Valuing ourselves

[Dean May]

>>I don't want to work on a nasty piano even if it's owned by the Dalai
Lama. I want to work on good, clean pianos owned by people and venues that
treat me well and pay me what I ask for gladly and eagerly

 

Amen, DA, and again, amen. I'm trying to get there. ;-)

 

I realized the other day that I needed a flange for an upright and I didn't
have one in stock. Which is amazing because 15 years ago I had dozens of
every conceivable size and style of upright flanges. Why? Because working on
low end junky uprights was the mainstay of my business back then and I was
repairing them all the time. I rarely do anymore. And I'm glad.

Dean

Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 

PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 

Terre Haute IN  47802

 

  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Andersen
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 11:14 AM
To: Pianotech Pianotech
Subject: Valuing ourselves

 

I've been an acolyte of Ed Foote in the business realm for about 10 years
because he KNOWS what he's worth, and raises his rates EVERY SINGLE TIME he
needs to, usually every 18 months. He's been in the top 1/2 of 1% of earners
in this craft for 30 years. 

 

Let me ask you some questions:

 

1. Are you proud of your craft?

 

2. Do you think it takes as much focus and skill to function in the high end
of the pianotech world

as it does to function as a technician in the high end of home/small
business computers?

 

3. Do you think you're going to live forever?

 

4. Do you want to work with and deal with a**h**les on a daily basis?

 

If you sincerely and truthfully answered yes, yes, no, and no, then

 

GO TO THE HIGH END AND STAY THERE. Really. Quit bitching and complaining
about competition and taxes and driving and cheap clients, and not enough
money to go to conventions. If you're a highly trained, honest, professional
craftsperson and you're not making $2,000 a week, it's you---you have a
diminished perception of yourself and your worth, and other people are
picking up on and responding to that. It's a classic problem in our craft.
STAND UP. Look at things in the cold light of day. Do you WANT to work on
old uprights that are falling apart owned by people that are cheap and
untrusting? I don't want to work on a nasty piano even if it's owned by the
Dalai Lama. I want to work on good, clean pianos owned by people and venues
that treat me well and pay me what I ask for

gladly and eagerly---because I take the work seriously, make a radical
positive change in the way their instrument sound and feels, and they truly
love and honor and respect that. It's important to them, for a myriad of
reasons.

 

Two other bitches, as long as I'm ranting.

 

1. DO NOT compare me to a plumber. My work is way, way different than making
a turd go through a pipe.

 

2. DO NOT complain about working on dog-ass pianos. If you stick a pin in
your house on a map, and draw a circle around it with a 50-mile radius, I
guarantee that unless you live in the wilderness, there's a thousand good
pianos (conservatively) in that circle waiting for your magic touch. There
are no excuses; just reasons why you don't succeed. How you see yourself,
how you FEEL on the inside, has everything to do with how you're treated on
the outside.

 

End of mad soliloquy. Out of breath. Must.....rest........

 

David Andersen 

 

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