Ode to Emil Fries

The Emil Fries Story

  • Born blind in 1901 in Brewster, WA
  • Learned to tune pianos at WashingtonStateSchool for Blind
  • Worked his way through University of Washington by tuning pianos ($4 each)
  • Married Nettie Fried, one of the people who read his textbooks to him
  • Upon UW graduation returned to WSSB to teach piano tuning.
  • In 1949, WSSB discontinued vocational programs, so Emil started a school.
  • In September 1949, the PianoHospital opened to teach blind and visually impaired students the skill of piano tuning and repairing. Ken Serviss, who eventually managed the school, was in the first class.
  • In 1965, Emil made the PianoHospital a non-profit organization
  • Emil passed in 1997
  • The WSSB auditorium was named in his honor