NE Conservatory program (fwd)

[colinm@chelsea.ios]

Forwarded message:
>
> Thanks everyone for the public and private messages concerning the New
> England Conservatory program taught by Frank Hanson.  I was suprised to
> see most of them not recommending the school, due to it's seemingly good
> reputation as a tuning school.  I was sent a letter by a former student,
> which I was encouraged to print here in order to shed a positive light on
> the subject.  This is the only letter I got from a former student of the
> course.
>
> "I have been disappointed to see such a negative response by those in
> this mailing list concerning the tuning program at New England
> Conservatory.  Mr. Hanson has, for many years, been one of New England's
> most prominent tuners in the business.  His program has consistently
> graduated some of the most successful piano tuner/technicians in the
> country.
>
> Any claims that his program no longer continues or that he is no longer
> graduating successful students are purely false.  Quite the contrary, his
> program is still going strong.  For two years in a row, two of his
> students were hired by Steinway to work at the Manhattan showroom right
> out of school!  If this is not a testament to his program, I dont know
> what is!
>
> As to your comparison with the program to the North Bennet program, I can
> attest that the Conservatory program is every bit as qualified in giving
> students the necessary experience to be graduate a professional
> tuner/tech, in ONE year, no less.  Of course, schooling can only prepare
> a tuner so much, it is the real experience and constant tuning which
> really solidify the proficiency of any tuner.
>
> Finally, to the accusations that the Conservatory program is not
> "hands-on" enough, let me reassure you this is quite untrue.  How does a
> course get more "hands-on" than this?  Mr. Hanson stands by the first
> semester to teach and aid in tuning, and Vincent Derrico demonstrates and
> aids in each student's project of rebuilding a Steinway grand the second
> semester.
>
> Please reprint this letter on the mailing list for those who criticized
> the Conservatory program.  As a former student of the course, I can
> assure you I am quite qualified to recommend this program for a thorough
> education in piano tuning/technology.  I am very curious to know how
> these others came to speak against the program, and to what they are
> basing their opinions on.  I suspect that some of these people let
> personal differences interfere."
>
> colinm@chelsea.ios.com
>
>
>