[pianotech] Interested in work as an RPT

[Ryan Sowers]

When I became interested in piano technology in 1992, the first thing I did
was to check out all the books I could on the subject. I would suggest you
do the same. Get familiar with the parts and function of the action and
structure of the piano. Study up on piano tone and the harmonic series and
learn about beats and coincidental partials. This is the really basic stuff
that you don't need to pay for beyond several hours of your time.

My next step then was to contact the local chapter of the PTG. Mitch Kiel
was the  chapter President of Puget Sound Chapter at that time. It wasn't an
apprenticeship at first, because quite frankly, I didn't have any skills
that were useful to him at that point. So we arranged "piano technology
lessons". We'd get together once a week for a couple of hours and he would
give me one-on-one instruction. My instruction was geared towards passing
the PTG exams.

The other important thing was that Mitch encouraged me to join the PTG right
away. After working with him for a few months he took me to the Annual
Conference in Sacramento. After 5 days of classes my mind was blown! And I
was completely hooked! Through the PTG I met other technicians which
eventually led to part time work for them. That's how I stayed afloat during
those first few years when I was trying to get a business off the ground.



On Wed, Jul 7, 2010 at 9:14 PM, Norm Barrett <barr8345 at bellsouth.net> wrote:

>  Paul,
> As has been said before, the Randy Potter course is the best. He presents
> information from many sources including Jim Coleman. He strongly adveses
> joining PTG and also FINDING A RPT TO APPRENTICE WITH..
> Someone working a regular job to feed their family would have difficulty
> learning this trade simply through  apprenticing alone. That was my
> experience.
> Norm Barrett
> Memphis, TN
>
>
>
> On 7/7/2010 4:20 PM, Paul T Williams wrote:
>
> Dennis,
>
> What a great time you chimed in!
>
> Correspondence courses are fine, but, if you do so, say, under the
> direction of such, it is absolutely necessary that you connect with a local
> RPT to get the hands on training and immediate feedback on your work.  If
> you could find a local RPT that could train you-hands on- personally, for 2
> years, you could benefit from not spending thousands of dollars for training
> ala outsourced areas, plus the costs of paying a local technician for
> his/her time as well.
>
> I'm not putting down correspondence type classes at all, as these work
> great for certain situations, but, when you learn this craft, there is no
> comparing that with a skilled technician looking over your shoulder as it
> were.
>
> I was fortunate to learn hands on from a very nationally reputable
> technician and I would never, looking back, have wanted to learn otherwise.
> I've now been in the business 20 years, and still learn something every
> month from the old school guys at our chapter meetings! :>)
>
> Where are you? I might be able to hook you up with some RPT in your area
> that could help.
>
> Best of luck,
>
> Paul T. Williams RPT
> Piano Technician
> School of Music
> 5 Westbrook Bldg,
> University of Nebraska
> Lincoln, NE 68588-0100
> pwilliams4 at unl.edu
>
>
>
>
>   From: Dennis Quinn <dquinn at ci.duncanville.tx.us><dquinn at ci.duncanville.tx.us>
> To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org> <pianotech at ptg.org>  Date: 07/07/2010
> 03:44 PM  Subject: [pianotech] Interested in work as an RPT
> ------------------------------
>
>
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> I’d like to get some advice on the best way to get into the field of piano
> tuning/maintenance/repair (including PTG membership), and Mr. Foote’s recent
> post seemed to indicate a good time to ask in this forum.
>
> I’ve played the piano for most of my life and earned a BM in Music History
> a few years ago. I went on to complete an MS in Library Science, and now I
> work full-time as a cataloger for a public library, but I’m considering the
> idea of a part-time side job as a freelance piano technician. I have great
> deal of respect for the work of RPTs, and I’d really like to be able to help
> pianists and piano enthusiasts keep theirs in proper working order.
> Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to pursue a full-time training institute
> such as those listed on the PTG website. Would a correspondence course
> suffice? Are any of them more highly recommended than others? What about
> apprenticeship?
>
> Also,
>
> Please feel free to reply off-list if you wish.
>
> Thanks,
> Dennis Quinn
> Dallas/Forth Worth, TX
>
>  This message has been processed by Firetrust Benign<http://www.firetrust.com/products/benign/>.
>
>
>


-- 
Ryan Sowers, RPT
Puget Sound Chapter
Olympia, WA
www.pianova.net
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