Piano Forte Tuning Service turns 25! September 2015

25B-dayHappy Birthday, Piano Forte Tuning Service!

Wow – time flies!  It was exactly 25 years ago that I started my business, Piano Forte Service, here in Nanaimo on central Vancouver Island.  A few years before that I had finished a 3-1/2 year piano apprenticeship under a Master Craftsman Piano Maker in Germany.  Once moving to beautiful British Columbia, I started my business right in the old city quarter of Nanaimo, offering piano rebuilding and repairs from my Piano Forte shop on Fitzwilliam street. Of course, I also offered piano servicing and tuning in clients homes, as I still do today.  I have fond memories of my first client who walked into the shop, wanting work on a very rare and unusal German vintage baby grand piano. I have tuned that wonderful piano for him for the last 1/4 century!

I would like to thank all of my clients whom I have so enjoyed working with over the last 25 years, I have the intention to continue my wonderful craft for many more years, and I hope I can be of service to you. 

Piano Forte – restoring harmony in this little corner of the universe, one piano at a time!

Horby Island Festival Piano Tuning – August 2015

I am DSC01744honoured to be the regular piano technician for The Hornby Island Summer Music Festival. Every year I take a week off from my local piano work in the Nanaimo and central Vancouver Island area to travel to this wonderful arts event.  It happens to be on one of the most beautiful British Columbian gulf islands, with extraordinary beaches, parks, and people. This renowned annual summer music festival hosts different international artists – folk, pop, classical and more.  For more information about the festival, please go to www.hornbyfestival.bc.ca

In addition to tuning the concert grand piano for the classical programs, I also service pianos for multiple private clients on Hornby Island.  This year I will be on the island from August 4-8th, 2015.  Please contact me to book an appointment for piano technician work.

Summer Street Pianos in Nanaimo – July 2015

Nanaimo is a beautiful place to be in the summer – emcompassing the best of Vancouver Island: the ocean, the mountains, beautiful weather, the arts.  This summer Nanaimo is a little more fun, do to a street project where two old pianos are outside in public spaces for anyone to play.  One is a grand piano in Diana Krall plaza, the other is an upright piano right on the harbourfront walkway, opposite the Port Theatre.  The upright piano is even painted with fun DSC06529and funky designs!

As a piano technician, I have volunteerd my time to ensure that the Nanaimo pianos remain playable during their outdoor stint this summer.  Keep in mind – these are old pianos, and this in not the best situation to put a piano in to keep it working well!  The over 2000 different parts of a piano prefer stable temperature and stable humidity, something that doesn’t happen on the waterfront of Vancouver Island.  However, it has been fun to hear the sounds of piano music wafting across the harbour this summer as anyone who wants to play can go give it a try! 

Piano Technician Professional Development, June 2015

I am pleased to announced that I will soon be attending the Canadian Association of Piano Technicians’ annual convention in Quebec City.  I had high-level training & apprenticeship in Germany in the 1980’s to become a piano technician, but the learning never ends.  As part of ongoing professional development in over 30 years of being a piano tuner, I regularly attend and teach at piano technician conventions.  At this convention, I will be teaching a special class for piano technicians about the use of felts and cloth in pianos.   For more information:

https://unisonus.ca/announcement/2015-annual-capt-acap-national-convention/

Please note that Piano Forte Service for Vancouver Island will be closed from May 27 – June 4, 2015.  I will resume tuning and repairing pianos in Nanaimo (and Parksville, Duncan, Ladysmith, etc!) when I return home. 

Quebec

Piano Service & Tuning for Hornby Island Winter Festival – May 2015

I am happy to announce that once again I will be tuning the concert grand piano for the Hornby Island Winter Series.  On Saturday, May 16th, 2015, Sarah Hagan will be performing with violinist Joan Blackman and cellist Ariel Barnes. 

For more information: https://sarahhagen.com

festivallogo
While on Hornby Island, I also book piano servicing, repair, and tuning for private clients.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you want your piano tuned!

