Bill Ballard wrote: >>Who else saw the last page essay in the Dec. Scientific American? A pianist waxing eloquent on the glory in pianos which is only there by our efforts, our life's work. I'm sorry that no one can fill the shoes of his departed technician, and by my nature I can't agree with his pessimism. Heck, we're up for a challenge. Let's prove him wrong!<< I read the essay, and was really angered by it. What does it take to get opinions like that printed in Scientific American, anyway?? Just because the author couldn't find a new technician who was to his liking doesn't mean that there are no qualified technicians available! I could personally recommend a bunch of people from the LA area (where the author lives) who are more than competent to carefully voice and tune at a "concert level." Perhaps the author just doesn't want to pay their fees, eh? My impression of the article was that the author was enfatuated (in a musical way) with the personality and work of his technician. I've observed this effect at work on the customers of the tuner with whom I started my training. People would say Mr. X was the best technician, "Oh you absolutely _must_ use him!" even if the work was miserable (which it sometimes was). It seemed to me that the writing of the S.A. author was a reflection of his personal relationship with the technician, and he was trying to flatter this friend by making it seem that the he was the only soul in the universe who could properly service a piano. Pretty amazing that such drivel was printed by an otherwise competent magazine. Don Mannino (writing from Japan) 74473.624@compuserve.com
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