Ed, and all of you interested in the German piano certification process: We need to be careful making general statements about this process. It is still true in Germany, that only a "Meister" (Master) is allowed to take on and teach an apprentice for up to 3 1/2 year. This is so in many other trades like carpentry, painting, sales, bricklaying, you name it. At the end of this time the apprentice has to take a state examination to become a "Geselle" (Journeyman). The same training can be done in factories, stores, companies etc. under the condition, that they employ a "Meister" in charge of or at least overseeing the training. To become a "Geselle" has the advantage for much better wages over somebody untrained and it is the sole requirement for becoming a "Meister" in the future. Don't forget, only a Meister is allowed to train and hire apprentices. Apprentices are only paid pocket money. Many are happy and successful as a Geselle and don't want to spend the extra time and money to become a Meister. There is no law in Germany to my knowledge preventing a carpet layer from advertising piano tuning, repair, rebuilding. It is the same in this country, but the general public in Germany knows the difference between a "Meisterwerkstatt" (Master workshop) and a carpet layer. Traditionally this was done in my country for hundreds of years. Now, however, Europe is taking shape. They already have the same currency and are aiming at the same benefits, the same laws, the same everything if it suits the have less, with maybe the only exception of language. So in the near future, Germany has to give up all that good tradition of Master Craftsman, because many other member states never developed that system and are not interested in it. If the Germans don't wake up pretty soon, I guess they all will be speaking French after the next generation. The apprentice training is done for 3 years and ends with a 3 months course in Ludwigsburg and final examination at that school. If passed successfully, you are a Geselle or journeyman. You should work at least 3 more years or longer before thinking about becoming a Meister. This requires 6 months at the same school in Ludwigsburg with the final examination. It is really not true that you have to build your own piano from scratch, but you have learned so much piano technology that you theoretically might want to build your own if you have enough money or want to get broke. Regards, Hans Sander, RPT Uuniversity of Louisville >>> fssturm@unm.edu 06/16/03 09:42AM >>> Ed, Briefly, the German certification system involves several years of full time school and apprenticeship, followed by an exam regimen in which, among other things, the candidate actually builds a piano. Very much in the old world tradition of the guild. In Germany, this certification is required of any independent piano technician - it's illegal to hang out a shingle without one (there is an exception for someone who wants to hang out a mere "tuning" shingle). Bottom line, this is a very complex and cumbersome system, and one which will never happen in the US. That said, it is also quite admirable, and we in the US could learn a great deal from it. How to emulate? I'm not sure. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico --On Saturday, June 14, 2003 8:30 AM -0400 Ed Sutton <ed440@mindspring.com> wrote: > > Richard- > Could you say more about this, please? > Ed S. > > > But it seems to me that if one is first going to contrive some > certification above the basic skills required of an RPT, then it should > be more along the lines of what the German Piano Builder's certification > implies. > > Richard Brekne > RPT, N.P.T.F. > UiB, Bergen, Norway > mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no > http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html > http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html > > _______________________________________________ caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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