It IS a full time job

[Wimblees@aol.com]

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In a message dated 11/15/01 10:58:38 AM Central Standard Time, 
fssturm@unm.edu writes:


> In circumstances where pianos as a whole will never be adequately in
> tune, let alone well-regulated and voiced, and don't even mention trying
> 

I want to thank the people who have responded to this post. It has been 
interesting, to say the least, to learn about the different situations around 
the country. I guess I should consider myself extremely lucky to have landed 
a position in a school where the chairman, and the dean, do care about the 
condition of the pianos, and are willing to part with the money, both in the 
terms of my salary and a budget for parts, to make my job that much better.  

But I got to thinking about the conditions some of you are in, or, as in 
Newtons' case, were in. Although it is important that we do our jobs as well 
as we can, sometimes I have the feeling that we (colelctively) take our jobs 
way too seriously. Yes, it is important that we do our jobs to the best of 
our abilities. But we shouldn't loose track of the fact of what we are 
working on. They are just pianos. If a piano with hard hammers is played, it 
is not going to result in a fatal crash. No one is going get injured if a 
couple of notes are out of regulation. And I have never heard of any one 
going blind because the keys weren't perfectly level. 

When I was a first year band director, band rehearsal was the last period of 
the day. Rehearsals were canceled numerous times because kids had to leave 
early to go to ball games, or school closed because of bad weather. If there 
was an assembly, it was the last period that was cut. As a result, I just 
don't think the band was ready for a concert. When I wanted to cancel the 
concert, the principal told me to have it any way. Guess what. The parents 
and the kids all thought we did just fine. What that taught me, was even 
though _I_ wasn't satisfied with the result, my superiors and the parents 
thought it was great. I put a greater importance on my position than those 
around me thought it was. 

This is a round about way of saying that if you do not have a budget, if you 
are only part time to take care of 80 pianos, or you have a chairman who 
could care less if the pianos are tuned, then so be it. Don't try to make the 
job worth more than what the "powers that be" want it to be. If a piano 
instructor complains about the regulation or tuning, tell him that you don't 
have the time, or the money, to do any better, and urge him to go to the 
chairman. If students complain about the condition of the pianos, tell them 
to complain to the chairman. Again, yes do the best you can. But if your 
superiors don't care, why bust a gut to please them. As the old saying goes: 
Rule number one, the "boss is always right." Rule number 2, "if you don't 
like what the boss does, refer to rule number 1. That doesn't mean you can 
request more time, more money, or better working conditions. But if the boss 
says NO, then work under those condition, or find something else to do.   

Maybe I'm looking at this from a "rookie" point of view. But I think what 
applies in the "real" world also applies in our world. 

Just my 2.5 cents' worth. 

Wim 

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