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For
me, the piano is one of civilisation's most interesting inventions. My
interest was captured when, as a young child, I lifted the top lid of
the family piano and saw how the hammers hit the strings when I pressed
the keys. This action and the sound that it produced was, and still is,
truly remarkable.
I
started working on pianos as a teenager in 1984. I was fortunate to
begin my career with Wayne Stuart,
who is now recognised as one of the world's great piano makers through
his Stuart and
Sons concert grands. I have also learned from master
technicians such as Yoji Suzuki (Yamaha), Max Matthias (Steinway
Hamburg), Franz Mohr (Steinway New York) and Gerhard Felmann
(Bösendorfer) as well as piano designer Mark Allen
and Nicholas Rogé, an early piano restorer and maker. Keith
Hill and Pietor Zimmerman enabled me to explore further aspects of
acoustics and the instrument making process.
In
this line of work I am very lucky to meet people who share my passion
for the piano. Some of these are technicians and professional concert
pianists who demand the best that an instrument can deliver. As well as
working with the technicians listed above, I have also collaborated with
concert pianists such as Pascal Rogé, Andreas Staier, Piers Lane,
Nikolai Demidenko, Roger Woodwood, Christina Ortiz and Barry Douglas.
I similarly enjoy working with people who make their living doing
"a day job" but who love the piano just as much as the professionals. In
short, I value meeting all types of people and sharing their love of
the piano.
I can proudly say that my interest and education in
pianos is lifelong. My main objective is to make you extremely happy
with your piano and your music.
Aaron Shackleford, Founder and Director Shackleford Pianos
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