This is totally accurate. I sell pianos for a living and the biggest bottleneck in the process of getting them sold and delivered is getting them tuned! I’m in a major city with a big music scene and there are not nearly enough technicians. Most have retired or passed away in the last decade and there are very few young ones to replace them. It’s not necessarily an easy job, and there are different levels of piano technicians. If you take it seriously and get good, there is plenty of money to made. Some of the best around make upwards of $1000 a day.
This is the most accurate comment possible. I would assume even more will retire in the next decade. It’s so important that we have more people step up!
With the advancement of digital pianos (considering better pricing and practicality) and the tendency towards more "appealing" instruments like the guitar, do you see the piano business growing in a struggling economy? Thank you, wishing you the best in your piano business.
@@danielalamilla8080 Yes! Pianos have experienced a huge resurgence over Covid and beyond into 2023. Most dealers around now have never been busier. The advancements in digital pianos have been great since good pianos are becoming more accessible at a lower price point, but still most teachers, students, and musicians still see them as more of a stepping stone to an acoustic instrument. The piano industry is in a great place right now.
what city? Great video also lad. Think Jonny Cash would say that. I'm 3rd Generation Tech. and worked to death. should be able to tune in an hour. Pitch raise 1.5 hr. that way, you can keep up during the Holidays... like Christmas! I can make 1/3 my income, in December. I also install QRS/PD and refinish also, so that adds to it. so Mitchell? who installs players for you? was it Bice? talk to Frank Seta? ex. Baldwin VP, he installed for him too. Great job. total pro. Frank ragged on me to make installs just like his... now. ask Frank. Better than factory. I want me work to look and play like Yamaha. that is what everyone should be chasing, per self players. best wishes Lad! (sorry for my addish remarks).
I am a 65 year old guy who bought an old Baldwin L that needed a lot of work. I was a piano major in college and this was my first "nice" piano. I learned how to tune, regulate, repair, etc.because I wanted an excellent playing instrument that was always in tune... plus, I love "historical well temperaments" and didn´t want to pay the $$$ to explore this world. Word got out and now I turn away work. It is a great way to make money and you meet awesome musicians who are SO thankful for what you bring to the table. Thanks for the video. I am sending it to a fantastic young pianist to hopefullly inspire him to learn this skill..... only because he will always have an excellent sounding and playing instrument. And you are correct!!! what you give away always comes back to you!! I also play and tune for my church for free. I believe musicians should be paid, but I am fortunate that I don´t need to money.... it is something that I love!!
ever since i watched ur shorts i realized i wanted to learn how to tune. but not to help other tuners but help me and my familly 1. to start earning money 2. so i can tune my piano myself :)
I love it! Thanks man. I cannot play the piano, nor am I interested in becoming a tuner, but it's inspirational for a middle-aged man like myself to see a young man like yourself make their way in this world. I'm looking for a new start during my mid-life crisis, so to have the inspiration from you is such a wonderful gift. I love your story and I love your channel. I hope to be able to take a leaf out of your book someday. I am not a religious man, but god bless you.
Amazing video! As an eighteen year old who's been interested in a career in piano mechanics for years, this is super encouraging. I've been trying to veer away from that aspiration for fear I could never actually make a living off of it, so your video is super inspiring. Thank you!
My grandfather was a musician and tuned pianos, he was the only one in a 200km radius around here that did it. I have some very dear memories of that time, always bring me to a good place seeing someone tune a piano. Thanks for your work!
I like the technical aspect of this profession but what got me hooked was the stories behind the pianos and the stuff found inside them. Good luck and hard works I think will grow your business to great heights. I can't wait until the next video.
I love hearing the life story’s of all my customers!! It’s definitely better than the technicals of the piano. Thank you so much for the encouragement :)
You are a Godsend. Thank you. I inherited a repair/tuning kit from an elderly blind friend i used to work for. She used to play piano using brailled music sheets. She was a widow and her husband learned piano tuning and his books were in braille. Tithing is an example of displaying trust in God. Works for me
This is such a well made video, Josiah! Love the format and the educational value you brought to the table! And congratulations on your growing success!
Really proud of you !been a piano turner was one of my dreams but I couldn't reach it.if I get a chance I would be more than happy to be a piano turner even at age 42.
Bless your soul, Sir Josiah. It's a breath of fresh air to see a content creator that genuinely likes to grow in spite of their fast rise to "popularity". And it seems that you're really invest a lot to this passion of yours and being perfectly honest without being sound "too braggy". Keep it up, looking forward to your new contents.
Came across your shorts randomly and I just want to say that you’re an amazing young man and you have a passion, an authenticity, and a kindness that’s so rare to find on social media. I love the more in depth videos and enjoy hearing the history of a piano and the neat little pieces of their lives you find intertwined. I wish you so much success and happiness and may you always have the love to continue. Seeing how happy you make others is truly a blessing. ❤
You’ve just gained a subscriber. I’ve been considering tuning as a hobby and finding this channel at its crawling stages really sets the foundation on what I consider to do. Can’t wait to see what other content you do plan to include. Maybe as constructive criticism, please do use the technical terms. Some of us like myself would like to learn what each piece is as we are here to learn. I mention this since in one of your videos you mentioned that you don’t want to confuse anyone with the technical terms but I don’t think it’ll be confusing at all. In fact it would help.
Great video - I’m a full time professional piano technician and it’s so great to see a very young person getting into this full time, making videos and just generally letting other young people see this career field is a viable and profitable option! I’m in my 30’s and there are no technicians younger than me in my area, which I hope changes! Keep making great videos, looking forward to following along!
Brilliant video! I've been a technician for 8 years, my father has been doing it for 40 years and retired. You're so right, not a lot of new blood coming into it, so it's a thriving business for those who can develop the skills. You always run into something new and troubleshooting is part of the fun in my opinion. So glad to see a new generation coming into it and we are a tight knit group and love to share, glad to have you on board!
