Hello to all my piano clients new and old. The months fly by, and the piano tuning and repair business just gets busier here on central Vancouver Island. From October to December I’m booked up and down the island – from Mill Bay to Qualicum Beach – tuning for piano teachers, recording studios, churches, and theatres. I tune pianos for private clients in Shawnigan Lake, Parksville, and all the spots in between….and clients must book early because everyone wants their piano tuned before the holidays.

In November I also made my annual fall trip up to Yellowknife, NWT….getting there right before the really cold weather hit. This year I worked overtime to tune an astounding 54 pianos in 10 days…those northerners really like their pianos to help get them through the long, dark, cold winter!

And I’ve recently began mentoring a new piano tuner, Cathy Sisson, a recent graduate from the North Bennett Street School in Boston, School of Piano Technology. Cathy has been helping me regulate pianos in my workshop, and will be doing the occasional piano tuning for me when appropriate. You may meet her soon!

I was also happy to be contacted by a school here in Nanaimo that had a student wanting to research piano technology as a career. He had the opportunity to accompany me to the Port Theatre in Nanaimo and watch and ask questions while I tuned the concert grand piano there. There is so much opportunity for new piano technicians in North America, but the training is 2 to 3 years at a minimum. However, it’s great to pass on some of my 35 years of experience and have someone else get excited about this career!

I wish you all the best for the holiday, and a great new year!

Jurgen Goering, piano technician, 250-754-2440