I started taking piano lessons at the age of five, the youngest of four boys who were all practically forced into taking lessons, I was the only one who asked our parents to sign me up. As a military family, we moved around a lot, and the piano became this almost emotional support structure for me as something that moved with us and remained constant in my life. As I got older, I explored other artistic mediums starting with theater and eventually went off to film school at Virginia Commonwealth University.

When I moved to Chicago in 2013, I reignited my interest for music and theater and started working with The Second City. I found an old beat up piano on craigslist and moved it into my apartment. I called a piano technician to take a look at it and asked if I could shadow him. I realized this was a skill I wanted to learn and started reading all I could on the craft. I used that old beat up piano as a test subject and began to hone my craft and use my newfound skills to fix up my music director friends’ pianos. I am mostly self taught, but have been lucky to have a couple of mentors over the years including Carl Radford, one of the other concert tuners at The Old Town School of Folk Music and former president of the North Shore Piano Technician’s Guild. I met Carl after he found out someone had been working on the pianos at the music school in his absence and was pleasantly surprised with the work I had done, so much so that he took me on as an employee. I learned a lot from him, and if I don’t get your business, I hope you’ll consider Carl.

Over the last ten years, I’ve had the opportunity to make music for stage and film. I’ve been a manager to two of Chicago’s finest venues including The Second City and The Old Town School of Folk Music. And I’ve been lucky enough to work as a piano technician for such fine institutions as DePaul University, Loyola University, Northwestern, Fort Knox Studios, The Old Town School of Folk Music and artists like Paula Cole, The Zombies, and Dawn Richard. Now, as a registered tech with Schaff Piano Supply Company, I have access to parts and services that only an experienced tech can do.

I love this instrument, that’s why I got into this line of work. I aim to leave each piano I touch sounding more beautiful than I found it. I believe that the piano should inspire the artist, the student, and the listener alike. I hope you’ll allow me the opportunity to serve you.

-Chris Crowley