I really want to learn how to tune my piano and be able to help others with their Piano cause where I live we don't really have many good piano tuners yet I know many pianist. And I will love to serve others with it. as Christian I love hearing you talk about tithing and giving, it's one of my favorite things to do
I was randomly scrolling through my TH-cam and found your channel. After watching this video, I feel so inspired to try this out. You are going to go far in life. Keep it up! I love how you mentioned tithing. God blesses the cheerful giver. God bless you. 🙌🏽
I didn’t really think that I would be interested in watching you tune pianos, but I find myself very interested in your process and really do enjoy watching the shorts. I’m desperately trying to catch up.
I don't know anything about pianos, and have never heard of being a piano tuner, but I watched the whole video. Super interesting!! Got here from one of your shorts.
Watching your video brought back a swarm of long forgotten memories. My grandfather, who died 50 years ago, used to “tune“/service/repair organs. He worked for Conn Organs which was, I believe, the largest manufacturer at the time, and traveled the US servicing the big organs like were used in the large churches and sports arenas. I can still remember him visiting us whenever he passed through our town doing some of his routes. This was in the 1960s and they lived about five hours away from us, so it was a big deal to get a visit from him! Keep doing what you love and having fun. That’s the secret to getting through every day!😅
Hey, new here but I have some advice to give as a business owner myself. You NEED to be considering driving time and scheduling in your pricing. The time and money it takes to get yourself from job A to job B on a given day adds up a lot. Those sorts of hidden expenses can hit you quickly so keep it in mind mate.
I too am a young aspiring technician who is interested in starting a business. I also took the Piano Technician Academy's piano tuning and repair course. I would recommend them 100%. Your videos are awesome. 👍😎
Kudos, Josiah! Sending well wishes from a fellow 'young' piano technician in Northern California. I'm 31, been in business for 2 years now, went through an apprenticeship before that, and am in that same situation of having far more work than I can actually take on. It's been a suprising adventure and a real honor and pleasure to learn, grow as a technician, do good work, and meet and connect with a lot of really wonderful people. Wish you the very best. Major kudos for putting a frame around your work and making content out of it.
Good luck in your buisness. I've been a self employed tuner in the UK since 2013 since being made redundant from the piano shop I'd been working at for 25 years. I started when I was 16 knowing nothing and ended up fully qualified in restoration and running the workshop with 5 people under me. We have the same problem here with old tuners either dying off or retiring. More work for me :)
I’ve been trying to get into piano technology for a few years now but my training opportunities so far have fallen through. It’s inspiring to see how quickly you got started and how successful your first year was. Congratulations!
I happened to find your videos only recently, and I swear, your videos inspire me so much to do the same, primarily because I love pianos, I can totally understand the joy of restoring old unused pianos and make them shine again for the sake of others, I live in Paris and maybe one day I will choose to follow the same path as you, as a French piano tuner that maybe will try to get demands overseas if I happen to establish myself elsewhere.
I greatly appreciate that you included “donations” as part of your budget. You were correct, that donations are not necessarily expenses. However, it is a good and responsible thing for business no matter what size to contribute to the community. I really think that was the highlight of the video for me.
Thanks for posting this. You're absolutely correct the older generation is ready to retire and there are few skilled piano tuners and technicians to do maintenance and repairs. I could even see a job where a piano tuner / technician was hired by a cruise line as many cruise ships have six to 10 or more pianos per ship. With the number of ships and a record number of cruise passengers I believe there's probably a great need. Good luck and keep those inspiring videos coming❤
You. have great energy and vibe, man. I started piano tuning about a year ago. I'm 34 and just starting to consider this as a serious business opportunity. Very inspiring to hear your trajectory, and thank you for being so transparent and honest. Greetings from Pachuca, Mexico.
Your AMAZING!!!! Love your work ethics, talent, business sense and transparency!! As a professional musician, pianist, organist, harpist and vocalist. After experiencing exactly what you described… finding someone qualified, even available and suffering a traumatic brain injury( falling 25 ft off a ladder and landing on my face!) I decided to learn the skills involved with tuning, repair and restoration of pianos. I had NO idea how difficult, complex and intricate the work is!! You are an inspiration!! Love your honesty and comments on charity and paying tithing😉❤️ Keep the videos coming!!!!🤩
Hey, I like your videos and your vibe man, I'm also a piano tuner/pianist and agree that there are fewer of us out there. The videos that I really enjoy are nitty-gritty, big project, possibly fast-forwarding through some tedius stuff, but just talking through what is being done and showing what is being done. I also work on organ restoration, and there are so so many skills to learn, I don't know what I would do without youtube. Don't be afraid to put some longer form repair videos up here. Try lots of things. You will learn a lot and by sharing what you learn you help elevate us all. You have a great start and I hope to see you flourish. Blessings!
As a total layperson to all things playing and tuning pianos, I would love longform videos of you tuning. The shorts are such soothing content and I'd love to see more. I don't want this to seem overly familiar with a creator, but just know I'd be very interested. It feels like this type of video could be a Baumgartner Restorations waiting to happen!
great video. FYI: the IRS does not allow any professional to take a deduction for services. For example: if you do a piano that you would have charged $150 for-but you do it for free, you cannot take a $150 deduction. Check with your tax advisor. I have had a band for many years, and lots of people wanted me to come play for nothing-saying I could take a tax write-off. My accountant showed me the regulations that disallowed that. I like your commitment to your church and other charities.
This is a RARE skillset to have, especially it you do these "on the spot, decent repairs"! You could really blow through next year. I'm looking forward for it!
I thought you might get a kick out of this, I had a business tuning regulation and repair of pianos many years ago and the name of the business was the piano dr. I had gotten certified on the business and ran in for several years in Orlando Florida. Really enjoying watching your videos now that I'm at age 76 retired and living in Mexico. You do a great job on your work and on your videos, best of luck
I've looked for piano technicians where I live and only found one. COUNTRYWIDE. I had to learn how to tune my piano four years ago when I bought it (it's a 50+ years old Yamaha) and there was almost no content about tuning pianos, so I really had to figure it out by myself. Lately I've found a lot more content I wish I had access to when I was first learning the basics. So yeah, longer videos like this one are necessary, even the shorts are very helpful and inspiring for me, so thank you for that 😊 I look forward to watching more videos like this.
