Piano man Grijalva keeps the University's ivories tickled white

Behind every pair of well-manicured hands that plays on many of the University's pianos, there's one pair with a few more cuts and scrapes.

(Photos by Martin Vloet,U-M Photo Services)

This pair belongs to Robert Grijalva, an assistant professor in the School of Music and director of the keyboard maintenance program. With a staff of two assistant piano technician Ron Torrella and tuner Jeremy Herrera—he tunes, preserves and restores the School of Music's pianos, whether it is an upright in a student practice room or a grand Steinway at Hill Auditorium. The last few years have brought the likes of Evgeny Kissin and Murray Perahia to Ann Arbor, and Grijalva is the head honcho when it comes to making sure such classical stars are comfortable on stage.

Grijalva says that every performer, famous or not, demands a high performance capacity from the pianos.

"Our job as technicians is to make sure the pianos on the stage can be taken for granted," he says. "So in that sense, my job is to make the piano invisible."

Though he strives to go unnoticed, Grijalva's work at the School of Music is anything but overlooked. He operates a custom rebuilding shop in the Moore building, complete with dozens of small tools, a drill press, sander and woodworking materials. His specialty is in keyboard restoration—more specifically, the mechanisms behind the keys visible to the player. Other jobs, such as the installation of new soundboards and exterior finishing, are generally handled by outside companies.

Currently, he is working with Piano Crafters of Plymouth on restoring an antique piano in the Martha Cook residence. The piano's furniture style and casing make it unique in the world. The piano was commissioned by William Cook, the benefactor who built the Law Quad, Grijalva says. "An enormous amount of credit should be bestowed upon the gracious alumnae of the Martha Cook residence hall, who responded to the challenge grant of Helen Panchuk, a former 'Cookie,' who put up half the money needed to restore it," he says.

While Grijalva works on repairing the keyboard and other interior mechanisms, Piano Crafters will restore the piano's exterior, including all the little ivory pieces that make up the key tops.

A piano technician since graduate school, Grijalva earned a master's in piano performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After freelancing as a performer, accompanist and tuner for a few years, he decided to pursue a career as a piano technician full time—not only because he loved the work, but also because it was a sound economic decision.

He finds that many of the piano performance majors at the School of Music have followed similar thinking.

"Sometimes my classes can open or usher in a career of piano technology which allows the students to remain in a music field but affords them flexibility in career choice," Grijalva says. "Many of them have made it as an economic choice as well. It doesn't mean that they will be technicians for the rest of their lives, but they are able to earn money on the side and it enables them to take care of their own pianos."

Grijalva, whose e-mail address is pianoman@umich.edu , finds the University to be a welcome place for studying piano technology.

"The fact that we have an institutional setting with established piano technology faculty is really a great thing," he says. "It means that you have a commitment to providing a high musical standard. And it's fun, it's a lot of fun."

Robert Grijalva tunes a Steinway at Rackham Auditorium, one of many pianos on campus he helps to keep in working order.

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