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  • Thread starter Thread starter SLuiCe
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Its funny ... I have a degree in IS technology and CCNA certification and what I do because of flexibility and I've been doing it since I was 6 is help my dad with his construction business ... popular field around here!
Dad can I have off Fri..... sure son.
But working for family can really be a challange... hard work! mentally and physically
 
I'm a piano tuner. I have about 2500 churches on my account list and about 1000 individuals. Since I can only do about 900 a year I'm tuning pianos all day and into the evening. Then I also gig 2-4 nights a week. Pays the bills but barely.
 
Advertising (and marketing services) Sales.

My last company went belly-up (another dot-com), and I've been out of work and living off of unemployment since January, although I have been able to pick up some paying recording gigs to help supplement. Oddly enough, I'm liking it to where I think I could do this full-time and be happy, even with much less money and all. Yikes! Help me! Chessrock needs work!
 
chessrock said:
Advertising (and marketing services) Sales.

My last company went belly-up (another dot-com), and I've been out of work and living off of unemployment since January, although I have been able to pick up some paying recording gigs to help supplement. Oddly enough, I'm liking it to where I think I could do this full-time and be happy, even with much less money and all. Yikes! Help me! Chessrock needs work!
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Great Chess...let us pay your way...

=)

Fangar
 
Hmm....

I got out of the army 6 months ago, where I served as a Staff Sergeant. Since it was during my mandatory 3 years, the pay was rediculous, but since I had no expences, I could save up for some gear. Also last year, while still belonging to the army, I spent the summer as a camp councelor in the Poconos.
Since I got out of the army, I worked for a while as an assistant sound engineer, and a rehearsal studio P.A. guy. I also had a few temp jobs (mainly technical stuff, but also moving offices and such). I had a couple of gigs, and even had one paying customer in my home studio. This Saturday I'm leaving for camp again, and next year I'm finally starting University, majoring in Middle Eastern studies (I know it sounds strange to most of you to start your Bachelors at the age of 22, but that's how it's done here...).
Hopefully, I'll make my way in the music/recording business at my new university-town.

Oren
 
Sorry about the off-topic bit. I was just so happy to be off that damn roof that I wasn't thinking about that. Just wanted to get to know my "colleagues" a little.

Thanks for all the responses. Very interesting!
 
Queue said:
hey chris,
speaking of post counts, I was searching around for a post I made, and found a rant of yours that was quite amusing....

something about anyone having a post count over 1500 should get a life...:rolleyes:

...sure wish that search index was rebuilt...

Queue
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Yeah...then you can "prove" to everyone that I said that....that'd be cool;)

aah....life before high speed and the Mp3 clinic :p

(wonder how many of those with a 1500+ count, and two month membership are still around:) )
 
mixmkr said:


back in the old days...I did actually make a crappy living as a musician, studio engineer...and all that stuff I still lust to do, but I prefer making money now!!

My main gig currently is a sailboat rigger, which I have been doing for the last 15 years or so....Nice job actually.

But!!!...I still do the occasionaly paying session out of the homestead now, and make a little bit more than a couple grand a year doing so...Nothing major, but more than pennies. I have the plans all set to build a larger studio at the house (add on), as I could actually do more recording than I do now, but I pretty much turn away drumsets, and large setups, etc... I'd like to get back into that again...but on my own terms now....like picking the gigs!! I've got zero competition, and Nashville is a good two hours away from me.
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I knew it had to be something cool, but that is too cool.. Good luck with that. It sure beats unclogging toilets for a living.:(


WARNING TO ALL WHO READ THIS: Do not flush paper towels down the toilet bowl... It could cost you a $100 if I have to clear the loaf! :D
 
hey sammy...the "heads" (or toilets) on a boat typically only have a 1 1/2" waste line as compared to a 4 incher in the house....and no trap!! ...and that's not to mention any reductions due to hose splices, bends, etc. Go unclog that!!! (motto....unless you've eaten it...don't put it in the toittie)
 
Hey Lt. Bob,
Do you tune pianos by ear, or do you use a tuner of some sort?