Kinda hard to criticize and dislike, especially when all of this information seems very valuable to me. Thank you for this great content and advice. I subscribed today! 😄
I loved your video. It's fantastic to see a young guy, so positive and energised making his way in the world. I suspect that $32,000 is just the start. You're an inspiration, good luck.
You are definitely going about it in the right way. I had a conversation with a man who is of retirement age himself recently and his #1 piece of advice was to find a specialty skill, like piano tuning, where the current crop of tuners is on their way out (just as you described), apprentice under one of them and learn a skill that is needed. I think that is a great way of going about finding a career these days. I play the piano myself and I must say that all the tuners I know are of retirement age. What will happen when they are gone? You are certainly filling a need. Good for you and thank you for your videos. I enjoy them very much!
This video was awesome. I hope you continue to make videos about the business side in addition to tuning videos. Also you are in great shape for life! Starting to put money toward retirement at 18 is going to have HUGE benefits. Wish I had a piano to hire you to tune haha. Mines electric.
Thanks! I hope to make videos like this too and encourage other young people to become piano techs. As much as I would like to spend that money, I’m definitely going to leave it there.
I took piano lessons during my 7th-8th grade. Got board and picked up the guitar back in 92 and have been playing since. Here recently my wife bought me a piano about a few months and been back playing since. I find your video’s interesting. Think I’ll hang around and sub.
I'm an attorney but I'm also an A&P IA airplane mechanic and most of my clients own warbirds and some General aviation aircraft as well. I work on T-6 Texans T-28 Trojans 1guy owns a P-51. A lot of the older generation who knows how to work on Radial engines are no longer with us and the younger ones are not interested and not only are parts hard to find for these engines there will be no one to work on them also.
Thank you for sharing this. I love how you've explained everything and were completely honest about everything. I can see how you love what you do, and that is awesome. Keep up the good work.
I’ve been more vocal lately about my interest in going into piano tuning and repair because I’ve become more confident in my ability to make that choice. This video did inspire me greatly, not because of the pay, but because I can see that the business end of things is within my grasp if I’m thorough. My dream is to combine my experiences to one day be able to focus on organ repair and maintenance, and general instrument repair. I’ve been loving your content ❤
There is symbolic meaning in instrument tuning. People nowadays are so out of tune, disharmonic, a good instrument can help. Keep doing your thing my friend, blessings to you
Hearing that piano tuners need more hands and help is really ths main motivating factor for me. There's always demand for entry level/low wrung jobs, but its exciting to hear about a new industry that would want to have me!
Wow sometimes I forget how much goes into starting your own business. It’s awesome to see what goes into it and thank you for all your resources. As a Christian, it’s also very inspirational seeing you share how you give your tithes as well! I know not everyone gives them 😅 I may not be doing piano tuning in the future but this video gave some great insight, so thank you again!
Thank you for sharing your story and experiences with starting a business and the business you're doing. I appreciate the work and dedication that you are showing. Keep up the videos. One particular part of what you do that is especially interesting to me is the repairs to the piano's Action Stack. I am very interested in it.
I love hearing about Entreprenurial folks getting after it and I also love hearing about skilled trades - embrace the craft and find a way to get interesting sponsorships too!
Thank you for this video. I’ve been tuning my upright that I got a month ago. Totally new to this but enjoying the tuning process and wanting to learn more. Great job!
Great Video. I'm sure your business will continue to flourish. I'm in my mid 70's. In the 80's I learned to tune pipe organs. It's a similar concept, but obviously with different procedures. Also, even a small pipe organ has many more pipes than a piano has strings. About 10 years ago, I wanted to learn to tune my own piano. I was fortunate enough to gain the help of an accomplished piano tuner/technician who has been in the business for over 40 years. I tune my own small grand and the grand at our church, sometimes retuning my own just for the practice. I've done a few uprights, but I'd much rather tune a grand. What I can say for certain is that piano tuning requires far more precision than tuning a pipe organ. The slightest misstep in setting the temperament on a piano can be nearly fatal, not that the rest of the work is easy. Most pipe organs are far more forgiving to tune, even though it can take hours to complete the job. Keep coming with the videos.
I've enjoyed finding these shorts to see how complex the piano really is. As an engineer, I marvel how everything in a piano comes together to make the sounds it does.
Aye! Im 21 and started tuning full time for myself since this summer and it’s crazy how fast you grow. Never thought I’d be at 3 clients a day with no advertising in under a year, not to mention having the time and now the money to do the fun things I want to do lol. I really wanted to do some of the tik toks you do but just couldn’t find the time haha-are you based out of a big city? Edit 2: I’d love to see more of your logistics. Starting out I spaced myself at a client a day but soon went up to two. I sat there comfortably for awhile but the past month has forced me to go to three clients a day and it’s working but certainly not optimized. I’m curious how you go about scheduling/organizing your clients so you aren’t driving unnecessarily
3 clients a day in a year is crazy good growth! Keep it up!! I have 3 customers tomorrow, and I’m hoping to average that eventually. I’m in a fairly small city, but I still have plenty of customers coming in. Honestly, Gazelle has been a huge life/time-saver when it comes to scheduling clients so I’m not driving too far. It’s been awesome!! They have a free trial too. Let me know if it’s something your interested in because they have a system set up where if you sign up through a link I send I get $100. They offer that to everyone though, it’s not because of my TH-cam channel or anything.
@@PianoDoctor oops I just saw this lol. I’ve always been more of a country gal so I’m curious what a tuners situation would be like not in a giant city haha. Unfortunately I’m already a paying customer of gazelle lol, I’ve been pretty dumb and never used their map tool until recently which makes booking people close to each other much easier.
I'd love to tune pianos, but I can't play so my before and afters wouldn't be so impressive, nice videos! and sometimes the eerie befores are pretty interesting!
i think the background music volume can be slightly lower so we can hear you better but its very minor inconvenience and probably just me , great video!
