Piano Tech Radio Hour

Tune in to hear the maestro David Amram sharing unheard stories from his encounters with pianos and pianists across the globe, alongside recent collaborations with other PTRH community members. Explore the inspirations behind his most celebrated piano compositions. This session is a rare opportunity to hear directly from a composer who has not only created an incredible body of work but has lived...

In today's episode, we started with touching tributes to Tanya Ragir and Joe Patrych, honoring their legacies in our community. Additionally, Donna shared about the legacy of Joe Patrych, a cherished member of the New York piano community whose unexpected departure in December deeply affected so many. Donna Weng, moved by Joe's passing, shared heartfelt reflections on his life and contributions. J...

In this group discussion, Eathan talks about the annual PTM convention and the release of a lecture by David Stanwood who delivers a lecture about piano touch and tone. It’s a really interesting lecture and one key takeaway was about wool and its role in the sound of the piano. The properties of wool are really special for the creation of piano hammers and the tone we want to get out of them. The...

In this episode we have Isaac sharing two pivotal moments in his journey, illustrating his evolution from a musician to a piano technician. One significant moment occurred during college when he embarked on the challenge of rebuilding Fender Rhodes pianos, relying solely on online tutorials. Despite lacking an engineering background, his musical discipline and focus propelled him into the world of...

In this episode, we have Sally Phillips and Leo Holder. Sally talks about the amount of regulation a new piano needs. All the work that needs to be done to a piano before delivery will save you money in after-market servicing and enable you to get the trust of a dealer.  Sally walks us through her checklist of things we need to do to get the after-delivery servicing costs down. The same works for...

In today’s session, we give you a teaser of all that has been happening with the PTM Annual Convention by showing you sections of our most interesting sessions to give you a flavor of all that has been brewing and all that is to come.  Starting with William Manroe who showed us how to turn a 100-year-old piano into a work of art, in a step-by-step detail-oriented fashion. William starts by taking...

In today’s episode, Eathan talks about the PTM Convention and some of the instructors like Carl Lieberman give us a preview of their lecture at the convention. Carl’s lecture will be on cyber tuner, its AI feature, and why we should all care about it. Cybertuner also makes Pure12th tuning and Carl shares his take on it. ‘Pure’ might sometimes seem unachievable but Carl suggests that the 12th shoul...

In this episode, we had the privilege of hosting a pre-recorded session featuring the remarkable Claudio Constantini, a globally renowned multi-instrumentalist celebrated for his extraordinary talents as both a pianist and a bandoneonist. Claudio shared his fascinating journey from his upbringing in Peru, surrounded by a family deeply rooted in music, to discovering his passion for piano during hi...

In today’s episode, Eathan shares his experience of attending the memorial service of the late David Anderson, who used to be a co-host on this show, an amazing musician and an even better human being. Community members join in the conversion and each share a few thoughts about David, his unmatched energy, and incredible acumen as a piano tech. We touch upon lesser-known facets of David’s rich lif...

Get ready for a fun PTRH session this Saturday as we bring you an exclusive conversation with two distinguished figures in the world of pianos: Hannah Reimann from Stretto Pianos and Fanny Steingraeber from Steingraeber & Sohne, the renowned high-end piano manufacturer in Bayreuth, Germany. This special pre-recorded session has been meticulously curated to accommodate busy international schedu...

Donna Byrd and Susan Kline, two guests with the most insider information make it to today’s episode. Donna, a North Bennet Street School student and a consistent guest on Pinao Tech Radio Hour, has some fascinating stories to share. Alongside her is Suzan, a George Brown College of Toronto graduate, and a long-term piano technician.  Donna shares her journey to being a piano tuner, her experiences...

Dive into the harmonious echoes of our PTRH community in this episode, where the vibrant voices of participants weave together a tapestry of insights and shared experiences. From the lively discussions on piano tuning to navigating the unique challenges posed by the pandemic, our community came together for an enriching session that embraced the diversity of thoughts and perspectives. What a dedic...

