September, 1997

Piano Tuners: Pursuing the Beauty of Sounds
Here in Juilliard, there are three departments: Music, dance and drama. Some 800 students are studying and practicing, hoping to realize their dreams on future stages. In the Dept. of Music, aside from bachelors', masters and doctorate courses, a post-graduate program is also available. Today, I would like to introduce you a member of this"Professional Study Program," Mr. Masahito Asari(31) from Aomori City.
Mr. Asari became interested in musical instruments when he was a junior-high student. He chose not to become a performing artist, but a piano tuner. In September 1995, he was sent to Juilliard from his company (musical instruments rental company) as a professional trainee. With three professional tuners and another trainee, he is engaged in tuning and repairing some 240 pianos owned by Juilliard.
The studio full of pianos waiting for repair was like"A Hospital for Pianos." Just like every human has an independent personality, each piano has a different character. Also, tune colors vary by environment and performers. A piano tuner tunes the piano with understanding of the hall and the instrument's character as well as the performer's taste. I think a tuner is like a chef in Japanese cuisine, who decides what and how to cook after meeting his guest.

Mr. Asari says that during the past two years, he had learned that there was a dry "sound of New York" which was quite different from what he used to hear in Japan, which seemed to be more emotional, containing atmosphere. He also told me that he felt sense of tone differ by nationalities, possibly affected by architectural structures of halls(high ceilings in the US/Europe, broad and spacious halls in Japan), and/or different traditions nurturing variety in senses of tone.
I was so happy to talk with someone in Tsugaru dialect, but Asari-san left Juilliard in February after the two-year curriculum.

A piano tuner's day starts from 7:00 and about 30 pianos are tuned per day. With experience, they further search for the"beauty of sounds." I think their attitude is similar to that of performers who with the help of daily practice search for a better music.

All in all, Juilliard is not only educating performing artists but also tuners with reliable ears and skills. When I learned this, I was as much impressed as when I learned about the teams of professors from various fields cooperating to educate one student. Students like Asari-san added a new scene in my life in Juilliard.

Says Asari-san:"Nature, sensitivity with originality, spirit of inquiry reached to the state of stubbornness nurture a healthy, outstanding art. In Aomori prefecture, there is mother nature and all that you need to grow artistry. This could be affecting the reason of numerous artists from Aomori prefecture." Or maybe, that could also be the reason both of us from Aomori are studying in Juilliard...?
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