History
My name is Rocco Garofalo and this is my story of how I became a piano technician and how we developed this company. Born in a small town in the region around Naples, Italy, I was exposed to music at a very early age. I can still remember listening to my uncle play a banjo-mandolin-like instrument. Fascinated by the sound of those strings, I felt the urge to make music with my very own fingers. My poor family considered my necessity to be of secondary importance, and so I had to wait a few years before I had the opportunity to own my own musical instrument.
The opportunity presented itself to me one day in the form of a guitar neck that was in the hands of my friend. The rest of it was smashed in someone’s fit of anger. The task to structure a new perfect body was too difficult for me without tools and sufficient, proper knowledge.
But my desire to strum on something was overpowering. I decided to make a rudimentary instrument, creating a solid body guitar and bridge. It was essentially an electric guitar without any electricity. Perhaps you have heard how that sounds. I played this for two years. This simple project opened the door of curiosity on the fundamentals of music and sound. I started to investigate the physical laws that govern vibrating wire, how they segment to create harmonies, bridge positioning, and musical scales – all necessary knowledge for fretboard design.
The physics, and the fundamentals of sound in a piano and guitar are the same. And so I can say that I started the rudimentary study of piano at the age of 13 – and later in my life, when I became a serious student of piano technology, I confirmed this prior experience by formally studying the art of piano tuning.
The childhood experiences were so influential, that I learned how to tune a piano, by ear, within two months, and complete most basic repairs within a year. I felt this type of trade and craft suited me perfectly. I grew an attachment to my work, and the customer satisfaction and results surprised me in a good way. That beginning as a professional piano craftsman was over twenty five years ago.
My education includes a formal degree in construction engineering. I also studied guitar and performed as an acoustic guitarist at a young age.
I love my work. I give to it all my energy, fervor and imagination. I always aim to expand my horizons and stretch my knowledge, while maintaining my strong fundamentals in sound itself, the physics and quality of manufactured materials, and workable methodologies.
I am acquainted with numerous technicians in the area – all quite supportive fellows – and we are all members of the Piano Technicians Guild. I passed their exams and became a Registered Piano Technician (RPT) in 1997.
For all these reasons, I have gained the appreciation and respect of hundreds of customers through the years. They love what I have done for them – from simple tuning to complete restorations.
I never lose the opportunity to learn new skills and be able to give my customers ever-better services.