90 SECONDS: Mr Alan Burge
As parliamentarians we have the privilege of meeting people from all walks of life, and today I would like to share the story of a truly remarkable and talented man, Mr Alan Burge.
Alan is an 83-year-old man who is still tuning pianos by ear.
From a young age, Alan loved music, but it wasn’t until a friend asked him to tune an untunable piano that his desire and passion for this unique skill set began.
Reading all the workshop manuals he could and working with expert piano tuners, Alan’s talent for tuning and love of pianos led him to become an expert and then to be elected as secretary of the piano tuners guild.
It wasn’t long before he became the go-to man for tuning pianos in South-East Queensland.
Alan has tuned pianos for celebrities like David Helfgott, as well as for the Brisbane Jazz Club and countless community and local music teachers.
In fact, Alan has been expertly tuning and helping me restore a 1907 Australian made Beale piano in my electorate office in Wynnum.
By doing so, we have preserved this unique piece of history that would otherwise have ended up in landfill.
I’ve always loved listening to the piano, but Alan’s knowledge and expertise has inspired me to admire and appreciate the craftsmanship of pianos just as much as the music they make.
As ABBA said, ‘Without a song or a dance, what are we?’ So I say, Alan, thank you for the music and the joy that you have brought to thousands of people with your passion for tuning pianos.
