Hi to Ric Moody: Thanks for accepting the challenge. As I mentioned in the proposal, I would wear earplugs and ear muffs, so , yes, it really would be machine against the ear which was my main point in the first place. If you have any suggestions as to what would define the experiment any further, please feel free to add any other qualifications. The procedures which I mentioned in the original post were a result of having done this before and are an attempt to make the deal as objective as possible. I don't agree with Richard Breckne about having Professors do the judging. We have piano technicians who play every bit as well as many professors of piano. I believe piano technicians are more able to know what an intune piano should sound like, and I am equally sure that many piano teachers do not (since often they do not have their own pianos tuned as often as they should). When I worked at the University, the piano professors wanted their pianos tuned every month in their studios, but their home pianos were tuned only once a year (maybe it's just the money). The weeks of voicing recommended by R. Breckne should not be necessary since, if we trade pianos on the second heat, any differences in tone quality would be negated. I do like his idea of doing this in Bergen, however, because I have never been able to enjoy the scenery there except through the National Geographic Magazine. Hey Ric, all we need now are sponsors to get us over there and back. I could use the vacation, I had to do 3 separate Church concert tunings yesterday from my wheelchair (in one of them I had to crawl up ten steps to get to the piano. It was worth it though, because it was an SD10 rebuilt by Rick Baldassin and Michael Spreeman - ask for details if interested). I guess the next step is to see if the new Institute Committee would be interested in having this on the docket for Chicago next Summer. The first time in Chicago, Virgil and I had the choice of two fairly well matched pianos (except one had a high polish finish and the other didn't). In the first heat, it didn't make any difference because we had tuned the pianos before the audience arrived just before noon. They didn't know who had tuned which piano. During the second heat, we each tuned the opposite piano before the audience for educational purposes. This time in the judging, the audience knew who had tuned which piano because of the different appearance of the two pianos. We can rule out this possibility of favoritism this time if the pianos are visually equivalent. Another thing we learned from the first Tuneoff was that the position of the pianos on stage made a difference as to which one sounded better, so we exchanged the piano positions halfway through the listening time to help balance out any advantage of position on stage. I know Richard B.was giving us some "tongue-in-cheek" treatment when he suggested that detuning would take so much time. In the PTG Exam rooms we take about 10 minutes for this, not an exact science, but effective. We probably should have some acceptable alternates ready to carry on for us if either of us should become ill. This only seems reasonable when you consider all of the logistics involved in providing the pianos, setting the schedule, moving the pianos before and during the contest, etc. I have one or two people who may willing to wear the earplugs if it became necessary, and I'm sure you could find many "dyed-in-the-wool" aural tuners who would jump at the chance to "defend the faith" if you should become incapacitated. (Tom Servinsly has already volunteered, and if he is related to the Tony Servinsky I knew, he's got to be exceptionally good). Where would professional sports be today if they only played between their first and second teams and only at home. Competition has driven the sports to greater heights of achievement. Could this happen in piano tuning? Could such an event stir up national interest and national media coverage? Would piano owners become more critical in their selection of pianos and piano tuners? Could we achieve such an interest in fine piano sounds that it would once again be fun to make music rather than play nintendo (I took seriously the remarks of Brian Chung at our opening assembly at Reno this summer). I think playing the piano IS fun, I think that tuning a piano IS fun. I also think it is fun to tune aurally as well as with ETDs (did you ever catch my class on "Strictly Aural Tuning?). Well, here I've gone to dreaming again. What are your thoughts? Jim Coleman, Sr. PS It was good to see you and Ric B in Reno.
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