This is exactly what I want to do. I would love to hear how you got into this so I can try in my area. Thanks for your content has really helped me realized how realistic this is.
Hey! I’m just starting to learn about Piano Tuning and hoping to get into it in the future, but I was curious what tuning software/app do you use on calls? Or what types of tuners (physical or digital) do you recommend? Love your shorts and it’s such an inspiration to know someone so young is doing this as their job 🙏🏻✨
You're an inspiration Josiah. I've been seriously considering going into this industry, simply because I would love to continue exercising my gift and passion. I've developed perfect pitch over time and I would love to employ the gift. I started playing piano at the age of between 5 and 6 yrs of age and I'm 46 yrs old. My gift of music was dedicated to God by playing 98% of my life in church, playing primarily the piano, but also guitar, trumpet, accordion, bass guitar. I did attend music school to learn to read music at a younger age and I sincerely believe it added to my knowledge of music. I would really like to get in touch with you via email or any other communication platform. Once again Josiah, you're and inspiration and... to crown it all... I learned that you serve the Lord God. Callaway Van Zeeberg South Africa
I understand the stress of no help I have been tuning for three years now and I am the only new one in northwest Arkansas there was are not many in the first place, it is a lot of work keep up the good work bud well done 👍
I’m excited for and dreading the day when both other techs near me retire… I’m sure I’ll get a lot of their work, so that will be good, but I don’t want to work 12 hours a day!!
You need to learn supply and demand. You have a trade skill. You can charge the same as electrician and plumber. If a plumber spends 5 hours in your house it's normal for a customer to pay 500 dollars. Boomers are cashing out their stocks and they have the money. It's your time to raise your prices. Charge the federal mileage rate, for going there- and back. Also for pitch raises charge for that gas trip as well. You're losing money by being too nice. you go above and beyond cleaning the pianos and checking every joint. A standard tuning is 100 dollars and for a grand piano often $120. Pitch raises I charge 50% off every time I have to return. So 50 dollars for a pitch raise + plus the gas. So an average pitch raise comes to about $200. Leave a magnet business card with each customer you tune in the home. If you spend 3 hours in some ones house, Expect to be paid 200+ In the city $300+
There is literally no where else for them to go or call so you can monopolize right now. Your smile and good customer service will be what they are paying for most. They will be happy to pay more when they know it's being done right.
Yes Watching this made me want to become a piano fixer If fixed a few hammers on our home piano but it’s old and different (or the same) hammers keep breaking down… so I’d like to do it and do it well!
You're such an inspiration! I've played with the thought of learning how to tune in the past for a couple personal reasons. May have to check out the course in my spare time. I inherited an upright from my grandma, and one day when I move, I was hoping to take it with me. Poor thing it is, it hasn't been played and been neglected for at least 10 years since she passed, maybe more as she quit playing a while before that. I'm not sure if there are tuners in my area, but I would love to learn how to tune and take care of it myself. Also want to because it was my grandma's and she was the sweetest person ever, so it would make me very happy to take care of her legacy in my family. I also go to a Bible school that uses an upright. The "tabernacle"-- we call where we meet-- is only screened in, so its basically outside. Unfortunately, the upright there is also outside so I'm sure it gets a lot of wear from the weather. Still, would love to help with that regard and donate a service, similar to how you felt when you go to churches.
Respect. Loving the piano and tuning and playing and the technique is a passion and this world needs younger guys who continue this passion. I restored my baby grand as an amature. Wanna see ?
Having seen the quality of your work, i honestly do jot care how much uou charge. You are worth every penny and more! I would dearlyblove to have you bring my 1903 Gerard Heinzman back to rights. Finding somtone who wants to work on an old instrument is difficult. Keep up thr good wotk
What area are you in? I started learning a year and a half ago on how to tune and become a piano technician. I’ve enjoyed watching your videos and helps me stay motivated.
![[UNBANNED] A SCANDALOUS Theory about Horowitz's peculiar Piano Playing Technique](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/C6iVT1qyj_8/mqdefault.jpg)
This is totally accurate. I sell pianos for a living and the biggest bottleneck in the process of getting them sold and delivered is getting them tuned! I’m in a major city with a big music scene and there are not nearly enough technicians. Most have retired or passed away in the last decade and there are very few young ones to replace them.
It’s not necessarily an easy job, and there are different levels of piano technicians. If you take it seriously and get good, there is plenty of money to made. Some of the best around make upwards of $1000 a day.
This is the most accurate comment possible. I would assume even more will retire in the next decade. It’s so important that we have more people step up!
With the advancement of digital pianos (considering better pricing and practicality) and the tendency towards more "appealing" instruments like the guitar, do you see the piano business growing in a struggling economy? Thank you, wishing you the best in your piano business.
@@danielalamilla8080 Yes! Pianos have experienced a huge resurgence over Covid and beyond into 2023. Most dealers around now have never been busier. The advancements in digital pianos have been great since good pianos are becoming more accessible at a lower price point, but still most teachers, students, and musicians still see them as more of a stepping stone to an acoustic instrument. The piano industry is in a great place right now.
what city? Great video also lad. Think Jonny Cash would say that. I'm 3rd Generation Tech. and worked to death. should be able to tune in an hour. Pitch raise 1.5 hr. that way, you can keep up during the Holidays... like Christmas! I can make 1/3 my income, in December. I also install QRS/PD and refinish also, so that adds to it.
so Mitchell? who installs players for you? was it Bice? talk to Frank Seta? ex. Baldwin VP, he installed for him too. Great job. total pro.
Frank ragged on me to make installs just like his... now. ask Frank. Better than factory. I want me work to look and play like Yamaha. that is what everyone should be chasing, per self players.
best wishes Lad! (sorry for my addish remarks).
