PTM 2018 E1 

'How To Listen To A Piano' 

Voicing with Boaz Kirschenbaum

What's in the episode?

  • Understand the tools, techniques, and artistic sensibility needed to transform a piano's character.
  • Get a sneak peek into professionally produced instructional video clips with high-quality sound from Boaz's upcoming instructional DVD/video training video called the Piano Voicing Handbook.
  • See, up-close, exactly how a seasoned, Steinway-trained, voicing expert produces that concert level piano sound.
  • View the participants' Q & A with the presenter during his presentation.
  • Witness the interactive conversation with other lecture participants during the presentation.
  • Learn to voice pianos more creatively.

TOPICS COVERED

  • What is Voicing?

    Boaz will introduce voicing and it's goals.  He'll discuss what makes a good sound and we'll be introduced to Boaz's four elements: Power, Sustain, Attack, and Color.​

  • Preparation

    We'll move on to the foundations of preparation for voicing: Tuning, regulation, filing hammers, mating hammers to strings, string leveling. All this will include scores of excellent example video clips that demonstrate techniques up close and personal.​

  • Taste

    Learn to develop taste and to balance your taste with that of the pianist. Understand the limitations of a piano and to what degree a particular tonal preference can be achieved. Learn how the piano maker, technicians and pianist collaborate to create tone.

  • Building and Practicing Skills

    Building upon the established foundations, you'll explore how to address false beats, get a tour of Boaz's voicing toolkit, learn how to build your skills from scratch, and have an up close look and listen needling techniques, especially as they apply to European and Japanese style pianos.

  • The Nuances of Tone Creation

    Learn how to apply deep needling vs. shallow needling. Learn how and when to use stabbing techniques. Learn how and why American style hammers differ from European and Japanese and what that means for how to voice them.

  • Hammer Hardening with Paraloid B-72

    Get the inside scoop on Paraloid B-72 and next level hammer lacquering and hardening techniques. Access detailed descriptions and close-up demonstrations of hammer hardener application. Build power and tone. Understand subtle, strategic applications of Paraloid B-72.

Biography of Boaz Kirschenbaum


  • Boaz was born in 1974 and was educated at the Beaver Country Day School in Brookline, MA. He attended the New England Conservatory and the Conservatory of Music at McGill University. He holds a Diploma in Advanced Piano Technology from the North Bennet Street School, and has been a technician for 18 years.

     

    Boaz worked as a full-time technician for Steinway & Sons from 2003-2006. He trained inside Steinway Hall and at the Steinway factory in New York City. Boaz is a graduate of the CF Theodore Steinway Concert Academy in Hamburg, Germany. His mentors include renowned Steinway concert technicians Ron Coners, Aleks Markovich, and Eric Schandall. He also learned piano-making from Klavierbaumeister Jan Kittel, and from Bruce Clark, lead engineer at Mason & Hamlin. Boaz was lead voicing technician at Mason and Hamlin from 2016-2017. In the fall of 2019 he completed his Steinway Spirio Training at the Steinway factory.
     

    Boaz has worked with Fred Mudge since passing the RPT exam in 2002 (Fred was his tuning examiner). In 2011, he became a Licensed Stanwood Precision Touch Design Installer to create custom piano actions. Boaz has rebuilt over 100 piano actions. He is a full-time field technician for Fred's Piano Service, and currently resides in Lincoln, MA.

Boaz has a stellar reputation in the Piano Industry

Dale Erwin:

Erwin’s Piano Restoration, Modesto, CA

“It is my pleasure to know Boaz. Having over 40 years experience and time invested in the restoration business myself, it is important to me that the next generation behind me has the personality, intelligence, passion & drive to satisfy clients. Boaz has all these qualities in spades. I have no doubt his clients will have an an exceptionally positive business relationship while having their heirloom Steinway , Mason & Hamlin, etc., serviced. He is articulate, passionate and cares about each client’s job as if he were taking it home himself.”

Jordan Porter

Fine Tuning, 
Boise, ID.

"Boaz is very competent in the field of voicing and does a fantastic job of transferring his knowledge to the participants of his lecture. I was very enlightened and entertained and appreciate his willingness to impart his knowledge with others."

"Boaz is very good at this level of voicing. His experience at both Steinway and Mason & Hamlin far exceeds many of our experiences."

Ron Moore: 

Moore's Piano Service, 

Fort Wayne, IN. 

 

Graduate of the Randy Potter School of Piano Technology. 

"Boaz knows what he is doing and is not afraid to share it. Very thankful for that as a technician that is new to this business"

 

Wayne Knox

Wayne's Piano Service

Belton, TX

Purchase

Purchase this episode for 297 USD and gain additional access to related downloads and a private discussion group. 

$297

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