Alumni – October, 2023
Bobby Avey
Hackettstown, New Jersey
Lin Bai
North York, Ontario, Canada
Akane Behrens
Royal Oak, Michigan
Scott Burns
Helotes, Texas
Jose Cabrera
Pleasant Grove, Utah
Jason Cassel
Provo, Utah
James Fernandez
Dover, New Jersey
Joshua Gaither
Knoxville, Tennessee
Tobias Hamilton
Palm Springs, Florida
Adam Hayes
Milwaukie, OR
Lucas Heuer
Lavon, Texas
Jonathon Jacobeen
Manassas, Virginia
Robert Johannesen
Lunner, Norway
Tom Maeda
Maple Valley, Washington
Jared Maltba
Spanish Fork, Utah
Sofia de la Peña
Burke, Virginia
Jude Reveley
Lowell, Massachusetts
Aaron Reyburn
Rockford, Michigan
Luke Shanks
San Luis Obispo, California
Michael Stilwell
Mesa, Arizona
Mark Thurner
Los Angeles, California
Christopher Vesenka
West Palm Beach, Florida
Calvin Wong
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Yun Wang
Yun Wang
Curiosity may not have been good for the cat, but for Yun Wang it was the key factor that guided her into a life-long career as a piano technician at Absolute Piano Restoration, 171 Lincoln Street in Lowell, Massachusetts.
The company, founded by Jude Reveley, specializes in complete piano remanufacturing and service while also supplying belly components for the piano industry. They also have a small collection of extraordinary vintage pianos that they rebuild on commission or as time permits. In addition, they have contacts worldwide to find any piano in any style that can be meticulously restored to the customer’s specification.
“I used to watch a technician tune the piano at my school, and it made me curious to know what he was doing,” Wang recalls. That sparked her interest in pursuing training as a piano technician herself. And she has continued her educational pursuits, most recently graduating from the world-renowned Renner Academy, a division of Renner USA, headquartered in Carefree, Arizona. The week-long technical school is a comprehensive course designed for piano technicians who want to expand and perfect their knowledge in all areas of grand piano rebuilding and repair, including action replacement and regulation, advanced hammer selection and preparation, voicing, back action replacement, and damper regulation.
“I like working with pianos – they can keep you company without complaining,” she says jokingly. “They (pianos) do have attitudes, though,” referring to the many challenges a technician faces when working with such a complex instrument.
To learn more about the company, visit the Absolute Piano Restoration website, email Jude Reveley, or call 978-323-4545.
Trying to save his school district money on piano repairs led Thane Yennie into a new adventure that would become his life-long passion.
Learning the business from the ground up is not only a familiar saying, but it is the path that Richard Woodruff followed in developing his own business, Woodruff Piano Repair, in Tucson, Arizona. Woodruff also serves as a technician with the University of Arizona.
Robert Wilkinson knew early on that the field of music would be his career path. He pursued the more specific area of piano technology after graduating with a degree in music and apprenticing with a highly respected piano technician in Augusta, Georgia.
It was his apprenticeship for three years with a highly experienced piano technician that inspired Stephen Wallace to pursue a career in piano technology, serving MidCoast Maine.
Her positive experience at a highly respected private vocational school in Boston motivated Christina Scroggins to pursue a career in piano technology, founding her own business, Scroggins Piano Service, which serves the San Francisco Bay area in California.
Earning money for Arabic language studies motivated Jared Rowles to pursue piano technology studies as a high school homeschool student years ago. Today, his career and his piano tuning and repair business have blossomed, enabling him not only to provide for his family but to serve his community as well.
Growing up with many pianos as a child, Will Roper was encouraged by his parents to learn how to tune them. That encouragement influenced Roper over the years to pursue a career as a basic piano instructor at North Bennet Street School in Boston, Massachusetts. Today, he specializes in trade school education and offers his expertise to other piano owners.
Pianos have always fascinated Scott Reitz, owner of Scott Reitz Piano Service and a registered piano technician serving Los Angeles, California, and surrounding areas.
An expert guitar luthier and owner of a guitar restoration business, Eddie Paik always was fascinated with the intricacies of piano technology – maintaining, repairing and rebuilding pianos with some 12,000-plus parts.
A love for music – and a need to develop income – combined to compel Will Lauzon to pursue a career in piano technology, a decision he has never regretted. “I wanted a job that would involve music in some way – one that would facilitate my ability to write and perform music without relying on writing or performance to earn a living,” Lauzon says.
It is not often that a concert pianist also knows how to repair and rebuild the instrument, but that is the story of Yoahn John Kwon, an independent piano technician in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
It was the encouragement from a well-known piano technician to become a piano tuner that eventually motivated Steven J. Hopp to develop his own business, Piano Works Gallery & Clocks in Midland, Texas.
The transition from the corporate world to the piano technology field was an easy decision for Paul Gates, owner of Gates Piano Service in Davis County, Utah.
In 1978, while studying piano in college, Kayoko “Kay” Forrest was offered a job at one of the best-regarded piano stores in the country, David L. Abell fine pianos. He employed some of the finest piano technicians in Southern California. This opened a path for her to train with mentors and teachers. “He was the consummate piano man,” Forrest says of her training, recalling his passion for excellent customer service.
From chemistry to the piano business – quite a journey for Bradley Evans, owner of Lynn Evans Piano Service in Taylorsville, Mississippi.
Tuning and fixing pianos proved more interesting than just selling them, says Gregory Davidson, in explaining why he founded Topaz Pianos in Victoria, BC.
McKinley Corbley is a shop and field technician at Piano Craft, a dealership in Gaithersburg, Maryland, specializing in higher-end piano sales and rebuilding.
A family that valued musical talent and a hands-on work ethic influenced Dana Christensen at a young age to eventually pursue formal musical education which led to establishing her own business, Pianos by Dana, located in Bend, Oregon.
Growing up with pianos left an indelible mark on Tim Anderson, who today serves as lead technician with Tim’s Tuning in Woodstock, Georgia.
Matt Brown grew up in his father’s rebuilding shop. At seven years old, he began learning the trade and found his life’s calling in the process. Now the owner of Matt Brown Piano in Mesa, Arizona, he specializes in piano tuning, regulation, minor repairs, and complete piano restorations.
When she was young, Ashley Blaha was fascinated by watching the piano tuner work on her family’s piano. She started learning more and ever since, piano technology has been a life-long passion. She now has her own business, The Artful Key, in McKinney, Texas, that serves the larger Dallas area.
Physics, creativity, and a love for hands-on work are the key ingredients behind the success of Ivory 52, a piano business founded by Amanda Casanova, serving Hudson, Wisconsin, and surrounding areas.
