[CAUT] caut Digest, Vol 1090, Issue 3

[Jeff Tanner]

On Sep 19, 2006, at 3:01 PM, Willem Blees wrote:

> I've made a
> list of all the pianos with their current values, and replacement
> costs. He was impressed. But still no budget.

It's kind of like that here.  I do get recital fees in an account,  
and that's around $2500 a year.  Too much for tools and supplies and  
not enough to get anything real done.  I'm scared to spend it because  
(a) it costs 8% to spend it and (b) we could have an emergency  
later.  But nobody wants to commit state/tuition dollars to  
maintaining the pianos beyond a tuner's salary.  Our new dean wants  
to do something, but he just can't get folks above his head to agree  
to anything because places like the University of Alabama, etc.,  
don't have a piano budget either.  That's the problem.

>
> I keep the pianos going using my own tools, equipment and supplies.  
> Once in a while I can buy some small parts that a desperately needed.
> But for the most parts, I have to made do with what I can, using my
> own supplies.

No.  Use your tools, but if the university shop doesn't have and  
cannot afford the supplies, the repair doesn't get done.  I've got a  
music desk out of a piano major practice room that I did not repair  
all last year and kept the action out of the piano all year, simply  
because we do not have the tools to do the repair right.  Yes, all  
I've gotten was fussed at, but I'm no genie, and I cannot wiggle my  
nose and make it happen.  The university bears more responsibility  
that they are taking.  Enough comes out of my pocket.  I draw the  
line at tuning/regulating tools.

>
> There is some hope, in that the state is having a banner year in tax
> collections. Maybe it will loosen up some money for the music
> department. But there are so many needs at this university, that the
> chances of getting anything for pianos is very slim.

South Carolina is debating over what to do with nearly a billion  
dollar surplus this year and I can't get a decent raise or a  
maintenance budget.  Maybe they'll give it back to the taxpayers  
instead of applying it to departments that have had to take deep cuts  
they could not afford for the past 6 years.  Don't get your hopes up.

Jeff Tanner, RPT
University of South Carolina



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/20060920/e160461e/attachment.html