@@danielalamilla8080 in my experience no keyboard has the feel of a piano
I am a 65 year old guy who bought an old Baldwin L that needed a lot of work. I was a piano major in college and this was my first "nice" piano. I learned how to tune, regulate, repair, etc.because I wanted an excellent playing instrument that was always in tune... plus, I love "historical well temperaments" and didn´t want to pay the $$$ to explore this world. Word got out and now I turn away work. It is a great way to make money and you meet awesome musicians who are SO thankful for what you bring to the table. Thanks for the video. I am sending it to a fantastic young pianist to hopefullly inspire him to learn this skill..... only because he will always have an excellent sounding and playing instrument.
And you are correct!!! what you give away always comes back to you!! I also play and tune for my church for free. I believe musicians should be paid, but I am fortunate that I don´t need to money.... it is something that I love!!
ever since i watched ur shorts i realized i wanted to learn how to tune. but not to help other tuners but help me and my familly 1. to start earning money 2. so i can tune my piano myself :)
It’s very doable! You can totally learn it
@@PianoDoctor i searched for a teacher in my area and found one. Gonna start soon! Thank you so much. Without u this wouldnt have happend
Nice :) I hope u succeed :D
I wish u guys the best of luck and realisation 😁
@@YairCusacovichhas it been successful?
Setting up a business at your age is quite an accomplishment by itself. Keep growing
I love it! Thanks man.
I cannot play the piano, nor am I interested in becoming a tuner, but it's inspirational for a middle-aged man like myself to see a young man like yourself make their way in this world.
I'm looking for a new start during my mid-life crisis, so to have the inspiration from you is such a wonderful gift. I love your story and I love your channel. I hope to be able to take a leaf out of your book someday.
I am not a religious man, but god bless you.
Amazing video! As an eighteen year old who's been interested in a career in piano mechanics for years, this is super encouraging. I've been trying to veer away from that aspiration for fear I could never actually make a living off of it, so your video is super inspiring. Thank you!
Amazing!! Thank YOU for the encouragement:)
My grandfather was a musician and tuned pianos, he was the only one in a 200km radius around here that did it. I have some very dear memories of that time, always bring me to a good place seeing someone tune a piano. Thanks for your work!
I like the technical aspect of this profession but what got me hooked was the stories behind the pianos and the stuff found inside them. Good luck and hard works I think will grow your business to great heights. I can't wait until the next video.
I love hearing the life story’s of all my customers!! It’s definitely better than the technicals of the piano.
Thank you so much for the encouragement :)
You are a Godsend. Thank you. I inherited a repair/tuning kit from an elderly blind friend i used to work for. She used to play piano using brailled music sheets. She was a widow and her husband learned piano tuning and his books were in braille.
Tithing is an example of displaying trust in God. Works for me
Dude this is inspirational for sure. Thanks!
Your attitude is really outstanding for a 18yo. I'm sure you'll be very successfully in the not too distant future.
This is such a well made video, Josiah! Love the format and the educational value you brought to the table! And congratulations on your growing success!
Thanks Grace!
Really proud of you !been a piano turner was one of my dreams but I couldn't reach it.if I get a chance I would be more than happy to be a piano turner even at age 42.
Bless your soul, Sir Josiah. It's a breath of fresh air to see a content creator that genuinely likes to grow in spite of their fast rise to "popularity". And it seems that you're really invest a lot to this passion of yours and being perfectly honest without being sound "too braggy". Keep it up, looking forward to your new contents.
As you should, you know how RARE it is to have this skill. Big time 🔥🔥🚀🚀🚀 can’t wait to see where you’re from! This is huge for the music business 🎼
Came across your shorts randomly and I just want to say that you’re an amazing young man and you have a passion, an authenticity, and a kindness that’s so rare to find on social media.
I love the more in depth videos and enjoy hearing the history of a piano and the neat little pieces of their lives you find intertwined.
I wish you so much success and happiness and may you always have the love to continue. Seeing how happy you make others is truly a blessing. ❤
You’ve just gained a subscriber. I’ve been considering tuning as a hobby and finding this channel at its crawling stages really sets the foundation on what I consider to do. Can’t wait to see what other content you do plan to include.
Maybe as constructive criticism, please do use the technical terms. Some of us like myself would like to learn what each piece is as we are here to learn. I mention this since in one of your videos you mentioned that you don’t want to confuse anyone with the technical terms but I don’t think it’ll be confusing at all. In fact it would help.
Great video - I’m a full time professional piano technician and it’s so great to see a very young person getting into this full time, making videos and just generally letting other young people see this career field is a viable and profitable option! I’m in my 30’s and there are no technicians younger than me in my area, which I hope changes! Keep making great videos, looking forward to following along!
Brilliant video! I've been a technician for 8 years, my father has been doing it for 40 years and retired. You're so right, not a lot of new blood coming into it, so it's a thriving business for those who can develop the skills. You always run into something new and troubleshooting is part of the fun in my opinion. So glad to see a new generation coming into it and we are a tight knit group and love to share, glad to have you on board!
I really want to learn how to tune my piano and be able to help others with their Piano cause where I live we don't really have many good piano tuners yet I know many pianist. And I will love to serve others with it. as Christian I love hearing you talk about tithing and giving, it's one of my favorite things to do
I was randomly scrolling through my TH-cam and found your channel. After watching this video, I feel so inspired to try this out. You are going to go far in life. Keep it up! I love how you mentioned tithing. God blesses the cheerful giver. God bless you. 🙌🏽
I didn’t really think that I would be interested in watching you tune pianos, but I find myself very interested in your process and really do enjoy watching the shorts. I’m desperately trying to catch up.
I don't know anything about pianos, and have never heard of being a piano tuner, but I watched the whole video. Super interesting!! Got here from one of your shorts.
Watching your video brought back a swarm of long forgotten memories. My grandfather, who died 50 years ago, used to “tune“/service/repair organs. He worked for Conn Organs which was, I believe, the largest manufacturer at the time, and traveled the US servicing the big organs like were used in the large churches and sports arenas. I can still remember him visiting us whenever he passed through our town doing some of his routes. This was in the 1960s and they lived about five hours away from us, so it was a big deal to get a visit from him! Keep doing what you love and having fun. That’s the secret to getting through every day!😅
Hey, new here but I have some advice to give as a business owner myself. You NEED to be considering driving time and scheduling in your pricing. The time and money it takes to get yourself from job A to job B on a given day adds up a lot. Those sorts of hidden expenses can hit you quickly so keep it in mind mate.