This PTRH session features the remarkable Oliver Esmonde-White with guest appearances by the insightful Wayne Ferguson. They're two of Canada's finest piano pros. The episode unfolds with updates on Oliver's groundbreaking project—a revolutionary upright piano action. We learn about his versatile hammer rail/action rail development with a one-size-fits-all solution, poised to revolutionize the pia...

In today’s session, we join Carl Lieberman in person and talk about the importance of networking to thrive in the piano industry. Carl talks about how he has formed some serendipitous connections over time and where they stand now.  Networking can seem sleazy to a lot of people because you are doing it to get something out of someone but in this episode, Carl shares stories of how he has organical...

In this session, we bring you exclusive access to an interview with Jan D’Esopo, an artist and impresario who founded the Steinway Society of Puerto Rico which offers a forum for local musicians and funds local talents. The Society is a fascinating place that Eathan discovers in Puerto Rico and he sits down for a chat with Jan to discuss her journey as an artist and how she has built the place.  T...

Today’s guest is a bit more unusual than what we do here at PTRH which makes it special and fun - Danny studies product design at Columbia College where he focuses on guitars. He joined the restoration team and worked on restoring museum-quality pieces from the 17th century. He has been acquainted with a lot of power tools but prefers working with his hands which is interesting for us piano makers...

In this episode, our host, Eathan Janney broadcasts live from the colorful backdrop of Puerto Rico. The episode is a freeform discussion with the community in attendance. We kicked off by highlighting an upcoming virtual piano tech symposium designed for flexible learning and networking opportunities across various industry sectors. Community member Carl Lieberman, a seasoned piano technician, sha...

Our special guest for today is Sally Philips of Piano Perfect LLC. She’s world-renowned and a well-kept secret of the Piano Industry. In this interactive session, Sally talks about how to navigate some of the peculiar challenges of concert work and preparation, working for professional pianists. She also gives us an update on her professional trajectory and tells us what inspired it.  Sally tells...

Christopher Brown joins us today, and he has mastered various skills like concert tuning, rebuilding, and teaching. He’s an engineer, piano designer, and producer. Chris believes that all piano technicians are somewhat gifted at math, and has been able to use high school algebra and geometry to create a model for the workings of a grand action. This helps him better understand what happens when yo...

In this episode, the great piano player, Chano Dominguez - the great piano player joins us and tells us all about his upcoming shows, his experience playing on stage, and why he does not like traveling for concerts.  Chano talks about the piano he has been playing most, the technicalities of it, and the tuning process it has undergone. As a player, he tells us about the experience of playing on di...

In today’s episode, Steve Brady, the most highly awarded piano technician in the Pacific North West a member of the PTG Hall of Fame. He knows what it takes to make the piano sound like the instrument of dreams and he’s here today to share that secret sauce with us.  In this episode, Steve talks us through some common tools - but, chances are that you have not used them. Do you pre-coil the wire b...

In today’s episode, Del Fandrich, a consultant for various piano manufacturers across the world, uses the first principle of thinning to aid his designing process. Del talks about hybrid scales to help the short piano scales and their various applications. He delves into string lengths, tensile strength, and sounds.  Del is also working on compiling the book “Piano Tone Rebuilding” from three gene...

In today’s episode Carl Lieberman, a tremendous business advisor, a piano technician, and a hybrid tuner joins us to share his wealth of knowledge on pianos. He’s a garden variety piano technician who shares his journey that has seen all ends of this industry.  Carl’s mission in this session is to share his tips on how to make more money. He does this by talking about pricing. Carl says that the t...

In today’s session two exceptional guests, Wayne Ferguson and Cip Mayer join us, who have each been in business for over 40 years. They share their journeys, anecdotes, and insights about restoration.  Wayne talks about his actions to keep himself out of trouble within the restoration business. He also shares how he quality controls the action parts, and how that led him to meet our second guest o...

The owner of A440 Pino Services, and a second-time guest at the PTRH, Bill Manore joins us today and gives us a tour of his shop and talks about his business. He is a one-man show and tells us how he manages the different tasks of the business. “Just say yes and figure it out later” has been a mantra that has worked well for him.  He also shares his process of how to go about acquiring pianos. He...