President's message

[timothy ehlen]

List,

As mainly a "reader," I appreciate learning so much from 
your conversations and archives.  As a Steinway artist 
and university prof. who enjoys working on his own 
pianos, my perspective might be a bit different from a 
typical customer.  Both sides of this discussion make 
valid points, but my only concern is an attitude that "my 
work is always perfect since I'm the pro."  I can't afford 
that view of myself as a musician or teacher:  as a 
teacher, much of it involves seeing and respecting the 
perspective of other people (even when I also see their 
sophomorism); as a musician, a self-critical attitude 
promotes growth, improvement, work, etc.  BTW, even 
though I'm the "expert," I'm always learning from my 
students.

A list of my experience with technicians could go on and 
on, and most of them are very positive, but when they're 
not so positive, it is often due to this attitude.  Here's a 
question for you: I've seen local techs who don't set pins 
properly, then when the pins slip after a rehearsal, they 
want to charge more to fix unisons before the 
performance.  Who's to know who's "right" here?  
Perhaps it's the piano, perhaps the player is being too 
picky, yes--but there's also the possibility the technician 
isn't setting the strings and pins properly and doesn't 
realize this.  Is it just a question of the technician's time?  
I don't know the answer to this, but wouldn't you agree 
that if a piano goes out of tune after 1/2 hour of playing, 
there's probably a problem with the technician's 
technique (I'm not talking about old PSO's)?

On one occasion, I saw a store technician voice a 
hammer past the point of deadness in the attempt to 
eliminate a buzz, when the actual problem was a damper 
wire touching the string.  Then there were the leather key 
bushings that squeaked and stuck, that a technician at a 
major university did not notice.  OK--you get the point--I'm 
not trying to pick on technicians.  Technicians are skilled 
professionals, and, yes, some are artists. 

Anyone can miss something--a pianist can misread a 
note or harmony, and when this happens to me, I'm 
grateful if someone tells me.  I don't want to spend time 
practicing a misreading.  That's a clear-cut case, and 
most situations aren't that clear.  Still, I think no matter 
how much of an expert you are, it's good to be responsive 
to people's perceptions, and to realize that there's always 
the chance that you might have missed something. 

Just my 2 cents worth.

Tim 

Timothy Ehlen
U of Illinois 










---- Original message ----
>Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 07:30:39 -0400
>From: Phil Bondi <phil@philbondi.com>  
>Subject: Re: President's message  
>To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
>
>
>
>Ric Brekne wrote:
>
>I don't think I'll regret this:
>
>>  Many non tuners read the journal and indeed this list.  
And very many 
>> indeed are going to react as myself and obviously 
significant numbers 
>> of other techs.
>
>If there are people out there reading this to support this 
allegation, I 
>would hope that those people would come forward and 
express the same 
>displeasure/disturbing feeling that has been made 
here.
>
>I am more than just a little tired of allegations without 
numbers being 
>put into text..being made public on a world-wide list of 
respected 
>professionals..which is what I am losing when I read 
stuff like 
>this..respect.
>
>no flame suit required.
>
>-Phil Bondi(Fl)
>
>
>___________________________________________
____
>pianotech list info: 
https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives