I am totally blind due to a brain tumor surgery which they did when I was ten years old.
I began playing the piano at age twelve, and continued to learn until college.
After that, I won a scholarship to go to university to study music.
Halfway through my studies I began to actually wonder what it was what I wanted to do.
I loved teaching, but it was difficult not being able to see the music notation of the student in front of me.
So for a few years I tried teaching, but it didn't really work out.
In my fourth or fifth year, I met the piano tech that came over from Austria, that tuned my lecturer's pianos.
I asked him if he would tune my practice room piano too.
He did, and I began to wonder about how it worked.
I knew there were other blind piano tuners around, but I didn't want to fall into a mindset that it was just what blind people do.
After speaking to a professor about this, I asked the tech from Austria to show me how to tune.
He set me a task, to tune unisons.
He spied on me through the little window next to the door, and told my lecturer that I seemed to enjoy it.
He unfortunately didn't have enough time to teach me, since his business was based in Austria.
I began calling around to hear if someone could teach me.
I looked on the internet, for schools or colleges where I could learn.
I came across The School of Piano Technology for the Blind, in Vancouver Washington, USA.
I thought to myself, impossible ... how could I get the funds to get there?
But God had other plans.
When learning from the guy from Austria again, a friend of a friend, heard of me wanting to go to America to learn.
Somehow, in three months' time, they got me a full sponsorship to attend the school in Vancouver.
It was an amazing experience!
I met a lot of nice people, learned a lot, went to the chapter meetings, and tried to cram everything into my head that I could learn.
Some of the things were hard to understand, while other things I became good at.
Now, after a few years, I opened up my own business here in South Africa, my competitors are busy retiring, and by God's help, my business and potential growing stronger.
My name is spreading all over the place.
I have a driver, and we travel far and wide to tune and service pianos.
Unfortunately the school which I attended in Vancouver, the Piano Hospital, or "The School of Piano Technology for the Blind" closed down a few months ago.
But hopefully, someday, my dream is to start my own school over here.
If you have a piano in need of tuning,
don't hesitate to give me a call.
If you are a fellow-technician, feel free to drop me an email.
Happy Pianos
We'll make your piano smile and sing again.