Emil Fries Remembrance

[Donald Mitchell]

As the director of education at the Emil Fries Piano Hospital and Training
Center AKA the Emil Fries School of Piano Tuning, I thought I would make a
brief statement about the school.  

The original mission of the school was to train blind men in piano tuning
and repair.  This mission is still in full force.  In 1960 the school was
reorgainized under a board of directors to make sure the school would
continue after the deth of Mr. Fries.  Because of the infirmaties of old
age Emil has not been activly involved in the running of the school for
more then 15 years.  Emil, wisely, allowed himself to gradually withdraw
from active influence in the running of the school.  Since 1978 Ken
Serviss, the executive director, has been in command.  The mission of the
school has not changed though it has been inlarged.  We now except women
trainees as well as sighted applicants.  This change was made for two
reasons.  

As schools for the blind decrease in enrollment because of changes in the
philosophy of the education of the blind fewer blind persons are aware of
the school and of piano tuning as a vocation.

The second reason is that the blind themselves are somewhat put off by the
fact that in the early part of this century blind men were often channeled
into piano tuning by well meaning vocational councelors who did not take
into account the wants and needs of the individual.  We began takeing
sighted trainees to help keep the school functioning in this time of low
enrollment and to show the blind that this is a vocation that any hard
working consciencous person can be proud to make his or her life vocation.

Sorry for the non-technical nature of this post but I felt it needed to be
said.  The Piano Hospital is here to stay.  We miss Emil but his influence
will continue for the good of the school.

Don MItchell director of education


On Sat, 14 Jun 1997, Wallace F. Wilson wrote:

> Not to detract from the significance of the moment, this part of your note
> also struck me.   Has the mission of the school changed recently?
> 
> >The school, until recently, was responsible for training
> >visually challenge technicians, and has been in existance since 1949. 
> Wally Wilson
> 
>