Richard writes: << I remember a previous discussion you and I had about HT's where we both seemed very very much aggreed that any tuner should be required to have a workable knowledge of basic HT principles... or at least a theoretical familiarity with them. I am curious as to how you can have what are two apparently conflicting stands on this.>> Greetings, I don't believe I have ever said a tech should be "required" to have a working knowledge of temperaments( my memory is no longer perfect, of course). I have always pushed the point that being able to offer more than one way to tune a piano makes a technician more valuable. This allows initiative to be profitable for those willing to broaden their horizons. Lawyers, electricians, and plumbers, as well as doctors, are all involved in questions of peoples life and limb,(or in the case of lawyers, freedom). There is a compelling reason for the government to protect the public from those that would endanger them. This doesn't hold for piano tuners, painters, or many other crafts. If we have a certification board for piano techs, then we need one for interior designers, car mechanics, window washers, refrigerator repair, and thousands of other ways people go about making their living. Anathema! Often, the cry for government oversight comes from those that fear cheaper competition. I don't want that "protection", but I do need the freedom to make my way on my own. That was a primary reason for going into this field, ( along with the encouragement of Kelly Ward) and I oppose any move that would take away the autonomy that I believe the vast majority of us enjoy. At the bottom of this discussion is the question of where accountability should come from. To trust the government to police the field is very different than having the market do so. I believe that the market is the better judge of quality than a government appointed board. Regards, Ed Foote RPT
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