To: Paul Milesi,
Hello,
Even if string covers have no significant effect of tone, and I am sure they have some effect (and I think a significant one), I would not want to have to convince all the pianists who would play on the piano of this. Also, what would the audience think when they see a cover over the piano strings! I might suspect it is a keyboard instead of a real piano! I made a cover that fit under strings of the piano once at the request of a pianist that thought the piano was too loud. It worked well in the room which was too "alive", but when another pianist saw it there he immediately asked it be removed without even considering if it might be right for the situation.
Sincerely,
Russell Schmidt - Piano Technician University of Kentucky School of Music
-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of caut-request at ptg.org
Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2009 10:10 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: CAUT Digest, Vol 11, Issue 27
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Swine flu (wimblees at aol.com)
2. Climate Systems, String Covers, and Effects on Tuning
Stability & Tone (Paul Milesi)
3. Re: Climate Systems, String Covers, and Effects on Tuning
Stability & Tone (Jon Page)
4. germs (Donald McKechnie)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:13:51 -0400
From: wimblees at aol.com
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Swine flu
Message-ID: <8CC0553A25253CF-143C-D35F at webmail-m011.sysops.aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Doug
For the most part I agree with you. I will get my flu shot, but I know my sister will not. She has absolutely no trust in the public health system.
Wim
-----Original Message-----
From: Douglas Wood <dew2 at u.washington.edu>
To: caut at ptg.org
Sent: Wed, Sep 16, 2009 9:35 am
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Swine flu
I am afraid that I must object in the most strenuous possible terms to the fear-mongering about vaccines. Any of you who think that you are better off ignoring the profound public health benefits to our current vaccination programs are welcome to visit, or even live in, the parts of the world that do not have them. How quickly we forget the horrors of pre-vaccination epidemics.
It goes farther that this, though. If a sufficient percentage of a given population refuses vaccination, then the ENTIRE population is at much greater risk of the adverse health effects of the epidemic.
I wish to make clear that I do not believe that vaccinations are some sort of panacea, or great ANSWER. They are not perfect, and there are always a few who suffer adverse reactions. But do look carefully and dispassionately at the evidence of the clear public health benefits before hiding in the closet and thereby putting the rest of us at greater risk, please.
A certain amount of trust in our public health authorities is fully justifiable.
Doug Wood
On Sep 15, 2009, at 7:54 PM, wimblees at aol.com wrote:
The best prevention is for all students?be required to thoroughly wash their hands before playing a piano.?
?
On a side note, my sister, who is a health nut, has sent me several e-mails about the dangers of the swine flu vaccination. Her informants claim the?side effects of the swine flu vaccination are more dangerous than the flue itself. To stay healthy,?get plenty of rest and wash your hands often.
Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
Mililani, Oahu, HI
808-349-2943
Author of:
The Business of Piano Tuning
available from Potter Press
www.pianotuning.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Busby <jim_busby at byu.edu>
To: caut at ptg.org <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Tue, Sep 15, 2009 3:13 pm
Subject: [CAUT] Swine flu
?
All,
The Dean at Snow College just asked if there is anything that can be sprayed on the piano keys to kill germs and avoid passing swine flu around. Any thoughts? I guess it's good they asked me, before hosing down the pianos with Lysol...
Thanks.
Jim Busby
BYU and Snow College
=
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:00:22 -0400
From: Paul Milesi <paul at pmpiano.com>
To: PTG CAUT List <caut at ptg.org>
Subject: [CAUT] Climate Systems, String Covers, and Effects on Tuning
Stability & Tone
Message-ID: <C6D756C6.29343%paul at pmpiano.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Greetings. I am the new staff technician for the Howard University
Department of Music in Washington, DC.
I am working hard to overcome or at least slow the deleterious effects of an
HVAC system that is pumping air of all extremes into recital halls,
classrooms, practice rooms, and teaching studios -- all in combination with
windows that open and close. Since the building opened in 1961, significant
damage (mostly pinblock and soundboard damage from excessive dryness, but
also string rust/corrosion from our humid summers here in DC) has been done
to what used to be some very beautiful pianos, including several Baldwin Ls
and Rs and 4 or 5 Steinways.
For starters, I have obtained funds for 10 Life Saver systems, to be
distributed among the recital hall, piano teaching studios, and practice
rooms. I have installed a couple already, and thought it would also be a
good idea to combine the systems with string covers to maximize tuning
stability. I purchased several yards of string cover felt from Schaff, and
placed a cover on a Yamaha C5 in the recital hall. I currently have no
plans to install undercovers.
Can a string cover be left on the piano during recitals? The first person
to play with it on last week thought it was damping the tone. I?m sure it
is to some extent, but was thinking it?s tonal effects are nominal, and are
far outweighed by gains in tuning stability and rust prevention. What are
your thoughts on this? Is the sensatin of damped tone anything more than
psychological? If any of you use string covers, do you leave them on for
recitals? Are the Edwards covers any different than the Schaff felt? Does
anyone use them in practice rooms, classrooms, or teaching studios? Do you
meet with any resistance from faculty or students? Do you experience
significant benefits for the trouble? Is there any advantage to a string
cover on a piano in a teaching studio that has the lid closed all the time
(I?m thinking yes, there is, because it will cover the pinblock area)?
Also, for any who have Life Saver Systems, who has the responsibility for
maintaining them (i.e., filling humidifier)? Faculty at Howard seem willing
to pitch in, since they are already seeing significant benefits from a
little more attention to their pianos, but I?m wondering about the long term
? would it be better for me to simply look in on 10-15 systems every couple
of weeks?
I will sincerely appreciate all suggestions and feedback on these topics, as
well as pointers to any online information, books, etc. I really want to
turn things around at this school ? is that possible without a new building?
Sincerely,
Paul
--
Paul Milesi
Registered Piano Technician (RPT)
Piano Technicians Guild
(202) 667-3136
(202) 246-3136 Cell
E-mail: paul at pmpiano.com
Website: http://www.pmpiano.com
Address:
3000 7th Street NE, Apt. 204
Washington, DC 20017-1402
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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:30:24 -0400
From: Jon Page <jonpage at comcast.net>
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Climate Systems, String Covers, and Effects on
Tuning Stability & Tone
Message-ID: <a0624080cc6d7cdef4a8e@[192.168.0.176]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; Format="flowed"
>... thought it was damping the tone
Did you support the cloth with wooden slats to prevent
the material from draping on the strings and dampers?
--
Regards,
Jon Page
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:03:41 -0400
From: Donald McKechnie <dmckech at ithaca.edu>
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: [CAUT] germs
Message-ID: <550CAB38-0BC3-4B1C-A314-1C423D633F0C at ithaca.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; Format="flowed";
DelSp="yes"
All,
The hand sanitizer dispensers are popping up all over this campus as
well. In light of the potential H1N1 problem (the first college
student to pass away from H1N1 in this country was a Cornell student;
just across the valley from IC) I am again letting the administration
know that the humidity control in our HVAC system is severely lacking.
Perhaps this time they will listen. Attached is the Sterling paper I
found recently. Check out what he has to say about viruses and also
the Sterling chart at the end.
Regards,
Don
Donald McKechnie
Piano Technician
Ithaca College
dmckech at ithaca.edu
607.274.3908
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