Thanks for the input, I will definitely be considering that moving forward
I too am a young aspiring technician who is interested in starting a business. I also took the Piano Technician Academy's piano tuning and repair course. I would recommend them 100%. Your videos are awesome. 👍😎
Kudos, Josiah! Sending well wishes from a fellow 'young' piano technician in Northern California. I'm 31, been in business for 2 years now, went through an apprenticeship before that, and am in that same situation of having far more work than I can actually take on. It's been a suprising adventure and a real honor and pleasure to learn, grow as a technician, do good work, and meet and connect with a lot of really wonderful people. Wish you the very best. Major kudos for putting a frame around your work and making content out of it.
You really inspire, I'm starting to tune pianos and I've already tuned 3
That’s fantastic!! The beginning is the hardest part. Once you get past that, it’s so much fun!
While I’m not interested in piano technician. It’s made me deeply think of being a farrier. Thank you so much for the inspiration! 🎉
One of the best videos when it comes to integrity and honesty. Superb pace, useful info.
Good luck in your buisness. I've been a self employed tuner in the UK since 2013 since being made redundant from the piano shop I'd been working at for 25 years. I started when I was 16 knowing nothing and ended up fully qualified in restoration and running the workshop with 5 people under me. We have the same problem here with old tuners either dying off or retiring. More work for me :)
Glad to hear your staying busy. Congrats on the success. There is no better feeling of knowing you’ve worked hard to get where you are.
I’ve been trying to get into piano technology for a few years now but my training opportunities so far have fallen through. It’s inspiring to see how quickly you got started and how successful your first year was. Congratulations!
I happened to find your videos only recently, and I swear, your videos inspire me so much to do the same, primarily because I love pianos, I can totally understand the joy of restoring old unused pianos and make them shine again for the sake of others, I live in Paris and maybe one day I will choose to follow the same path as you, as a French piano tuner that maybe will try to get demands overseas if I happen to establish myself elsewhere.
I greatly appreciate that you included “donations” as part of your budget. You were correct, that donations are not necessarily expenses. However, it is a good and responsible thing for business no matter what size to contribute to the community. I really think that was the highlight of the video for me.
Thanks for posting this. You're absolutely correct the older generation is ready to retire and there are few skilled piano tuners and technicians to do maintenance and repairs. I could even see a job where a piano tuner / technician was hired by a cruise line as many cruise ships have six to 10 or more pianos per ship. With the number of ships and a record number of cruise passengers I believe there's probably a great need. Good luck and keep those inspiring videos coming❤
Gazelle is life changing. Worth every penny!
100% agree
You. have great energy and vibe, man. I started piano tuning about a year ago. I'm 34 and just starting to consider this as a serious business opportunity. Very inspiring to hear your trajectory, and thank you for being so transparent and honest. Greetings from Pachuca, Mexico.
Your AMAZING!!!! Love your work ethics, talent, business sense and transparency!! As a professional musician, pianist, organist, harpist and vocalist. After experiencing exactly what you described… finding someone qualified, even available and suffering a traumatic brain injury( falling 25 ft off a ladder and landing on my face!) I decided to learn the skills involved with tuning, repair and restoration of pianos. I had NO idea how difficult, complex and intricate the work is!!
You are an inspiration!! Love your honesty and comments on charity and paying tithing😉❤️
Keep the videos coming!!!!🤩
Hey, I like your videos and your vibe man, I'm also a piano tuner/pianist and agree that there are fewer of us out there. The videos that I really enjoy are nitty-gritty, big project, possibly fast-forwarding through some tedius stuff, but just talking through what is being done and showing what is being done. I also work on organ restoration, and there are so so many skills to learn, I don't know what I would do without youtube. Don't be afraid to put some longer form repair videos up here. Try lots of things. You will learn a lot and by sharing what you learn you help elevate us all. You have a great start and I hope to see you flourish. Blessings!
As a total layperson to all things playing and tuning pianos, I would love longform videos of you tuning. The shorts are such soothing content and I'd love to see more. I don't want this to seem overly familiar with a creator, but just know I'd be very interested. It feels like this type of video could be a Baumgartner Restorations waiting to happen!
great video. FYI: the IRS does not allow any professional to take a deduction for services. For example: if you do a piano that you would have charged $150 for-but you do it for free, you cannot take a $150 deduction. Check with your tax advisor. I have had a band for many years, and lots of people wanted me to come play for nothing-saying I could take a tax write-off. My accountant showed me the regulations that disallowed that. I like your commitment to your church and other charities.
This is a RARE skillset to have, especially it you do these "on the spot, decent repairs"! You could really blow through next year. I'm looking forward for it!
You should post videos of you doing your work.
So we can also follow along and learn and do it for us too
Maybe How-to’s or tutorials
I thought you might get a kick out of this, I had a business tuning regulation and repair of pianos many years ago and the name of the business was the piano dr. I had gotten certified on the business and ran in for several years in Orlando Florida. Really enjoying watching your videos now that I'm at age 76 retired and living in Mexico. You do a great job on your work and on your videos, best of luck
I've looked for piano technicians where I live and only found one. COUNTRYWIDE. I had to learn how to tune my piano four years ago when I bought it (it's a 50+ years old Yamaha) and there was almost no content about tuning pianos, so I really had to figure it out by myself. Lately I've found a lot more content I wish I had access to when I was first learning the basics. So yeah, longer videos like this one are necessary, even the shorts are very helpful and inspiring for me, so thank you for that 😊 I look forward to watching more videos like this.
Kinda hard to criticize and dislike, especially when all of this information seems very valuable to me. Thank you for this great content and advice. I subscribed today! 😄
Kudos to you 👍
You are living the dream 👍👍
You’re in a very good shape! I wish young people such as yourself were as focused, smart and respectful . Your hard work will pay off in the long run.