I learned from an old school, die hard purist that wouldn't hear of using electronic tuners. That was in the late seventies. I still tune by ear, but it's taken years of practice to learn, and it still takes about two hours depending on the piano. I'm not trying to make a living at it, but it seems you'd almost have to use a tuner if you were.

Twist
 
I work as a "business analyist" in the electric utility down here for the Market Research Department. Let me tell you, if you have never partied with a Market Research Person, you are really missing out (read Sarcasm)

Anyway, it is a pretty boring job, but that makes it pretty stress free. I can pretty much leave when I am done for the day (no sitting around and waiting for the next assignment) and go home to my small garage studio. But it does pay the bills and I can support my family, wife and three kids, so it's all good!
 
chessrock said:
Advertising (and marketing services) Sales.
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My wife's in advertising. That advertising recession that started early last year (well before 9/11 ) was tough on the entire industry. Seems to be picking up a bit now though.

I wouldn't want to live that high pressure corporate life myself but my wife loves it.
 
Hey Twist........I use a tuner but, as you know, the majority of it has to be done by ear. I'll use the tuner to set my temperment and then the rest is by ear. It takes me about an hour and fifteen minutes if the owner doesn't talk to me and up to two hours if they do. :D But people can't hear how well you've tuned for the most part and they'll use you year after year if they like you so I don't discourage them from visiting if they wish. I've been doing it for about 25 years and it's a full time thing. I'm booked up weeks in advance sometimes and one night a few months ago I tuned 'till 11:30 at night. Now if I only made the same hourly rate as a plumber. :D
 
So, you pianotuning-people, how do I find a good tuner for my piano? It's pretty much in tune, but sometimes it really hearts. Just some intervals... It's probably tuned by ear too. Actually, I'm pretty sure about that cause the guy that did it is blind. :D And he's got perfect pitch cause when I was at his shop I started playing Beethoven's moonlight sonata in Cm instead of C#m and he heard it. :D hehe... I was just playing it by ear too... hehe...
 
Roel,

I would just ask people you know for recommendations. Check out their pianos and see how they sound. If it sounds good to you, give their guy a try. If he doesn't do a satisfactory job on your piano, start over with someone else. Have it tuned twice a year. After you turn the furnace on for the winter, and after you turn it off for the summer optimally. If you're a serious player, once a year at the very minimum. Once you find a tuner you like, stick with him. He'll develop a relationship with your piano after a couple of tunings that should yield optimum results.



What kind of piano do you have; brand and style? How old is it? How long since it's last tuning?

Twist
 
It's a second hand Yamaha U3. Japanese import thingy, grey market I believe they call it? Don't know the age, I'll write down the serial number and look it up. But it's in excellent condition; sounds good all over the keyboard. I'm very happy with it.

I just bought it 3 months ago, and that's when they tuned it. They will come back to tune it again in a month, maybe 2... Then I'll really know what the tuner is worth...
 
twist said:
If you're a serious player, once a year at the very minimum. Once you find a tuner you like, stick with him. He'll develop a relationship with your piano after a couple of tunings that should yield optimum results.
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Those are the key issues. At least once a year every single year. All the reasons that people give to not tune their piano ( "oh, no ones playing it" or "It still sounds fine") are not valid. Since a piano goes out of tune over a years time.......you get used to it and it sounds ok.
Also, it can take a few tunings (i.e. a couple of years) to get a piano fully stabilized and it is helpful, as Twist mentioned, for the same tuner to do them because he will get a "feel" for that particular piano. Every single one of the damn things is different and behaves differently. I usually find once a year is sufficient for most people. But that might not be enough in places where the temperature changes more with the seasons than it does here.
Lastly, if the piano is below pitch very much it can take multiple tunings to get it up to pitch and stabilized. I consider anything over 1/4 step flat to require multiple tunings. The more below pitch, the more tunings. 1/2 step requires three tunings.
 
Just missed your post. The U3's an excellent piano. How much did you give for it?
 
I'll second everything Bob said. The cost of a tuning is small compared to what you pay for the piano, and the consequences take years to recover from.

If you love your piano, TUNE IT!


Twist
 
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