About Me

Tuning by Tony is a piano tuning and repair service owned and operated by me, Tony Rodriguez.  I had my first piano lessons at 10, but I was more curious about how the insides worked. I have always had a fascination for music and the mechanical workings of pianos.  What many thought would be an 11-year-old boy’s short-lived preoccupation with the inside of pianos has blossomed into my own small-business servicing customers in West Michigan. 

In 2010, I graduated from a piano technology school. I have since received additional advanced training hosted at Montana State University. I continue my learning experience at the Reeder Piano Restoration Center in Lansing, Michigan.  I am a registered piano technician and a full member of the National Piano Technicians Guild.

My specialties include tuning and pitch adjustment, and general action and string repairs of all piano styles. I am proficient with regulation adjustments of vertical and grand pianos. (Regulation is the proper adjustment of about 2200 moving parts responsible for striking the strings in just the right way to produce the quality piano sound and experience). I am also trained to service Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver Systems, an automated humidity control system for pianos.

 I expect to actively enrich my skill in piano technology for the rest of my life.

My Story . . .

I live with autism. Piano technology is my strength. Social communication is not. I would love to explain this in person, but finding the right words in real-time conversation is difficult for me. I say what I mean, and being honest and accurate are very important to me. However, social nuance, metaphors, and words with multiple meanings are common communication cues that are difficult for me to understand. This can seem like shyness or awkwardness on my part, but sometimes it is just me trying to figure the meaning of what you may be saying to me at the moment.

On a personal level, understanding the needs and preferences of the person who is playing the piano is very important to me. My objective is to help each piano owner feel good about their piano. Although navigating life with autism has its challenges, I am determined not to let this fact define who I am or what I am able to achieve. When it comes to pianos, my autism is actually an asset because I see, hear, and feel things in the piano that others might overlook. When I am done working on your piano I hope you find the same joy and satisfaction playing your piano as I experience by working on your piano.

I look forward to meeting you and working on your piano. Your willingness to give me the opportunity to provide a quality service means so much to me. It gives me a place in a world that often overlooks who I am as an individual and a child of God.

Here is the link for the above News 17 video: https://youtu.be/N52K1imPNgk

[Go to: News 17 Video Script]

If you are interested in learning more about me, you can read an article written by Tom Rademacher and published in the Grand Rapids Press. Here is the URL address:

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2010/04/despite_struggles_with_autism.html