This past summer, the Gina Bachauer Piano Foundation found itself facing a peculiar mystery involving piano tuning.
In May, Kary Billings, the foundation’s executive director, installed “Key Changes,” an exhibit featuring six art pianos on Abravanel Plaza. He was aware that these pianos, already at the end of their musical lives, wouldn’t withstand the elements for long.
“This was always intended to be a temporary exhibit,” he explained. “We knew these pianos would be exposed to the weather.”
As it happened, one of the pianos became a home for bees, prompting Billings to place a sign that read, “Play at your own risk.” Surprisingly, one particular piano—a vibrant purple, black, and white baby grand—remained in tune and playable.
“The strings were staying in tune, and I thought, ‘how is this piano holding up so well?’” Billings remarked.
It turned out that someone had been tuning and repairing the piano.
“That person wondered how the piano was still in tune,” Billings said. “They thought they had just stumbled upon a piano that magically maintained its tune.”
The mystery lingered until a revelation arrived on two wheels before a concert on the plaza.
“I met him (Billings) at one of the Key Changes concerts and I confessed,” said Steven Mueller, the mysterious piano tuner.
Mueller, however, is not a professional piano tuner—far from it. He designs computer chips for a living.
Six years ago, after the death of a close friend from high school, Mueller was inspired by a touching eulogy given by the friend’s sister, who recounted how her brother, a guitarist, would take song requests from friends and learn the music to perform for them.
“I thought it was such a cool and selfless thing to do,” Mueller said. “I wanted to do the same.”
Having taken piano lessons as a child, he had long harbored a desire to play again.
“I wanted to express myself and be able to improvise and share the musical thoughts in my head,” he explained.
So, he resumed lessons, saying, “It scratches an itch in my brain.”
Always on the lookout for public pianos to play, Mueller discovered the grand piano on the plaza.
“I try to perform whenever I can, especially for an audience,” he shared.
While playing one day, he noted that the piano was out of tune.
“Some listeners agreed; they wished someone would come and tune it. I thought, ‘that person could be me,’” he recalled.
He ordered a tuning wrench and other necessary tools, learned from “the university of YouTube,” and embarked on a hobby that few people pursue.
“Tuning a piano is an art in itself. People study for years to master this technique,” Billings noted.
“It’s not easy; there’s a lot of subtlety involved,” Mueller admitted. “And a lot can go wrong pretty easily.”
However, he felt confident that he couldn’t damage a piano destined for the landfill, and patiently taught himself to tune it.
“Amazingly, he kept this piano in pretty playable shape for months,” Billings said.
“It’s not something I would typically recommend for amateurs,” he continued, “but he couldn’t harm it, and he is actually doing great things to keep it alive just a bit longer.”
“He extended the lifespan of a piano that was perhaps destined for the junkyard,” Billings added. “I think he did something wonderful by making it more enjoyable for everyone who happens to stop by.”
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