EAR, MIND, HAND & SOUL



Eric Yao - UWO Piano Tech



journey to easter island



rapa nui



Pianos ARE Universal





March 2017 - Planning my vacation to Chile, Easter Island was at the top of my list of places to visit. What other things were there to discover aside from those famed stone Moai? Curious to explore and learn about this mysterious and most-isolated inhabited place on the planet, I wondered...were there any pianos at all there? That's when I learned about Toki.



TOKI


Rapa Nui School of Music and the Arts




Toki is a music school and cultural center for local children inaugurated in 2016. One of its principal founders is concert pianist Mahani Teave, who as a child began her piano studies with the only teacher and the only piano on the island. But within a year, the teacher had left, and the only piano on the island fell into disrepair.


"When the teacher left, my mum said it was just too cruel to allow children to dream but then not be able to fulfill them. That's when we moved to mainland Chile" - Mahani


Mahani did fulfill her dreams, becoming one of the most renowned pianists of Chile. She returned home to Rapa Nui with the inspiration to establish Toki so that the island's children wouldn't have to relocate like she had to in order to pursue their dreams.



THe pianos



"Tuning is not about the self"





With generous donations, the number of pianos on the island have expanded from that lonely old one, to nine of varying ages and condition. Pianos need regular servicing and care that goes beyond strictly tunings, and importing a technician from the mainland is an expensive endeavor. So when I contacted Mahani to volunteer my services, it was warmly welcomed.


Each piano presented its own challenges: pitch raisings, sticking keys, corroded bass strings, tight center pins, broken action parts, missing keytops, unglued hammers...the result after three days of laboring in the heat and humidity was immensely rewarding - to see the delight on the faces of Toki's budding pianists and to hear the richness of the instruments' true voices.



insanity



Einstein once said "insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results".

Look at all the parts in a piano - servicing one involves multiple adjustments done over and over, with the expectation of identical results.



Where are my tops?



"The key to success is action, and the essential in action is perseverence" - Sun Yat-sen



1890 August dassel



How did this old German piano still with its original candle sconces end up way out here on one of the most remote locations on Earth? If only pianos could talk...



What about keyboards?



Admittedly electronic keyboards are cheaper, easier to transport, not as prone to humidity problems, and don't have the servicing needs that acoustic pianos do. But they depend on an electricity supply, don't have nuanced tactile control, and definitely lack in the body of its sound.



i will return



I'll always remember my time on the island and the amazing people I met there. One day I'll return to Rapa Nui, but until then perhaps this little story will inspire you to bring along your own tools, whatever they may be, and wherever you dream of exploring.



Piano action models





AN INCREDIBLE FEAT OF ENGINEERING



Over the years I've collected many action models - which are functioning models of piano mechanisms reminiscent of Rube Goldberg machines. I don't have space to collect pianos, but with models I can have a dozen makes on a shelf. They are not only fascinating to examine variations/evolution in piano design, but are also handy to study and troubleshoot regulation issues. Continually amazes me that this wooden "machine" called a piano, can be subjected to such immense forces and still hold up for a century or more. What an incredible feat of engineering.



My 1917 Kimball
Grand



Behind the scenes



Wilbert I. Gates



1920 - 2010





I met Mr. Gates from responding to his ad in the Toronto Star Classifieds back in 2004. I wasn't initially shopping for an American piano, and certainly not one of such antiquity, but the price was ok so I thought I'd just take a look. Mr. Gates was a retired math teacher, who had served in WWII as an RCAF pilot. He and his wife were downsizing and their piano had to go. Although our interaction was brief, his thoughtful character was apparent in his concern over whether I could afford his asking price, which he voluntarily lowered. To my surprise, I walked away that day with a "new" old piano, that unbeknownst to me at the time would provide great reward to myself and many others. When he had acquired the Kimball and who any of its previous owners were is a mystery. Looking back, I wish I had asked him more questions.



"the kimball"



1917 - 2004





What attracted me at first were the carvings on its sides. Often carvings on pianos are a bit gaudy looking, but this had a smooth Art Deco look to it. This 6'7" professional grand was formerly a 'reproducing' grand, but its mechanism had been removed. Although it was completely out-of-tune, I could tell that its tone would be just as warm as its rich mahogany case. As with many oldies, the bass section had a tubby sound - new strings would take care of that, and there were cracks in the soundboard, but otherwise it seemed structurally sound. Its ivory keytops had been replaced with plastic at some point, yet its ebony keys were all still there. Although Kimball wasn't a top tier piano make, and isn't profitable to invest in restoring one, to me it was a good candidate for a personal project.



restoration years



2004 - 2011





Life is busy. When your priority is working for others, the tasks at home get neglected! So the Kimball sat for a long time, until a guest in my home questioned if I really loved pianos, and commented that if I did, then I'd get the job done. And so the marathon of "REs" began. REpairing, REplacing, REfinishing, REstringing, REdrilling, REbushing, REpinning, REpainting, REsurfacing...until it was finally done. You don't really know how things will turn out in a restoration, until the end. Thankfully I was pleased with the result. The touch was surprisingly light, even with the long key length of a 'reproducing' grand, and the tone was like a warm mug of mocha.

....ahhhh....mmmmo-chaaahhhh....



rebirth



A new life





Knowing every nook of the Kimball, its faults and imperfections, and still loving it. I tried calling up Mr. Gates to let him know that the piano was doing well, but unfortunately both he and his wife had passed on. Ironic that I got the Kimball from Mr. Gates as he was downsizing, and then I turned around and moved it into my condo suite. I was sensitive to the neighbours, so didn't push the 6'7" beast to its limits of volume. I did feel a bit selfish to keep the Kimball confined and not used to its full potential.


"Hide not your talents, they for use were made.

What's a sundial in the shade?"

- Benjamin Franklin



richview united church



2012 - Present





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Life is a series of overlapping circles, repeating stories, that neither have beginnings nor endings



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