[CAUT] teaching piano tuning

[Ed Sutton]

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I believe the program at WITCC lasted as long as it did because the president of the school was proud to have a course that drew international students.  When the leadership changed, it became a question of real estate.  They can train wind instrument technicians in one tenth of the space it took to train piano technicians, so that program stays.

I was told that the North Carolina program was shut down partly due to political pressures on community colleges and tech schools to use state money to train employees for industry, not for private practice.  This, combined with a new teacher who couldn't draw enough students led to the end of the program.  I don't think many of the students went on to become RPTs.

What is the situation in Canada?  Are the schools funded nationally or provincially?

Ed S.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Otto Keyes 
To: College and University Technicians
Sent: 11/5/2004 4:45:06 PM 
Subject: Re: [CAUT] teaching piano tuning



>2. Market saturation. If we produced 5 or 10 RPTs a year … well, soon we’d >have too many locally.
>3. Competition with local technicians. Some are already upset that we produce >one RPT a year.

I believe both of these were factors at WIT.  I was out of there ('74-'75) long before Doug Neale took over, but it was a problem even then. I think it's been somewhat of an issue with any program, no matter the location or size of the market.  Though some students are recruited outside the area, I would guess that many are local/regional residents & want to stay in the area.  
 
I don't know how many of us WITless wonders in my class stuck with the profession, but I would guess that, in addition to the mid-course casualties, a fair percentage have fallen by the wayside, due to any of a number of factors.  Let's face the facts gang!  In addition to a good dose of the BS degree that is so sought after, eccentricity is an essential element for those of us who have managed to be over-strung for some 30 years (or more)!  
:-)
 
Otto
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Jim Busby 
To: College and University Technicians 
Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 5:20 PM
Subject: RE: [CAUT] teaching piano tuning
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