Brian Wainwright didn't start out to be a piano tuner. In fact, he's a mechanic by trade and he's always been interested in what makes things work. Pianos were just another interesting machine to him. He could get really interested in the mechanics of the piano. And it's just as well because there are 225 strings to be tuned and 16 tons of tension in an ordinary upright piano.

Piano tuners do not need perfect pitch, nor do they need to play the piano. Brian does come from a musical family though. In fact, there are organ and piano manufacturers in his family.

He keeps a couple hundred pianos in Yellowknife in tune as well as a half dozen grand pianos. There's not enough business to support himself full-time, but Brian is flexible and does other things like direct major musicals or build theatre sets. In fact, he was in charge of the set for the Queens visit to Fred Henne Park a few years back.

Depending on how often it's played, a piano generally should be tuned at least once a year. Pianos do not like change. Even stage lights affect pianos and they hate to be moved, even across the room.

Not only does Brian tune pianos, but he'll rebuild them as well. Broken yellowed ivory keys are replaced with shiny white plastic, broken hammers can be re-shaped and felts replaced. He just finished rebuilding an antique pump organ.

Although he hasn't found any rare coins or huge amounts of money in the piano inners, he has found combs, playing cards, poker chips and a mouse nest. Brian usually finds up to five dollars in change per piano and lots of beverage spills. And he almost burned out his vacuum cleaner sucking up "lots and lots of bird seed when the owners hung the cage a little too close".

"I love the job. I'm invited into peoples homes and I'm entrusted with their prized possession, often a family heirloom. It's a privilege that I get left with the piano and the dog."

To have your piano tuned or repaired, give Brian a call at 873-3958. He makes house calls.