I loved your video. It's fantastic to see a young guy, so positive and energised making his way in the world. I suspect that $32,000 is just the start. You're an inspiration, good luck.
You are definitely going about it in the right way. I had a conversation with a man who is of retirement age himself recently and his #1 piece of advice was to find a specialty skill, like piano tuning, where the current crop of tuners is on their way out (just as you described), apprentice under one of them and learn a skill that is needed. I think that is a great way of going about finding a career these days. I play the piano myself and I must say that all the tuners I know are of retirement age. What will happen when they are gone? You are certainly filling a need. Good for you and thank you for your videos. I enjoy them very much!
This video was awesome. I hope you continue to make videos about the business side in addition to tuning videos. Also you are in great shape for life! Starting to put money toward retirement at 18 is going to have HUGE benefits. Wish I had a piano to hire you to tune haha. Mines electric.
Thanks! I hope to make videos like this too and encourage other young people to become piano techs.
As much as I would like to spend that money, I’m definitely going to leave it there.
I took piano lessons during my 7th-8th grade. Got board and picked up the guitar back in 92 and have been playing since. Here recently my wife bought me a piano about a few months and been back playing since. I find your video’s interesting. Think I’ll hang around and sub.
Super inspiring, really encouraged by your faith too.
Take your time to explain in deep, about your dream is awesome... whish you all the best... and tks for sharing
Can’t lie this is super inspiring thank you for the transparency and insight about your craft!!
I'm an attorney but I'm also an A&P IA airplane mechanic and most of my clients own warbirds and some General aviation aircraft as well. I work on T-6 Texans T-28 Trojans 1guy owns a P-51. A lot of the older generation who knows how to work on Radial engines are no longer with us and the younger ones are not interested and not only are parts hard to find for these engines there will be no one to work on them also.
I've been considering piano tuning as a part time job, and this was good information. Thanks!
Such a good video ! You are young but are doing so well, I hope God keeps blessing you and stays guiding you on this amazing journey!
He’s blessed me so much already. Thank you for the encouragement
Thank you for sharing this. I love how you've explained everything and were completely honest about everything. I can see how you love what you do, and that is awesome. Keep up the good work.
I’ve been more vocal lately about my interest in going into piano tuning and repair because I’ve become more confident in my ability to make that choice. This video did inspire me greatly, not because of the pay, but because I can see that the business end of things is within my grasp if I’m thorough. My dream is to combine my experiences to one day be able to focus on organ repair and maintenance, and general instrument repair. I’ve been loving your content ❤
You won't be short of business any time soon my man. Good on you for doing what you do
There is symbolic meaning in instrument tuning. People nowadays are so out of tune, disharmonic, a good instrument can help. Keep doing your thing my friend, blessings to you
Hearing that piano tuners need more hands and help is really ths main motivating factor for me. There's always demand for entry level/low wrung jobs, but its exciting to hear about a new industry that would want to have me!
Wow sometimes I forget how much goes into starting your own business. It’s awesome to see what goes into it and thank you for all your resources. As a Christian, it’s also very inspirational seeing you share how you give your tithes as well! I know not everyone gives them 😅 I may not be doing piano tuning in the future but this video gave some great insight, so thank you again!
Thank you for sharing your story and experiences with starting a business and the business you're doing.
I appreciate the work and dedication that you are showing.
Keep up the videos.
One particular part of what you do that is especially interesting to me is the repairs to the piano's Action Stack. I am very interested in it.
I love hearing about Entreprenurial folks getting after it and I also love hearing about skilled trades - embrace the craft and find a way to get interesting sponsorships too!
Thank you for this video. I’ve been tuning my upright that I got a month ago. Totally new to this but enjoying the tuning process and wanting to learn more. Great job!
I don't own a piano... but I love watching your videos! Keep up the good work.
Bravo!!! Enhorabuena por tu trabajo. Comencé afinando mi piano y ahora afino algunos pianos al año. Tu canal me está ayudando mucho . Gracias
Great Video. I'm sure your business will continue to flourish. I'm in my mid 70's. In the 80's I learned to tune pipe organs. It's a similar concept, but obviously with different procedures. Also, even a small pipe organ has many more pipes than a piano has strings. About 10 years ago, I wanted to learn to tune my own piano. I was fortunate enough to gain the help of an accomplished piano tuner/technician who has been in the business for over 40 years. I tune my own small grand and the grand at our church, sometimes retuning my own just for the practice. I've done a few uprights, but I'd much rather tune a grand. What I can say for certain is that piano tuning requires far more precision than tuning a pipe organ. The slightest misstep in setting the temperament on a piano can be nearly fatal, not that the rest of the work is easy. Most pipe organs are far more forgiving to tune, even though it can take hours to complete the job. Keep coming with the videos.
I've enjoyed finding these shorts to see how complex the piano really is. As an engineer, I marvel how everything in a piano comes together to make the sounds it does.
Aye! Im 21 and started tuning full time for myself since this summer and it’s crazy how fast you grow. Never thought I’d be at 3 clients a day with no advertising in under a year, not to mention having the time and now the money to do the fun things I want to do lol.
I really wanted to do some of the tik toks you do but just couldn’t find the time haha-are you based out of a big city?
Edit 2: I’d love to see more of your logistics. Starting out I spaced myself at a client a day but soon went up to two. I sat there comfortably for awhile but the past month has forced me to go to three clients a day and it’s working but certainly not optimized. I’m curious how you go about scheduling/organizing your clients so you aren’t driving unnecessarily
3 clients a day in a year is crazy good growth! Keep it up!! I have 3 customers tomorrow, and I’m hoping to average that eventually.
I’m in a fairly small city, but I still have plenty of customers coming in.
Honestly, Gazelle has been a huge life/time-saver when it comes to scheduling clients so I’m not driving too far. It’s been awesome!! They have a free trial too. Let me know if it’s something your interested in because they have a system set up where if you sign up through a link I send I get $100. They offer that to everyone though, it’s not because of my TH-cam channel or anything.
