The Master and the Apprentice

I am NOW AN APPRENTICE in the USM School of Music. I'm doing a work-study, which means I work and take classes. The classes I have are piano tech, piano lessons, and art appreciation (which is proving to be very cool). I am the apprentice to the piano tuner and I am helping him maintain the school's 99 pianos and he is teaching me to tune and repair them. It's very cool to be back in the Burg. I get to see Doc on Saturday....YAY!!!!! A summer without Doc is an empty summer...I agree with Elena on that.

I'm truly in my element down here. Today was practicing, morning class, sightreading, working on the Lakme duet by Delibes and the Webber Pie Jesu for a wedding and a church service. My training happens in the afternoon for the month of June. Today I was removing key balances out of a battered keyboard that Lonnie and I will repair. To get the balances out, I had to steam them out...nothing like smoked wood and hot glue. Then, I had to organize some papers for my prof and go practice some tuning for an hour.

With tuning, I have to be able to hear the beats so I can no whether the pitch is in tune or not. I had to stop after awhile because my ear is not used to hearing the same pitch pounded on the piano over and over. My ears started ringing, but then again, I was also tired.

A good day overall. After I was done at the FAB/PAC, I headed to the theater building to see my beau and needless to say, he was surprised I trekked over there. hahaha.