”Randy Cassotto is in a class by himself as a piano technician.
FURNITURE REPAIR |
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He’s the real deal.”
RESTRINGING |
Concert Tuning |
REGULATION |
As a piano tuner Randy Cassotto has worked for many renowned musicians and recently had the chance to be part of Brickman Bash in Nashville.
Earlier in the year Cassotto, a Canton resident who owns 88 On Pitch, tuned for Jim Brickman when the famous piano player performed at Infinity Hall in Norfolk. As it turned out, Brickman was so impressed with Cassotto's work that he had him down for the special run of concerts in the Nashville area for four days in July. Cassotto had the chance to travel to Brickman Bash with his wife Saren Rasmusson Cassotto. "Working directly with Jim was surreal," Cassotto said. "The experience had me recalling a concert of his I attended at The Bushnell in the fall of 1997 as a college sophomore. At the time, I remember thinking how awesome it would be to be up there on stage with Jim, playing his songs or how great it would be to one day become his piano technician. Over 15 years later, it all became a reality." The Brickman Bash included line dancing on the red carpet, a show at the Franklin Theater for a songwriter's table with people such as Tom Douglas and Stephanie Bentley. "It was a privilege to tune the theater's Baldwin grand piano for these artists," he said. A final Nashville performance featured Jim Brickman |
on piano, Anne Cochran on vocals, Tracy Silverman on electric violin, and ex-Indianapolis Colts tight end Ben Utecht on vocals.
In Nashville, Cassotto also had the chance to visit famous haunts and buildings like the Country Music Hall of Fame. "Every street in the downtown area has music on every corner," he said. "It is just an amazing place of entertainment. " Cassotto's work has provided further opportunity as he was invited to tour as Brickman's as Jim's personal piano technician/tuner for late fall holiday tour. Cassotto graduated with a music education degree from Westfield State. He started the business in 2005 and two years later nearly closed it. "I thought I might have made a mistake entering a profession as a piano technician in a recession," he said. But I pushed on and thought since my heart was in it, I just couldn't give up. It's paid off as he eventually got to work with artists such as Tori Amos, Dave Brubeck, George Winston, Marc Cohn, Judy Collins, and many more as the concert technician at Infinity Hall. He also works in private home, colleges, churches, schools and more. |
