To learn more about Mike Reiter, visit his University of Oregon page. “We can’t continue to rely on the older generations for our cultural heritage,” he says. And he has been able to play world class instruments himself, an inspiration to his own work. It’s key to getting younger people involved to improve the future of the arts. He knows of two projects that moved older pianos to other countries, particularly Cuba and Africa. Mike thinks that accessibility is key to offering quality music education around the world. “Once that beautiful tuning is gone it must be recreated for the next player. But did we make a difference for the present and did I pass on some small bit of craftsmanship to the next person to use or enjoy?” It’s perishable like ice cream,” he says. “I would like to think that my work will be around for a long time, but alas, it’s not the nature of the tuning biz. All that we do is temporary. Mike hopes what he is remembered for is making a difference to the instruments. “Practice, listen, practice to listen, listen to your own practice and performance and lots and lots of critical thinking about your own playing, and ownyour playing,” Mike advises. When he prepares for these performances, he listens to recordings of proposed pieces for performance and take in as many samples as possible, being critical of the music. He then puts that together with his own musical judgement. He recently performed an organ recital for the AGO Lenten series, with no “real projects” lined up right now. He has done work as church organist as well as solo harpsichord performances. Mike isn’t only a piano tuner he is a performer, as well. “There was a little bentside spinet harpsichord that was just a joy to build and play. I was sorry to send it off but the owner cherished it and that’s what is important to me,” he says. There have been a number of instruments over the years that remained special for Mike. “I think the basic premise here is to provide an opportunity for others to think for themselves. They can them claim their own victory over the situation.” I might have to back track a bit to make the piano ‘mine’ but I will find a way to carry forward without blasting the previous technician,” he says. “I have finally learned to respect the work that someone has done before me and find ways to praise the work and continue on from that point. While working with his work study staff, he wants them to know what they are doing to help out and why they do procedures the way we do because, with rare exceptions, they are likely not going to pursue a career in piano technology. Mike also asks a lot of questions and has a willingness to help out other technicians and explain procedures. “The concert instruments require great scrutiny to meet the artist’s demands,” he says. “It’s time consuming and requires the concept of always moving forward. His department does a lot of triage, maintaining 125 pianos and nine harpsichords. “I pass it along to everyone around whether they wish it or not,” Mike laughs. This life motto comes in handy every day, as Mike’s role of piano tuner for the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance and the Oregon Bach Festival. “It could be as simple as playing a scale properly to that really complicated geometry problem, or even if I learned how better to deal with the difficult person down the street.” “His insistence that ‘the day was wasted if we didn’t learn something’ still rings in our ears today,” he says. His father was a high school science teacher and his siblings and he were required to share what they had learned that day, whether they were in school or not. As a child, Mike Reiter discovered that learning is universal and not contained to just the classroom.
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