[CAUT] CAUT Endorsement (was Re: Job Opening, U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor)

[Joel A. Jones]

A trait I have not seen mentioned in any of these discussions so far
is the mind set that CAUT employment requires.  ie You will go to the
same 'cubicle' and work on the same pianos for a long, long time. Many
of my colleagues have not retained their sense of humor in these
circumstances and in fact become quite sour with the profession.

  If you need the variety of 'shoe less' work where you go to a 
different house
to a different room, a different piano owner, remove you shoes and 
spread
a drop cloth on the white carpet, and collect a fee at the end of each 
tuning
then CAUT work is not for you.

For my 40 years the faculty change over was not big as tenure secured
their position. Piano inventory remained equally static with very few 
new
pianos purchased during my years.  However, it was impressive to me
personally that as the inventory aged and the musicians practiced,
performed long and hard  the pianos were able to give back what the
pianists put in.  They were happy and that made me happy.

Develop a sense of humor.  Enjoy stability.   Keep in Tune.

Joel

Joel Jones, RPT
Madison, WI

On Oct 19, 2007, at 1:14 PM, Conrad Hoffsommer wrote:

> Alan Eder, A.K.A.,
> reggaepass at aol.com wrote:
>
>
>
>> I think that CAUT work should require as wide a range and as high a 
>> level of technical ability as possible (and be compensated 
>> accordingly!!!). To me, the elusive part, the part that can be 
>> discussed, but ultimately not taught, is how to keep so many plates 
>> twirling in the air at the same time.
>
> 'Tis the art of triage...
>
>  The demands of the situation,
>> magnified by the desire to make things better; having hundreds of 
>> hands to hold simultaneously; handling training and supervising 
>> others while doing your own work, and then being interrupted;
>
> ...and being undermined by folks "forgetting" to book out a room.
> grrrrrrr
>
>  doing a solid job of
>> taking responsibility for everything in your job description--and 
>> then some--while being able to clearly draw a line to keep yourself 
>> from being sucked into things that are "not your table;"
>
> oh, you mean like being the music department tool crib? or do you mean 
> putzing with things like celeste, concert harp, etc.?
>
>
>  dealing with the
>> constraints of in adequate budgets; the politics...THESE are the 
>> things that distinguish CAUT work in my mind and are ultimately going 
>> to be learned only through experience and survival in a particular 
>> situation.
>
> Yup.
>
> -- 
> Conrad Hoffsommer - Keyboard Technician
> Luther College, 700 College Dr., Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045
> 1-(563)-387-1204 // Fax 1-(563)-387-1076
>
> - There comes a time in every man's life and I've had plenty of them.
> - Casey Stengel
>