I have no problem with Jeff's attitude and I especially like the ad in the program...at least, I am going to start requesting my name be in the program as piano technician. How much does an agent cost? David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "Porritt, David" <dporritt at mail.smu.edu> To: caut at ptg.org Received: 8/21/2009 5:50:28 AM Subject: Re: [CAUT] Subservience, was CAF >I haven't really tried this approach but I never thought we'd get more respect for >our profession by denigrating the pianists ("The ones who become stars do so >because they have brilliant agents and marketing campaigns") or the ticket buyers >("the ticket buyers are season ticket holders and just go to the concerts because it >makes them look well to do in the eyes of other people") >I have taken short, ill-advised trips to cynical. I just tried to avoid living there. >dave >David M. Porritt, RPT >dporritt at smu.edu >From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jeff >Tanner >Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 10:22 PM >To: caut at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [CAUT] Subservience, was CAF >My thinking was along the lines of this. When Tiger starts hitting the ball in the >woods (pun fully intended), he goes to someone who is an expert in the MECHANICS >of the golf swing and equipment to show him what HE is doing wrong and help HIM >correct his technique. The expert might also alter the equipment or suggest >different equipment. But usually, they work on Tiger's technique (at that level, they >can play about as well with KMart clubs - they just get paid more money not to). >With pianists and piano coaches, like no other musicians, when it comes to >mechanics, we essentially have the blind leading the blind. Sometimes it helps to >have the perspective of the mechanics expert in how the thing functions to explain >what's going on. And we shouldn't think so lowly of ourselves that our understanding >of how the piano functions isn't important. (Susan, yes, I've had a very similar >experience with assisting with pedaling -- how pedaling too slowly will create zings >and zoinks no matter how good the regulation is) >The phenomenon we started out describing is action failure, and using the >assistance of the rest cushion to "correct" it. The more I have contemplated this, I >have realized that if the cushion is coming into play during repetition at all, ACTION >FAILURE has already occurred. Raising the cushion does not SOLVE the action >failure. It is by simple coincidence that the jack can reset at all if the shank is >bouncing off the cushion at whatever height. My thinking is that a situation like this >(as rare as Fred has described that it is) is one that the performers should be >educated on. "If I may explain what's going on mechanically: What you're doing is >creating something of a false start in the key, and by doing so you are actually >causing action failure. It may work on some actions and not on others. But by >raising the cushions, we are not eliminating the action failure. It is still happening. >This is in some respect a bandaid approach which increases the probability that you >will be able to repeat the note." >But along the lines of the "self-deprecating vibe", yes, I hear this subserviant >attitude way too much from us, which is part of why I responded the way I did. >Humility is one thing, but subservience is not a healthy attitude. We don't garner >respect because we don't respect ourselves. And this is most of why CAUT work is >so poorly compensated. It's a combination of "we're beneath the DMA music faculty >gods, so we shouldn't make as much as they do, and, besides, the local tooner who >charges less might get this job if I let them think I should be earning more." CAUTs >net $125 a day plus some version of health care and retirement benefits instead of >$400 because we don't respect what we do. So nobody else will either. Fred, it's >not mutual respect when we don't even respect the value of what we do. >Ed Sutton wrote: >"It is not very often that the public buys tickets to hear some unknown player >perform a tuning by Ed Sutton." >Actually, Ed, that is exactly what they're doing every time. They just don't think >about it that way because you haven't let them know you exist. They don't know >who the player is, they've just read the opinionated reviews (many of these "stars" >are made by opinion writers who can't play chopsticks). Or, more often, the ticket >buyers are season ticket holders and just go to the concerts because it makes them >look well to do in the eyes of other people. These players don't become stars >because of their talent. There are tons of talented musicians in the world (I was >floored to find our outstanding faculty member actually paying the record company >for the privilege of making a record that the record company was going to sell). The >ones who become stars do so because they have brilliant agents and marketing >campaigns. >The audiences don't know these musicians from Adam. But you prepare the piano no >matter who is playing it. They come to hear your work every time. You are part of >the TEAM that makes each concert possible. You are a big part of why they buy >tickets. When this concert is over, YOU get called back before the performer does. >Why should we should think of ourselves as beneath the performer? Without us, the >performers can't do what they do. Without our expertise, no matter how much they >practice, they can't get to where they are unless we've done our work. That's >actually us making the music when they push those buttons. >I GUARANTEE YOU, if you placed an ad in the program that says, "The performers >can do what they do because Ed does what he does" with a nice, professional >picture, the respect given you would be completely different. Can't you just imagine >hearing folks walking into the auditorium, and you might hear "I wonder what >tonight's pianist is going to be able to do with Ed's piano tonight?" >We have got to have more respect for and pride in what we do. >Jeff >----- Original Message ----- >From: Fred Sturm<mailto:fssturm at unm.edu> >To: caut at ptg.org<mailto:caut at ptg.org> >Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 7:58 PM >Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAF >On Aug 20, 2009, at 7:56 AM, Jeff Tanner wrote: >Geesh, Fred. Should we not look directly into their faces lest their countenance blind >us? Perhaps piano tuners should wear veils when we go out in public. >Jeff >Actually, I think there is a middle ground. I call it mutual respect. But I would also >say the the piano technician is on the lower side of the equation. We are support >staff. We are definitely not the star. >I don't tell the pianist how to play, or not play the piano. The pianist doesn't tell me >how to do my work. The pianist does point out defects in the piano from his or her >point of view, and it is my job to address them the best I can. I do not point out >defects in the pianist's approach to the piano, whether or not I think they are >present. I may try to explain how the piano action functions in order to establish >better communication. Or not, depending on the person involved. >Regards, >Fred Sturm >University of New Mexico >fssturm at unm.edu<mailto:fssturm at unm.edu>
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