Jim Geiger

Video

Oral History Information

Interview Date
Job Title
Piano Technician

Jim Geiger’s first memory of hearing a piano was when his mother carried him into church in her arms. By the age of seven, he was taking lessons and within ten years he was being trained as a piano technician. The occupation fit him perfectly and he soon discovered that the greatest reward was not in being paid, but rather the fact that he was allowing his customers to make music again. Jim maintained the pianos at several colleges over the years including Houston Community College and Morehead State University where he often served informally as a counselor while there to tune the pianos. If he saw a student was in need of encouragement, Jim would take them to lunch and listen. His long association with the Piano Technicians Guild began in the 1950s when he was able to meet some of the icons of the trade, including Charles Frederick Stein and Leroy Edwards.