Majority of us find ourselves still in bed at 5am in the morning, not for Scott Higgins though. He was appointed as the official piano technician of the Spoleto Festival in USA. This means that he is already awake at that time for breakfast. “If I get into a venue before anyone else does, that works best. I get to know the cleaners, but I’m in and out before anyone else arrives,” said Scott.
Every single day, he will do his daily routine before anyone arrives. On any normal day, he is able to check and fix up to six pianos. This includes him poking, prodding and playing scales to detect for any knocking keys or odd tones. During the 17 days of the Spoleto Festival, the ones who work behind the scenes are usually forgotten. They include the press office, the page turners, the security guards and the maintenance crew like Scott himself, who is in charge of keeping twelve pianos in tip top condition for the performances. In fact, he has been working at the festival since 1987. Since then, he hasn’t missed a single festival.
“There are a lot of good piano techs that are very qualified. That’s only 50 percent. The other 50 percent is how you relate to the artist — that they know you’re there for them and you want to make them happy,” stated Scott. He believes that tuning a piano is very similar to psychiatry as well. “I may get a call and not need to fix the piano. It’s how I’ve related to my client. The first couple of times that happened, I said there’s something else to this job,” explained Scott.
To Scott, it doesn’t matter how famous or upcoming or new the pianist is. He gets the satisfaction when he is able to assist these pianists and make them happy. “If I can be part of something like this and prepare something for someone and they’re happy with it, that’s where I get my thrill.” For the full story, you can check it out from here.
It is recommended that you should get a piano technician to assist in tuning your piano once in every six months. This ensures that your piano stays in tune and remains in good working condition. Maintenance is one of the key factors that contribute to the life span of a piano. This is something that many individuals tend to neglect. Piano Lessons SG offers piano lessons for both children and adults. Feel free to check out on our affordable rates.