Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum opinions wanted, cruise ships

Hey everyone,

I've been lurking here for years, back in Larry's time. So if my sig is still not up to par, it's because I once worked for a major manufacturer. I've been tuning, repairing, and some rebuilding for over 20 years now, so despite my lack of signature, your opinions will be very much appreciated.

I'm recently single, my daughter is 18, my tuning business is not doing so well, mostly due to my negligence. I've tried to juggle too many things at once, gigs, tuning, buying a house, women etc...

I have to decided to audition for a cruise ship job as a piano player. I have all neccesary requisites, plus I am bilingual and a piano tuner.

I know that some of you tune for cruise lines.

How should I approach this, I would love to make extra money to keep the pianos in shape while on my contract. Should I just shut up for the first contract, keep my own piano up to par, and have other players ask for my services, or just be upfront and ask more right from the start. I really want this job, and I really want to to this right.

Thanks again for your comments and advice.

what a fantastic idea for a job!

i would definitely tell them you are a tuner tech.. that's as important as the entertainment.

there are 100s of entertainers, but how many entertainers are also tuners

dude.. you are valuable.

Thanks Apple, I think so too, but most people see tuners as blue collar workers that should come in by the rear door.

FIE ON THEM!!! (I would've said what I really meant...but I like it here...)

Get both gigs. You're some serious "value-added".

"The man who sells himself short isn't the man he thought he was."

Salut accordeur,
I played on cruise ships a few years ago, and I wish I had been a tuner/tech (which I still am not) especially when I came to play one night and the piano had been tuned to some weird temperament where nothing sounded right (to me). I had to wait till the next tuning to ask the tuner (same guy) to put it back to equal. He spoke little english and didn't seem to understand the word "temperament", but somehow he got it right.

Or that other time, while one of the headliners was a pianist (I played the synths for his show) and the string for G#6 had broken (you could hear it when he played Debussy's Clair de lune...) It would've been nice to be able to fix that.

Anyway, I understand your hesitation about mentionning your tuning career at your audition, personnally I wouldn't, but I'd bring my tools anyway and see how things are on the ship, and talk to the music director/ cruise director about it.

martin

Thanks Martin,

It is written in my resume, but I won't bring it up at the audition. I will bring a basic set of tools with me, IF I get the job, and see from there. Thanks again.