Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael McCauley.
Hi Michael, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I liked playing my grandmothers guitar when I was a child. When I turned 7, she gifted her guitar to me as a birthday gift, I was fascinated with the tuner machine mechanics. The gears that tighten the strings. I took them off and reinstalled them to understand how they worked. This layed the foundation of an interest in musical instrument mechanics. When I was 20, I began an apprenticeship at a luthier shop in Arlington TX performing set ups and repairs on guitars and orchestral instruments. My experience there eventually lead to working on pianos as well, where I found a niche as a restoration technician. I start each restoration process by seeking through a vast market of used pianos for a very narrow supply of high end, well-built pianos, and after an inspection to ensure that the selected instrument meets a rigorous battery of tests to determine quality of build and previous ownership handling, usage and storage, each piano goes to my shop, at my home in South Austin, where I perform a full disassembly, cleaning, make ready service, and finally a fine tuning. We have delivered pianos to the many local musicians, practice spaces, recording studios, performance venues, and even the state capital building for a choir performance.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We have met many challenges, from learning to prepare, repair, tune and deliver pianos. When my moving partner, my wife was pregnant with our son, I found myself sometimes moving pianos on my own until my oldest son Elijah was big enough to help out. He began lifting weights in the dirt back yard to get strong enough to help me deliver pianos. One night during a bad thunderstorm he was determined to lift weights out there despite my discouragement and was finally convinced to come inside when beneath a lightning strike, the weight bench collapsed. Luckily the bar wasn’t weight loaded so he was ready to help deliver a piano the next day!
As you know, we’re big fans of Austin Piano Garage. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I pride myself as a member of my community, as someone who can be trusted, when a piano is needed, as someone who can advise, and provide a high-quality instrument, fully prepared, with tuning, delivery, and warranty included
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is when I wheel a piano into someone’s space, and I know that they know that they have made a fantastic choice in sourcing a piano from Austin Piano Garage
Pricing:
- $1000
- $20,000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.AustinPianoGarage.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austinpianogarage
Image Credits
Elijah McCauley, Tiffany Howard, Mikko McCauley, Matthew McCauley
