Feedback on PTG attendance

[Barb Barasa]

LaBorn, LaBorn.

FIRST off, I moved FROM the Big City (Chicago-ish) TO Tiny Town 
(Ashland OR). The big deal is: 1) I tune 1 or 2 pianos a month. 
Paying dues (which I would only do if I then i mmediately took the 
tests) would equal about 20-25% of my tuning income for the year. Is 
that a good idea?

2) I have an attitude thing. I would never tell somebody they had to 
be part of the Club in order to hang around and learn. You know I'm 
always ready to help other people -- and I don't make them pay. I 
like the idea of people being good models by demonstrating their 
knowledge and professionalism -- not by acting elitist.

3) As I said, I would only join if I could then get my RPT thing. It 
tunrs out that away from the Big Cities, it is quite a hardship to 
arrange to take the tuning exam. When I inquired 2 years ago, right 
after I moved here, nobody had any idea when the test would next be 
given or where, even tho they heartily encouraged me to take it!  I 
would up making several long distance phone calls and finding out 
that "maybe" there would be tests several hours away sometime in the 
next 6 months. At that time I was working full time but with no 
vacation benefits. That means I would have had to take unpaid time 
off to travel PLUS pay for the exam and probably stay overnight in a 
motel. I don't call this accessible. I understand from the CTE side 
of things that they can't offer testing all over the place all the 
time, but then why should I join?

I would have been happy to keep hanging out and when I felt like 
there was some benefit to me, I would join. (That's where I'm back at 
now -- only because one of the 3 rotating officers is sympathetic to 
my views.)

It is quite clear to me now why there are only a few people attending 
these meetings. The person who's been around the longest, with whom I 
get along great in all other ways, actually called me on the phone 2 
years ago right before a meeting and TOLD me he didn't think it was 
right for me to come if I wasn't going to join. Piss on him! He acts 
like he has some Secret Knowledge and only the righteous can be privy 
to it. That's bull shit.

Well, you can see I tried to be very diplomatic in my e-mail to the 
list!  :-)   If I start making more money at tuning (which may happen 
if my new "marketing plan" works), I MIGHT find it worth it to become 
a member. But really, in a place like this, what is it worth? There 
are only a few people who know more than I do, and I could get just 
as good advice from the pianotech list if I were up against it.

Hey -- I gotta run to symphony rehearsal.

Tell me what the hell you're doing and every single thing that's 
happened to you!

Hugs and kisses to you, too, baby!

Barb


"When nothing is sure,
     everything is possible."