@@PianoDoctor oops I just saw this lol. I’ve always been more of a country gal so I’m curious what a tuners situation would be like not in a giant city haha.
Unfortunately I’m already a paying customer of gazelle lol, I’ve been pretty dumb and never used their map tool until recently which makes booking people close to each other much easier.
I'd love to tune pianos, but I can't play so my before and afters wouldn't be so impressive, nice videos! and sometimes the eerie befores are pretty interesting!
I really want to get into this. I'm just not skilled enough at piano yet.
Hopefully in a few more years.
i think the background music volume can be slightly lower so we can hear you better but its very minor inconvenience and probably just me , great video!
It's not just you :)
lets gooooo@@viktoriab4293
Very informative, good luck !
Thank you much!
You are amazing. I'm an old guy (66) and you make me want to take up piano tuning.
An honest video about how much it costs to start a business. I wish you the best of luck with your successful career.
This is exactly what I want to do. I would love to hear how you got into this so I can try in my area. Thanks for your content has really helped me realized how realistic this is.
Starting my local business tuning! Going well so far, I was initially inspired by your stuff and I'm loving it.
Sooooo cool. Exciting to hear!
this is such helpful information man, priceless even.
Priceless? How about you pay me for it 😐
Just kidding. Seriously, thank you! :)))
Hey! I’m just starting to learn about Piano Tuning and hoping to get into it in the future, but I was curious what tuning software/app do you use on calls? Or what types of tuners (physical or digital) do you recommend?
Love your shorts and it’s such an inspiration to know someone so young is doing this as their job 🙏🏻✨
You're an inspiration Josiah. I've been seriously considering going into this industry, simply because I would love to continue exercising my gift and passion. I've developed perfect pitch over time and I would love to employ the gift.
I started playing piano at the age of between 5 and 6 yrs of age and I'm 46 yrs old. My gift of music was dedicated to God by playing 98% of my life in church, playing primarily the piano, but also guitar, trumpet, accordion, bass guitar.
I did attend music school to learn to read music at a younger age and I sincerely believe it added to my knowledge of music.
I would really like to get in touch with you via email or any other communication platform. Once again Josiah, you're and inspiration and... to crown it all... I learned that you serve the Lord God.
Callaway Van Zeeberg
South Africa
I understand the stress of no help I have been tuning for three years now and I am the only new one in northwest Arkansas there was are not many in the first place, it is a lot of work keep up the good work bud well done 👍
I’m excited for and dreading the day when both other techs near me retire… I’m sure I’ll get a lot of their work, so that will be good, but I don’t want to work 12 hours a day!!
You need to learn supply and demand. You have a trade skill. You can charge the same as electrician and plumber. If a plumber spends 5 hours in your house it's normal for a customer to pay 500 dollars. Boomers are cashing out their stocks and they have the money. It's your time to raise your prices. Charge the federal mileage rate, for going there- and back. Also for pitch raises charge for that gas trip as well. You're losing money by being too nice. you go above and beyond cleaning the pianos and checking every joint. A standard tuning is 100 dollars and for a grand piano often $120. Pitch raises I charge 50% off every time I have to return. So 50 dollars for a pitch raise + plus the gas. So an average pitch raise comes to about $200. Leave a magnet business card with each customer you tune in the home. If you spend 3 hours in some ones house, Expect to be paid 200+ In the city $300+
There is literally no where else for them to go or call so you can monopolize right now. Your smile and good customer service will be what they are paying for most. They will be happy to pay more when they know it's being done right.
Great advice 🎉
Wonderful content! Thank you for sharing your trait for others to appreciate. Best of luck on the business.
Very inspirational indeed. I wish i could have gone in that direction when i left school.
Can u make a video of your whole process?
Yes
Watching this made me want to become a piano fixer
If fixed a few hammers on our home piano but it’s old and different (or the same) hammers keep breaking down… so I’d like to do it and do it well!
I might want to actually do this Amazing video, love it all, and I love pianos, so yeah.
I knew you were that denomination! You just gave off that vibe. In a good way though. Thanks for making this video 🙏
Very well done video! Thanks. You are a generous spirit.
very well edited video bud. keep up the good work your doing amazing ;)
Thanks Reese :) I spent 30+ hours editing this one. It was a big learning curve!
@@PianoDoctor I can tell it was really well edited.
This was really cool! I would really like more like it!
You're such an inspiration! I've played with the thought of learning how to tune in the past for a couple personal reasons. May have to check out the course in my spare time.
I inherited an upright from my grandma, and one day when I move, I was hoping to take it with me. Poor thing it is, it hasn't been played and been neglected for at least 10 years since she passed, maybe more as she quit playing a while before that. I'm not sure if there are tuners in my area, but I would love to learn how to tune and take care of it myself. Also want to because it was my grandma's and she was the sweetest person ever, so it would make me very happy to take care of her legacy in my family.
I also go to a Bible school that uses an upright. The "tabernacle"-- we call where we meet-- is only screened in, so its basically outside. Unfortunately, the upright there is also outside so I'm sure it gets a lot of wear from the weather. Still, would love to help with that regard and donate a service, similar to how you felt when you go to churches.
Respect. Loving the piano and tuning and playing and the technique is a passion and this world needs younger guys who continue this passion. I restored my baby grand as an amature. Wanna see ?
Having seen the quality of your work, i honestly do jot care how much uou charge. You are worth every penny and more! I would dearlyblove to have you bring my 1903 Gerard Heinzman back to rights. Finding somtone who wants to work on an old instrument is difficult. Keep up thr good wotk
What area are you in? I started learning a year and a half ago on how to tune and become a piano technician. I’ve enjoyed watching your videos and helps me stay motivated.
That’s awesome! I live in West Michigan
I subbed because the videos are interesting but moreover because you are an inspiration to people who work towards doing what they love in life....
Dude, very impressed. You are going to have a super successful business methinks.