I look forward to collaborating with the Hornby Island Festival once again in the summer of 2015.  For more information:  https://www.hornbyfestival.bc.ca

Spring Service for Pianos – Tuning up Vancouver Island

Hello!

I am pleased to announce that I am starting tuning pianos again, so feel free to book an appointment for the spring.  Unfortunately, breaking my left arm at the beginning of January put me “on hold” for all piano tunings.  What I first thought would be six weeks hiatus in piano work turned into a three month recovery period.  I appologize to anyone who had to have their piano tuning postponed while the arm healed.  Thank you for your patience!  I am now ready to repair, service, and tune your piano – serving Vancouver Island from Mill Bay to Qualicum Beach, and all the communities in between.
Sincerely,
Jurgen Goering

Happy Holidays 2014 from your Vancouver Island piano technician

Happy Holidays!  The month of December is flying by, and it’s a busy month for piano technicians.  I am always pleased to be repairing, tuning, and servicing pianos, knowing that music is still an important part of celebrations at this time of year.  I am tuning pianos right until December 22nd, 2014, for clients from Mill Bay to Courtenay, from Duncan to Qualicum Beach….and of course, in my home base of Nanaimo.  To all of my clients, I want to wish you Happy Holidays, safe and joyous celebrations, meaningful times with family and friends, and the joy of music throughout.  See you in 2015!
– Jurgen Goering

Piano Tuning in Yellowknife, November 2014

Once again, the north calls!  As I have been doing for more than a decade now, I will be off to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories to tune, repair, and service pianos.  This year, I will be travelling there between October 27th and November 9th.  I have many repeat clients that get their pianos tuned and checked every year – something that is especially important in a climate like Yellowknife, where the temperature and humidity change vastly throughout the year.  If you own a piano in Yellowknife, and would like more information about being on my client list, please don’t hesitate to contact me, as spaces fill up quickly.
In the meantime, piano services in the Nanaimo, Duncan, Parksville/Qualicum and the rest of central Vancouver Island area will be postponed until after November 10th, 2014.  I look forward to hearing from you then.
– Jurgen Goering

30 Years of Tuning and Repairing Pianos

My, how time flies!
It has been 30 years that I passed my German State Examinations to become certified and receive the diploma as a Journeyman Piano Maker.
A number of times during the 3 and 1/2 preceding years of my apprenticeship under an old Master Craftsman I thought the day would never come when I would finish the arduous training program.  But of course I survived. 

Once finished in 1984, I thought I had the world at my feet.  It took only a short while, however, to come to the understanding that my learning was far from over, indeed that I had only begun what would become a lifelong journey of more experience, broader knowledge and deeper understanding of the intricacies of the wondrous instrument that the piano is.

Even now, in 2014, I exchange ideas with local and international colleagues, I read technical articles, journals and books, I travel across the country yearly to attend technical conferences, expanding my knowledge.  I have also begun to teach classes at these conferences, sharing what I have learned with others in the piano technical community.

It is all in a cycle of living and growing and giving.

Servicing and Repairing the Nanaimo City Piano

A call from the City of Nanaimo alerted me: Piano Emergency!

This summer, Nanaimo has a public piano downtown for the everyone to play and enjoy.
Fittingly, the location chosen was in the Diana Krall Plaza, named for Nanaimo’s famous jazz pianist and singer.

But after only a few weeks in the open air, keys were sticking and notes were not working properly.  Complaints were coming in to City Hall.  City Hall contacted me at Piano Forte Service.  Two hours after receiving the call, I was on site, happily donating my time to tighten flange screws, re-seat action springs, adjust key pins, regulate the let-off and generally trying to make things work as well as possible on this little old grand dame.

Finishing off with playing a few tunes, I even got a compliment from a passer-by:  “I could hear the piano all the way down the street.  I am so glad the City took the initiative to place the piano here!”

Jurgen Goering repairs Nanaimo's Public Piano

Jurgen Goering repairs Nanaimo’s Public Piano

(Click on image for larger view)