|
Bill Shull first began tearing pianos apart at the age of 15. With the encouragement of piano tuner Loveland Cota, who also was Bill’s first voice teacher from age 13 to age 17, he purchased and restrung a 5’9” Kurtzmann grand piano while a high school sophomore, and also learned the rudiments of tuning and action regulation.
While in college Bill worked as often as possible in the piano rebuilding shop of Ed Seymour, the premier rebuilder in Riverside at the time, and a longtime member of the Pomona Valley Chapter.
In 1980 Bill began and completed an apprenticeship with Terry Banister, also an established rebuilder and Registered Piano Technician in the Pomona Valley Chapter. Bill then established his piano service business in the East Inland Empire region of Southern California and has been working full-time in piano service since 1980.
Bill joined the Piano Technicians Guild in 1983, becoming a Registered Tuner-Technician (RTT) in 1984 (now RPT). He has served the Piano Technicians Guild in various capacities.
Bill completed a Masters of Music degree in Vocal Performance in 2001 at the University of Redlands, and has performed as a baritone soloist in many concerts, oratorios and programs. He is former Director of Music (organist/pianist/choir director) at the West Covina United Methodist Church, and more recently served as the Director of Music at the First Lutheran Church in Redlands, CA. In 1998 Bill founded the Loma Linda Chamber Singers, a 12 to 16 member choral ensemble, which has performed seasonally since that date.
Bill is married to Ching-Ping Debbie Lin Shull, who teaches college Spanish and provides moral and practical support for the new piano store just opened in the Fall of 2007.
Bill has three grown children, who each have followed his artistic direction in their own ways. Johana is an accomplished flutist with a thriving music studio; Both Jonathan and Christopher are political science students. Jonathan is pursuing a Master’s Degree at CSU San Bernardino and active in the university forensics debate club, while Christopher is a student at Riverside City College, and currently serves as campus chapter president of Amnesty International..
Bill has a passion for the historical piano, with a concentration on the Erard from 1820 to 1880. He has taught PTG programs on the history of the pianoforte, the Erard piano in the 19th century, the Steinway Upright, and most recently and actively, the transitional Steinway grand (1856-1886). He is working to found a non-profit organization, The Period Piano Center, which will provide housing, conservation, maintenance, performance, study and teaching opportunities for.and on the instruments being collected.
|
Shull Piano Inc
