He was only 16 when he got his first job in the piano technician industry. And he hasn't stopped since.

Today, with 25 years experience under his belt, North Delta resident Jack Houweling is still learning.

It all started in the family. His father was a piano tuner, an organist and a pianist. He worked with Music Man Pianos for more than 20 years.

Houweling grew up working with wood in the garage and helping his dad with pianos. "I was always a shop person, my whole life."

So when his dad got him a job at Berhnjak Pianos when he was 16, it felt natural, he said. The company was a well-known rebuilder for the symphonies, he explained.

And as he got older, his interest in piano work and fine regulating remained.

He has trained with certified piano manufacturers, such as Bosendorfer, Steinway and Shigeru.

"I tuned and tuned and tuned," he said.

"I got better at it and then came a point in my life where I was so passionate, I started attending conferences and seminars to keep getting better and better."

He attends two to three conventions or seminars a year, mostly in the U.S. and most recently in Las Vegas. Usually, these events yield about 600 technicians who come from all over the world.

A typical conference can cover everything, he explained. "It's tuning, it's building, repairing, new technologies, piano advancements."

But he took his education a step beyond just attending the conferences.

"I have this saying, 'If you stand on the shoulders of giants, you can see further.'"

So he did just that. He found the best technicians in the world and soaked up their knowledge.

"I was able to work with a few of them and train from them."

He said his greatest mentor was Andre Oorebeek, a technician from Holland. Houweling introduced him to the Vancouver scene and Oorebeek now comes to conventions in North America regularly. "He's one of the top technicians in the world," Houweling said.

Now, all these years later, Houweling's list of expertise is a long one. He tunes, repairs and restores and, in his spare time, he even makes tools for the trade. Some of them have gone into piano journals and sell worldwide. One of the tools that Houweling made, a voicing ring, was featured in a book written by Oorebeek.

He now services throughout the Lower Mainland and even ventures out to Quest University, near Squamish. He services Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Delta school district, Surrey Arts Centre and the Royal Conservatory of Music, among others.

Houweling said that the more passionate he gets about the industry, the more he knows, and thus, the more referrals he gets. "I keep searching and learning and learning and learning, so I get better. And my name gets around. Call Jack."

He has tuned for U2, Ike Turner, Smokey Robinson, Leon Fleisher and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

And his work varies depending on the client. For personal use only, pianos typically need to be tuned once a year. For pianists taking exams, probably twice a year.

When he tunes for big shows, such as Smokey Robinson, they often have him come back once a day, sometimes more, to tune things up to perfection.

"The piano is made to be tuned to the tension of A440 and it's best for the ear, most satisfying for the ear to listen to that tuned piano."

His motto? AAA - Always an apprentice.

Houweling is online at www.jackspiano.com.